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World Report View

RED PANDA

by Sonika Pariyar | 30-06-2020 14:09 recommendations 0

Red pandas, like giant pandas, are bamboo eaters native to Asia¡¯s high forests. Despite these similarities and their shared name, the two species are not closely related. Red pandas are much smaller than giant pandas and are the only living member of their taxonomic family. Red pandas are the only living member of the family Ailuridae. Red pandas can be easily identified by their unique ruddy coat color, which acts like camouflage within the canopy of fir trees where branches are covered with clumps of reddish-brown moss and white lichens.They have large, round heads and short snouts with big, pointed ears. Their faces are white with reddish-brown ¡°tear¡± marks that extend from the eyes to the corner of the mouth. These markings could have evolved to help keep the sun out of their eyes. Their tails are marked with alternating red and buff rings.

Red pandas have a soft, dense woolly undercoat covered by long, coarse guard hairs. Long, bushy tails help these arboreal animals maintain balance and protect them from harsh cold and winds. Dense fur completely covers their feet which have five, widely separated toes and semi-retractable claws. The red panda shares the giant panda's rainy, high-altitude forest habitat, but has a wider range. Red pandas live in the mountains of Nepal and northern Myanmar (Burma), as well as in central China.Most recent genetic research, however, places red pandas in their own, independent family: Ailuridae. Molecular phylogenetic studies show that red pandas are an ancient species in the order Carnivora (superfamily Musteloidea) and are probably most closely related to the group that includes weasels, raccoons and skunks.There are two recognized subspecies of red pandas within the Ailuridae family: Ailurus fulgens fulgens and Ailurus fulgens styani (also known as Ailurus fulgens refulgens). The styani subspecies tends to be larger and deeper red in color than the fulgens subspecies.

Adult red pandas typically weigh about 4 to 6.5 kilograms and are 56 to 62.5 centimeters long, plus a tail of 37 to 47.2 centimeters. Red pandas are generally quiet, but subtle vocalizations—such as squeals, twitters and huff-quacks—can be heard at close proximity. They may also hiss or grunt, and young cubs use a whistle, or high-pitched bleat, to signal distress. Red pandas will climb trees and rocks to escape predators, such as leopards and jackals.

Food/Eating Habits
Bamboo constitutes about 98% of the red panda's diet. Unlike giant pandas that feed on nearly every above-ground portion of bamboo (including the culm, or woody stem), red pandas feed selectively on the most nutritious leaf tips and, when available, tender shoots.Like giant pandas, red pandas grasp plant stems using their forepaws and shear selected leaves off with their mouths. Because red pandas are obligate bamboo eaters, they are on a tight energy budget for much of the year. They may also forage for roots, succulent grasses, fruits, insects and grubs, and are known to occasionally kill and eat birds and small mammals.At the Smithsonian's National Zoo, red pandas eat bamboo throughout the day. They are also fed leaf-eater biscuits and fruits, such as grapes and chopped apples.

Red pandas may live as long as 23 years
Image source: 
https://nationalzoo.si.edu/animals/red-panda

Sources:

a) https://nationalzoo.si.edu/animals/red-panda
b) https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/r/red-panda/

red panda

SonikaPariyar

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16 Comments

  • Paras Kunwar says :
    Hello Sonika,
    I hope you are fine and doing well,
    I really enjoyed reading your report,
    You are doing a great job.. Best wishes...
    Thank you for sharing,
    Regards,
    Paras
    Posted 20-07-2021 13:54

  • Asmita Gaire says :
    Greetings Sonika sis
    I hope you are doing well
    Informative report
    Thank you so much for this report
    Keep writing
    Green cheers
    Regards
    Asmita Gaire
    Posted 29-09-2020 23:57

  • Paras Kunwar says :
    Hello Sonika
    I hope you are fine and doing good.
    Thank you for this informative report about Red panda
    Keep writing.
    Green Cheers.

    Regards,
    Paras Kunwar
    Posted 01-08-2020 02:11

  • Asmita Bhusal says :
    Nice report Sonika!! Keep writing.
    Posted 20-07-2020 18:30

  • Bal krishna Pandey says :
    Hello Sonika,
    Thank you very much for this information about Red Panda.
    Cheers~
    Posted 08-07-2020 02:20

  • Sandhya Adhikari says :
    Thank you Sonika for letting us know about our biodiversity.
    Keep writing.

    Posted 05-07-2020 11:53

Sonika Pariyar

Sonika Pariyar

Sonika Pariyar

Sonika Pariyar

Sonika Pariyar

  • Biddhya pandey says :
    Hello sonika,
    Thank you for letting us know more about panda
    such an amazing creature
    Regards,
    Biddhya
    Posted 04-07-2020 02:01

  • Aarati Khatri says :
    Hello sonika,
    As I belong to wildlife field, I can relate how people are less aware about the different animals from same family and consider them as same one.
    Thank you so much for shedding lights on this wonderful creature.
    keep on writting.
    Posted 02-07-2020 20:28

  • Shreya Aryal says :
    Hello Sonika,
    Thank you for sharing information about panda.
    They are such a lovely creature who should be conserved.
    Green Cheers,
    Shreya Aryal
    Posted 02-07-2020 18:21

  • sandesh thapa says :
    Hello Sonika,

    I hope you are doing well. Red panda are our todays challenge to conserve rather than to protect, typical representatives of our Hindu-kush Himalaya.

    Thanks for sharing.

    Regards,
    Sandesh!!!
    Posted 01-07-2020 11:55

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