One way that the Red Panda Network supports both locals and red pandas is by hiring community members as environmental stewards, which reduces poaching and provides alternative income sources. They Are Smelly Socializers Worldwide population estimates range from fewer than 2,500 individuals to between 16,000 and 20,000 individuals. In 1999, the total population in China was estimated at between 3,000 and 7,000 individuals. In 2001, the wild population in India was estimated at between 5,000 and 6,000 individuals. Estimates for Nepal indicate only a few hundred individuals. There are no records from Bhutan or Myanmar. The effective population size of the Sichuan population is larger and more stable than that of the Yunnan population, implying a southward expansion from Sichuan to Yunnan. Roberts, M. S., J. L. Gittleman. 1984. Mammalian Species. Number 201-306. The American Society of Mammalogists. Young pandas pounce and play not just for fun, but to build skills like balance and coordination. “One of the most charming sorts of play behavior I've ever seen is red panda young playing with their parents,” says Glatston. “They raise up on their hind legs, and put their front paws up, and then they will pounce on one of their parents. It's just so cute."

The red panda has been classified as Vulnerable by IUCN because its population is estimated at fewer than 10,000 mature individuals. Although red pandas are protected by national laws in their range countries, their numbers in the wild continue to decline mainly due to habitat loss and fragmentation, poaching, and inbreeding depression. These pouches are common to marsupials – mammals with pouches. Red pandas are placental mammals and give birth to fully developed babies. Placental mammals don’t need pouches. The illegal pet trade has reportedly been on the rise throughout Asia. However, poaching and the illegal trade of red panda pelts, meat and other products has decreased. Red pandas are the only living member of the Ailuridae family, and their taxonomic position has long been a subject of scientific debate. They were first described as members of the raccoon family ( Procyonidae) — a controversial classification — in 1825, because of ecological characteristics and morphological similarities of the head, dentition and ringed tail. Later, due to some agreements in DNA, they were assigned to the bear family ( Ursidae).

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When on the ground the panda walks with its feet flat against the ground and the tail held horizontally. It has a slight waddle due to its front legs being shorter than the hind legs. Family Life 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.

In addition, during harsh weather when it’s pretty cold or windy, red pandas use their tail as blankets for warmth. These tails are broad enough to wrap their bodies and provide protection. Red Pandas Have Whiskers Recent genetic studies suggest two distinct species of red panda: the Chinese red panda ( Ailurus styani) and the Himalayan red panda ( Ailurus fulgens). Chinese red pandas typically have a redder face and more distinguished tail rings, and Himalayan red pandas tend to be smaller and have lighter-colored fur. They Mostly Eat Vegetation This smelly liquid also serves another purpose: Males release it to mark their territory when searching for a mate in winter and early spring. They don’t have a big window: females are only fertile for a couple of days a year. They typically give birth to one to four cubs that remain with them for about 90 days. Males take little or no interest in the cubs, leaving the cub-rearing to the mothers. Threats and conservation Although unrelated to the giant panda, the red panda shares the bear’s liking for bamboo. Like the larger animal, the red panda has a ‘ false thumb’ – a thumb-like extension of the wrist bone. However, whereas the panda’s false thumb is an adaptation for holding bamboo, the red panda’s false thumb is thought to be an adaptation for climbing trees. Where Is The Red Panda Found? Like the Giant Panda, they cannot digest cellulose, so they must consume a large volume of bamboo to survive. Their diet consists of about two-thirds bamboo, but they also eat mushrooms, roots, acorns, lichen, and grasses. Occasionally, they supplement their diet with fish and insects. They do little more than eat and sleep due to their low-calorie diet.

Is The Red Panda Endangered?

Red pandas are skilled climbers, using trees for shelter, to escape predators and to sunbathe in the winter. Their ankles are extremely flexible, and the fibula and tibia are attached in such a way as to allow the fibula to rotate about its axis. These features make it possible for red pandas to adeptly climb headfirst down tree trunks.

At the San Diego Zoo, our red pandas serve as excellent wildlife ambassadors, and we hope they motivate our guests to help save wildlife. San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance participates in the Association of Zoos and Aquariums’ Species Survival Plan (SSP) for red pandas. The mission of an SSP program is to cooperatively manage threatened or endangered species populations within managed-care facilities. As a highly specialized species, red pandas have many unique traits that set them apart but they are also very important to global biodiversity. They have been identified as a flagship species and an indicator of ecological health of the Eastern Himalayan Broadleaf Forest Ecoregion — one of our planet's biodiversity hotspots — that supports over 500 million people! Their conservation has landscape-level impacts, and like an umbrella, the entire ecoregion (its forests and wildlife) are protected when red pandas are conserved. Here are fifteen of our other favorite red panda facts! In Nepal, known populations occur in Langtang National Park, Sagarmatha National Park, Makalu Barun National Park, Rara National Park, Annapurna Conservation Area, Kanchenjunga Conservation Area, and in Dhorpatan Hunting Reserve. The red panda is an arboreal (tree-dwelling) species. It is an excellent climber, and when in the branches uses its tail for balance. It is able to climb down a tree head first by rotating its ankles.While originally thought to be two subspecies—the Himalayan red panda and the Chinese red panda—growing evidence suggests they may be two distinct species instead. The Chinese red panda is a bit larger and has more distinct rings on its fluffy tail. Range and habitat So how did this mammal come to be called a panda? The origin of the name “panda” is unclear. Many people believe it derives from the second part of an old Nepalese name for these animals, nigalya ponya, which may have meant something like "bamboo footed.” Another local name for the red panda is wah or chitwah. Thanks to CITES this number has decreased substantially in recent years, but poaching continues, and red pandas are often sold to private collectors at exorbitant prices. In some parts of Nepal and India, red pandas are kept as pets. Wilson, D. E., D. M. Reeder. 1993. Mammalian Species of the World: A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference. Second Edition. Smithsonian Institution Press: Washington and London.