The red panda was described earlier by Thomas Hardwicke in 1821, but his paper was only published in 1827. Cuvier's description was based on zoological specimens, including skin, paws, jawbones and teeth "from the mountains north of India", as well as an account by Alfred Duvaucel. The red panda was described and named in 1825 by Frederic Cuvier, who gave it its current scientific name Ailurus fulgens. Watercolour painting of a red panda commissioned by Thomas Hardwicke c. The specific epithet fulgens is Latin for 'shining, bright'. The genus name Ailurus is adopted from the Ancient Greek word αἴλουρος ailouros meaning 'cat'. In English, it was simply called panda it became known as the red panda or lesser panda to distinguish it from the giant panda, which was formally described and named in 1869. The name panda is thought to have originated from the red panda's local Nepali name पञ्जा pajā 'claw' or पौँजा paũjā 'paw'. It is featured in animated movies, video games, comic books and as the namesake of companies and music bands. Regional captive breeding programmes for the red panda have been established in zoos around the world. It is protected in all range countries.Ĭommunity-based conservation programmes have been initiated in Nepal, Bhutan and northeastern India in China, it benefits from nature conservation projects. The species has been listed as Endangered on the IUCN Red List since 2015. It is threatened by poaching as well as destruction and fragmentation of habitat due to deforestation. Red pandas mate in early spring, with the females giving birth to litters of up to four cubs in summer. It feeds mainly on bamboo shoots and leaves, but also on fruits and blossoms. The red panda inhabits coniferous forests as well as temperate broadleaf and mixed forests, favouring steep slopes with dense bamboo cover close to water sources. The evolutionary lineage of the red panda ( Ailuridae) stretches back around 25 to 18 million years ago, as indicated by extinct fossil relatives found in Eurasia and North America.
It is not closely related to the giant panda, which is a bear, though both possess elongated wrist bones or "false thumbs" used for grasping bamboo. The red panda's place on the evolutionary tree has been debated, but modern genetic evidence places it in close affinity with raccoons, weasels, and skunks. The two currently recognised subspecies, the Himalayan and the Chinese red panda, genetically diverged about 250,000 years ago. The red panda was first formally described in 1825. It is well adapted to climbing due to its flexible joints and curved semi-retractile claws. It has dense reddish-brown fur with a black belly and legs, white-lined ears, a mostly white muzzle and a ringed tail. Aggression is rare, but angry red pandas will arch their back and tail, shake their head from side to side, or even stand on their hind legs and bat at their opponents with their fore paws.The red panda ( Ailurus fulgens), also known as the lesser panda, is a small mammal native to the eastern Himalayas and southwestern China. Red pandas use body language to communicate, but they also have 7 distinct calls: whistle, quack-snort, twitter, squeal, bleat, exhale, and snort.
Their biggest threats are habitat loss and fragmentation (the splitting of large forest into smaller inaccessible fragments) caused by logging and clearing forests to make room for human settlements and roads. It is estimated that as few as 2,500 remain in the wild. Red panda populations have declined approximately 50% in the last 20 years. Red to orange body, with white facial markings, brown to black belly and legs, and a white striped tailīody: 62-56 cm, Tail: 49-28 cm Total Length: 111-84 cm (roughly 3.5-3 feet)įemales average 15 pounds and males average 21 pounds Mostly bamboo leaves and shoots, also berries, leaves, acorns, flowers, eggs, insects and grubs Red pandas are found in China (in the provinces of Sichuan, Yunnan, and Xizang), Nepal, Bhutan, and northern Myanmar
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