The Red Panda
Louisa Morgan
Classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Carnivora
Family: Ailuridae
Genus: Ailurus
Species: Fulgens
Common Name: Red Panda
Other Name(s): Lesser Panda, Fire Fox
Size and Weight
Size: Head + Body = 20 to 26 inches, Tail = 12 to 20 inches
Weight: 12 to 20 pounds
Habitat
- Himalayan mountains, mountains of Nepal, northern Burma, and central China
- Temperate mountain forests at altitudes of 1,800 to 4,000 meters high
- Hardwood trees with bamboo under-storey
Diet
- Herbivores
- Almost vegetarian, being that the majority of their food is bamboo
- Also eat berries and grasses, acorns, grubs, mice, lizards, and chick's and bird's eggs
Social Interactions
- Shy
- Usually found by themselves except for when mating
- Males have little to no interest in the babies born
- Communicate using short whistles and squeaks as well as visual displays
- Most active at night
Predators
- Biggest predator is the Snow Leopard
- Another predator is the Marten
- Protect themselves against predators by climbing trees when threatened
Evolutionary Relationships
- Closely related to the Giant Panda and the Raccoon
Movement
- Strong
- Very fast and quick on their feet
- Excellent climbers
Conservation Status
- Endangered
- Less than 3,000 left in the world!
- Biggest threat is the loss of their habitat (deforestation)
- Protected in Appendix 2 of the Conservation of the International Trade in Threatened and Endangered Species