What Do They Look Like?
Red Pandas are around the size of a average domestic cat, and have the markings of a panda and the tail of a raccoon. They possess red/russet fur, distinct white marks all across the body, pointy ears and long white whiskers. Their tails are 30 to 50cm long.
What Do They Eat?
Red pandas live on a omnivorous diet that consists mostly of bamboo, acorns, fruit, roots, eggs and small rodents and birds. They possess an extended wrist which acts much like an opposable thumb, aiding them in grip. The tend to do all of their foraging in the evening/night.
Reproduction
Red pandas live mostly solitary lives and males hardly play any part when raising young. Mating season takes place during late autumn through to winter and the mother's gestation period lasts for around 4 months. 1-4 cubs are born deaf and blind, weighing anywhere from 110-130g. They stay with their mother in a nest for around 12 months, until the next mating season begins. Red pandas are considered fully mature anywhere between 2-3 years of age and in the wild can live for 7-8 years. However in zoos, red pandas have been known to live for up to 15 years.
Where Do Red Pandas Live?
Red pandas live in the, rainy high altitude forests of Nepal, Myanmar and Central China. They spend the majority of their time in the trees and share most of their habitat with Giant Pandas. Sadly, not very much is known about their habitat distribution because the wild population in scarce.
Some Facts:
- their scientific name is Ailurus Fulgens
- some predators of red pandas are snow leopards and martens
- the Firefox browser icon is a red panda