Small or red panda (lat. Ailurus fulgens). This hulking reddish-brown cutie, slightly larger than a cat, was first mentioned in Chinese literature of the 13th century, but Europeans learned about it only 600 years later from the English colonialists of China and India.
Even today, the red panda can be found in its natural habitat only in the mountain bamboo forests of the Chinese provinces of Yunnan and Sichuan, in northern Burma, Bhutan, Nepal and northeast India.
However, peace-loving funny Red panda survives well in captivity. Several hundred of these animals are now kept in 85 zoos around the world, much to the delight of visitors. The red panda leads a mostly crepuscular lifestyle and sleeps in a hollow during the day. And those who are lucky enough to watch her do so with pleasure for hours.
Slowly, clumsily moving along the ground, red pandas look for their food - young bamboo shoots and leaves, mushrooms, fruits and berries. This activity takes them at least 13 hours a day.
Formally, they are considered representatives of the order of predators. But, probably, it is only by chance that the red panda comes across bird eggs or a small rodent.
Small pandas “talk” with quiet short sounds, similar to a bird whistle. In case of danger, they climb trees, along which they move quite deftly.
They live in pairs or even families. Their breeding season begins in January. Before giving birth, the female builds a nest in a hollow or cleft in a rock, bearing from 1 to 4 children.
The systematic position of the red panda has long been unclear. It was classified either as a raccoon family, or as a bear family, or as a separate family. However, recent genetic studies have shown that the red panda forms its own family, the Little Pandas, which, together with the families of raccoons, skunks and mustelids, forms the superfamily Martenidae.
The red panda's range is limited to the Yunnan and Sichuan provinces of China, northern Burma, Bhutan, Nepal and northeastern India. It is not found west of Nepal. Lives in mountain bamboo forests at an altitude of 2000-4000 m above sea level in a temperate climate.
The ancestors of today's pandas were much more widespread; their remains are found in Eastern Europe and North America. However, these animals were obviously adapted to a certain type of climate, with the change of which their range sharply decreased.
The red panda leads a predominantly nocturnal (or rather, twilight) lifestyle; during the day it sleeps in a hollow, curled up and covering its head with its tail. In case of danger, it also climbs trees. On the ground, pandas move slowly and awkwardly, but they climb trees well, but nevertheless they feed mainly on the ground.
Although the red panda is a member of the order of carnivores, 95% of its diet consists of young leaves and shoots of bamboo. The remaining 5% are various fruits, berries, mushrooms, bird eggs and even small rodents.
Unlike the giant panda, the small panda is very selective in its diet. If the “bamboo bear” eats almost all parts of the bamboo, the red panda looks for softer shoots. Observations have shown that red pandas spend 13 hours a day feeding.
When calm, red pandas make short sounds reminiscent of bird chirping. The red panda has a peaceful character and easily takes root in captivity.
Although the red panda's range occupies a very large area and it has few natural enemies, this species is included in the International Red List with the status "Endangered". The fact is that the density of animals in nature is very low, and, in addition, the habitats of the red panda can easily be destroyed.
Fortunately, the red panda breeds well in captivity. Currently, about 300 of these animals are kept in 85 zoos around the world, and the same number have been born in captivity over the past two decades. (based on Wikipedia)
And remember we recently, today let’s get acquainted with their relatives, but red ones :-)
Lesser or Red Panda(lat. Ailurus fulgens - “cat painted like fire”, “cat-bear”, “fiery cat”).
In China, due to its color and similarity in size to a fox, the red panda is called hunho - “fire fox” (eng. firefox), this phrase was used by Mozilla, calling its browser “Mozilla Firefox”.
A modern, poetic and incredibly appropriate name for the Red Panda, “brilliant, bright cat,” was proposed by a French naturalist and scientist F. Cuvier.
The history of the discovery and description of the red panda is interesting. Written mentions of this beast in China go back to the 13th century, but Europeans learned about it only in the 19th century. It was officially “presented” to the public in 1821 by the English general and naturalist Thomas Hardwicke, who collected material on the territory of the English colonies. He suggested calling this animal the word “wha” - one of its Chinese names, based on the imitation of the “hha” sounds made by this same animal. In addition, the general said, the Chinese call him “hun-ho” and “poonya.”
However, Hardwick failed to become the “godfather” of the newly discovered animal. He was delayed in returning to England with his materials, and the Latin name - Ailurus fulgens, which can be translated as “brilliant cat,” was given to the new animal by the French naturalist Frederic Cuvier. The English scientific community was infuriated by such “theft,” but according to the rule adopted by the naturalists themselves, once the scientific name given to an organism cannot be changed. And the “discoverer” of a species is considered to be the one who assigned this name to it.
However, writes zoologist Miles Roberts, perhaps this is for the best. After all, the poetic epithet “brilliant”, “bright” is much better suited for such a beautiful animal than the incomprehensible “hha”. Frederic Cuvier himself wrote about the new animal as “a beautiful creature, one of the most beautiful quadrupeds.”
The name proposed by General Hardwick did not take root as the English name for the animal. Although the word “wha” can sometimes be found in English-language literature, the general’s compatriots preferred another Chinese name - “poonya”, which they quickly converted into “panda”. So “haha” became a panda.
When, in 1869, Pierre Armand David, a French missionary to China and a passionate naturalist, reported a new predatory animal that had a similar tooth structure and fed on bamboo, it was also called the panda. And since this animal was much larger, it was natural that it began to be called the “big panda,” and “xha,” accordingly, became the small or red panda - most often now it is referred to by this name.
And then the red panda was forgotten for a long time. All the scientists' attention was focused on the “bamboo bear”. They began to study in detail the peculiarities of the biology of “xha” - first in zoos, and then in natural habitats - only recently.
Probably everyone knows about the giant panda. This large black and white “bear” has become the symbol of the World Wildlife Fund and the prototype for many cute toys. But his relative - small, or red,panda- is much less known. But in vain. This animal, although smaller in size than the giant panda, is no less cute. A luxurious thick red-red fur coat, a short light muzzle, large widely spaced ears trimmed with wool, a long fluffy tail with dark stripes... The red panda is slightly larger in size than a domestic cat: body length - 50-60 cm, tail - 30-50 cm , weight - about 5 kg.
The red panda is widespread in Southwestern China, Nepal, Burma (Myanmar), Bhutan and northeast India and is found here in mountainous areas - at an altitude of 2000 to 4800 m above sea level. So, although the habitat of this animal is located at the latitude of the Persian Gulf, the climate in its habitat is moderate, one might even say cool. True, the air temperature here is relatively constant throughout the year, and winter and summer differ rather in the amount of precipitation. But it’s never really dry in those places either - rain, constant fog... In short, it’s cool and damp. And the forests growing in these conditions are by no means tropical, but mixed - of coniferous (mainly fir) and deciduous species, with a dense undergrowth of rhododendron and, especially, bamboo. It is in these forests that the red panda lives.
The paws are short, strong, with semi-retractable claws, which help the panda to easily climb and descend trees. Firefox lives up to its name. The panda's color is bright red or even red and orange. The panda's muzzle is elongated and really looks like a fox.
In appearance there really is little in common with "Big Panda". Archaeological excavations have shown that the red panda is a very distant relative Giant panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca) . Their common ancestor supposedly lived millions of years ago. It was widespread throughout Eurasia.
Fossils of Red Pandas have been found from eastern China to western Britain. Archaeologists have found the remains of Red Pandas even in North America (in the states of Tennessee and Washington) and suggest that this could be a new subspecies of the Red Panda that lived in the Miocene.
The panda lives in the Yunnan and Sichuan provinces of China, northern Burma, Bhutan, Nepal and northeast India. There are two subspecies of the Red Panda that exist today. First - Western Red Panda (Ailurus fulgens fulgens) lives in the western part of the above region (Nepal, Bhutan). Second subspecies - Lesser (red) panda Staiana (Ailurus fulgens) lives in the east or northeast of its habitat (southern China and northern Myanmar).
The red panda, Staiana, is supposedly slightly larger and significantly darker than its western relative, although a large number of color-size variations exist within the red panda subspecies. In this regard, you can find many individuals that are not red, but rather yellowish-brown.
The red panda is a fashionista and a beauty. She has a fluffy tail and very long beautiful claws on her paws.
Red or Lesser pandas lead a predominantly nocturnal, or rather twilight-evening lifestyle, and in most cases they sleep during the day. The bed for Firefox is a warm and cozy hollow in which the panda sleeps, curled up and covering his eyes with his fluffy tail.
In general, the red panda in this position is similar to a domestic cat or fox. In its normal state, the voice of the Lesser Panda is short, weak cries, reminiscent of bird chirping. She can also make a series of whistles and snorts when she gets scared.
Despite the fact that the panda is a representative of the order of carnivores, young leaves and shoots of bamboo make up 95% of the diet of this species. The remaining 5% are various fruits, berries, mushrooms, bird eggs or small rodents, if they turn up, of course.
It should be noted that bamboo is, in fact, a rather inedible plant. In addition to the red panda, only 4 species of animals are known that are specialized in feeding on this giant cereal - a giant panda, two bamboo rats (one of which is common in China, the other in Brazil) and one of the species of Madagascar lemurs. We should not forget that carnivores stand out as a separate order not because they eat animal food - some ungulates, for example, do not disdain it - but because of the presence of special devices for obtaining it and, most importantly, assimilating it. They have appropriate teeth, a simple stomach, and not a multi-chambered one, like ruminants, and a short intestine. And fibrous plant foods are usually not good for them. The situation with the dental system of pandas is relatively good: their molars have numerous tubercles that allow them to grind and chew plant fibers well. But the digestive tract of a red panda is that of a common predator. And therefore, as special studies have shown, the animal’s body absorbs no more than one quarter of the energy contained in the eaten bamboo leaves.
The situation is further complicated by the fact that the red panda, unlike its “big sister”, the giant panda, is very selective in its diet. If the “bamboo bear” sends almost all parts of the bamboo into its mouth (except for the lignified trunks, of course), then the red panda looks for leaves and shoots that are more tender. They are, of course, easier to digest, but more difficult to find. Observations have shown that red pandas spend 13 hours a day feeding. But the search for food is an expended effort, the same energy. It turns out to be a vicious circle. Moreover, the climate is not at all hot - probably precisely in order not to waste scarce energy on heating, the red panda acquired such a luxurious fur coat and an amazing shaggy tail. The animal wraps itself around it like a scarf when it lies down to rest, curled up in a tight ball somewhere in a fork in the branches.
Males rarely take part in raising cubs, unless we are talking about small pandas that live in pairs (or in groups) permanently.
Shortly before giving birth, the female builds a nest of branches and leaves in a hollow or cleft in a rock. In this nest, little pandas are born - blind and deaf, weighing only about 100 g, whose color is more like beige than red or orange.
Usually 1-2 cubs, but sometimes four are born at once, but rarely more than one survives to independent life. The cubs grow very slowly. Around the 18th day they open their eyes. Only at the age of three months do they acquire the color characteristic of an adult, and they begin to leave the nest and feed on solid food. A little later, having left the nest, they wander with their mother around her area - until mid-winter (and according to other sources, for a whole year).
This is why Small pandas live as a family, because... the cubs simply cannot survive alone. The habitat of the Red Panda occupies a very large area and it has few natural enemies, but this species is included in the lists International Red Book with the status "At risk". The species was classified as endangered with only 2,500 individuals remaining.
The fact is that the density of animals in nature is very low, and, in addition, the habitats of the Red Panda can easily be destroyed. The main danger is the constant deforestation in these regions, as well as poaching and hunting of the red panda in India and southwest China because of its beautiful fur (from which hats are made).
However, unlike Giant Pandas, which refuse to breed in captivity, this problem does not exist with Red Pandas. Currently, 350 of these animals are kept in 85 zoos around the world, and the same number have been born in captivity over the past two decades.
However, the number of red panda cubs in one litter is usually no more than two individuals, and they are born only once a year. Therefore, the population of Little Pandas is still under threat, and in their natural habitat their mortality rate is very high.
But there is hope that we humans will still correct our own mistakes and be able to save Little Pandas, Giant Pandas and other animals for our future generations. Although it would not hurt to think about the fact that humanity has been engaged in Sisyphean labor for thousands of years.
The systematic position of this animal is still unclear. The giant panda was eventually considered, after much debate and complex research, to be a member of the bear family. What about the small one? In various reference books they write about her either as a bear, or as a raccoon, or as a representative of a separate family. Even her family ties with the giant panda are by no means proven. Scientists made a conclusion about the closeness of these animals (back in the time of Pierre David) based on the similarity of nutrition and dental structure. But the peculiarities of the dental system are an adaptation to certain food, and the fact that two species live next door and feed similarly does not prove anything. So this question is still waiting for its researchers.
At one time, relatives of modern pandas, or, in any case, animals similar to them, were very widespread - fossil remains of predators with a similar structure of the dental system are known from both Eastern Europe and North America. However, these animals, according to scientists, were adapted to a certain type of climate, with changes in which the range of pandas sharply decreased.
The red panda is a nocturnal, or rather twilight, animal. She is an excellent tree climber and spends a lot of time among the branches. But in search of food it usually descends to the ground.
Red pandas live alone. The “personal” territory of the female, as observations in recent years show, occupies an area of about 2.5 km 2, the male - twice as much. This is a lot for an animal weighing 5 kg, especially a herbivore, since bamboo grows in abundance in those places.
But let’s not forget that not the entire bamboo plant is suitable for red panda food, but only the youngest shoots, which have to be searched for a long time. So the solitary lifestyle of the animals is quite justified.
Fortunately, the red panda breeds well in captivity. Currently, about 300 of these animals are kept in 85 zoos around the world, and the same number have been born in captivity over the past two decades. These cute animals are easily tamed and delight visitors with their charming appearance. True, it is very difficult to keep them even in zoos, and simply impossible at home: the red panda needs too specific a diet. And if fed improperly, these animals quickly die from intestinal diseases.
Today we will talk about a very beautiful small animal, which to some resembles a cat, to others a fox, and which gave the name to the popular Mozilla FireFox browser. This is a bright, sweet and good-natured fiery or red panda. What is an animal what does it eat and how does it live? Let's talk about all this in order.
Description and characteristics of the animal
is a mammal of the panda family. Translated from Latin, the name of this beast is translated as “fiery cat.” In Europe, the animal became known only in the 19th century, although 13th century notes about this animal have been found in China.
Thomas Hardwicke and Frederic Cuvier brought fame to the panda.. Two naturalists made a discovery for the world of science when they discovered a cute red panda.
Very often the red panda is compared to a cat, but they have nothing in common with this animal. Although it is small in size, it is still much larger than an ordinary domestic Murka. The body of a red panda is from 50 to 60 centimeters long, the tail is 50 centimeters, the weight of the animal is from 3.5 to 6 kilograms, females, as a rule, are slightly larger.
The body of the animal is long with a beautiful fluffy tail. The head of the saffron milk saffron is slightly elongated, ears are small and round.
The animal's paws are small, but very powerful with sharp claws. The animal can easily climb trees and thin branches, and also walks on the ground. The red panda is an incredibly graceful animal.
The color of the animal's fur is unusual. It has an uneven pattern As a rule, the bottom of the body is covered with a dark brown tint, and the top of the panda is red. The limbs of the beast are completely black, and the head, on the contrary, is light. The tips of the ears are white, and on the muzzle there is a typical pattern that visually resembles a mask. Each individual's mask is unique. It is impossible to find two absolutely identical red pandas in the wild. The animal's tail is also unevenly colored; it is mostly red, but has patches of light shade.
The red panda was listed in the Red Book, due to the fact that the animal population began to decline sharply and the species was recognized as endangered. According to various sources, there are a maximum of ten thousand individuals left on the entire planet. Is it worth saying? that in the wild the red panda has no enemies, but logging, hunting for the animal’s beautiful fur and widespread poaching have done their job and practically destroyed the population of this beautiful animal.
Gallery: dwarf raccoon red panda (25 photos)
The character of the Chinese red panda and its way of life
Looking at pictures of red panda? You might think that this is a very sweet and affectionate creature, but in fact the animal needs to constantly fight for its normal existence. It cannot be said that this is a very aggressive and terrible beast. No! This is not true, they are quite peaceful.
This animal is not easy to tame, but at the same time it lives calmly in captivity, in artificially created conditions. Due to the rapid disappearance of the panda population, experts are taking all possible measures to save the lives of red animals.
In the wild, the lives of these animals are always under threat, so to save lives, people create artificial shelters and take newborn babies there. It is quite rare for red pandas to produce offspring in captivity.
In the wild, Chinese red pandas are active exclusively at night. During the day, they usually rest in a cool hollow. During sleep, the small animal shrinks into a ball and covers itself with a fluffy tail. In times of danger, the animal defends itself by climbing a tree and uses its color as camouflage.
Red pandas feel great on tree branches, but on the ground, on the contrary, they move rather slowly and uncertainly. But the animal still has to sink to the ground, since sitting on a branch it cannot find food for itself. Pandas communicate with a special whistle, similar to birdsong..
Reproduction and offspring, life expectancy
The mating season begins in January. Conception and further development of the embryo in the womb occurs in an unusual way. Pandas have a period of duration between the moment of conception and the period of pregnancy, which is called diapause. Fetus until ready for birth fifty days of development from the moment of conception is enough, but taking into account diapause, the baby can be born 120 or more days from the date of conception.
An indicator of the imminent onset of labor is that the female begins active nesting. She creates a secluded place in the hollows of trees from branches and leaves. Babies are born weighing no more than 100 grams, they are completely deaf and blind.
The cub's fur color can range from light hazel to gray. Babies are never fiery red at birth. One litter usually contains 1-2 babies; it rarely happens that four babies are born, but in this case, as a rule, only one remains alive.
Panda cubs develop and grow for quite a long time and constantly require the attention and care of their mother. After eighteen days from their birth, they open their eyes. At the age of three months, red pandas try solid food and choose to forage for food on their own. From three months onwards, as they grow older, the coat color gradually acquires a typical fiery beautiful color.
After the final completion of the period of growing up, the babies and their mother leave their nest and explore the surroundings, wandering around.
At one and a half years the animal is already sexually mature, but a red panda is considered an adult at 3 years. Babies are born only once a year, which is why the increase in the population of these animals is so slow.
The lifespan of a small red animal in the wild is approximately ten years, in rare cases fifteen. Animals live a little longer in nurseries and zoos- about twelve years old.
Feeding the beast
Although the small panda is classified as a predator, in fact its diet is dominated by plant foods. Rather, they were nicknamed predators because of their specific digestive system, rather than their gastronomic preferences. The animal's favorite food is young bamboo and juicy berries. And only five percent of the total diet is animal food, such as:
- rodents;
- bird eggs;
- small animals.
As you can see, small animals have a fairly low-calorie diet, and that is why they need about two kilograms of food per day to fully provide their body with nutrients.
If the animal eats only bamboo, then it will need more than four kilograms of such food per day. To eat this much food will take about sixteen hours, so the animal spends almost its entire day chewing.
In an artificial environment where pandas are kept, they are fed cereals and milk. They do this in order to increase the daily caloric intake of food consumed. It's worth saying that Pandas have a rather specific diet, so keeping such an animal at home will be quite difficult.
Interesting facts about the red panda
Classification
Family: Little pandas
Squad: Predatory
Class: Mammals
Type: Chordata
Subtype: Vertebrates
Kingdom: Animals
Domain: Eukaryotes
Dimensions: Height is just over 50 centimeters. Males weigh from 3.7 to 6.2 kilograms, and females weigh from 4.2 to six kilograms. Body length 51-54 cm, tail length from 28 to 48 centimeters
Lifespan: 8-10 years, in captivity – 14 years
The red panda is a little similar to, for example, they have the same clumsy movements, they eat and sleep most of the time, and on their face there are similar dark circles around the eyes.
However, this is not a bear at all. The size of the animals is slightly larger than a cat, they make sounds reminiscent of the cry of birds, and in terms of family ties they are closest to them.
The panda gained its greatest popularity after the release of the popular animated film “Kung Fu Panda”.
But, if we are talking about the Chinese red panda, then this animal is not at all similar in appearance to the familiar image associated with this name.
The Chinese red or Lesser panda - “cat-bear”, “fire cat” - was first described in Chinese literature in the 13th century.
Europeans learned about this “fox-like” animal 600 years later. Unfortunately, now this animal can be found in the wild - only in the mountain forests of the Chinese provinces and in northeast India.
In photographs taken in the wild, one notices an obvious similarity between the red panda and a fox: that is why scientists attribute the name “fire fox” to it.
Red panda at the Rotterdam Zoo. Netherlands
Habitat
The habitat is limited between the villages of Yunnan, Sichuan in China, and northern Burma, Bhutan, Nepal and northeast India. It will not be possible to meet this animal further west than Nepal.
They prefer to live in the highlands, from 1800 to 4800 thousand meters above water level, in a temperate climate, with an average temperature that is not subject to sudden changes.
These animals are covered with thick fluffy fur, so, like , they feel very uncomfortable in hot temperatures. The suitable air temperature for them is from 17 to 25°C.
If the temperature is higher, it is very dangerous for the health of animals. It is important that the habitat has enough deciduous and coniferous trees, bamboo and rhododendron.
This animal is peaceful and benevolent, and it has no enemies, but when it feels danger, it can run away to hide in a hollow tree, in rocks or on high branches.
The remains of the ancestors of these animals were found over larger territories, but their modern representatives are quite picky about the climate, so their range has decreased significantly.
The red panda spends most of the day in the trees
Characteristic
In many photos, the Chinese red panda looks like a very kind and sweet animal, but in nature they have to fight fiercely for existence.
Their main enemy in the wild is the snow leopard, from which they hide in trees or gorges.
Red pandas are classified as predators, however, they are quite peaceful and friendly animals; they can only hunt small rodents or steal eggs from birds’ nests.
They have virtually no struggle for territory.
Males usually occupy much more space, a territory that is twice the size of that occupied by the female.
It is not entirely easy to tame them, but, as practice shows, they take root both in the wild and in artificially created habitats; the most important thing is to comply with all the requirements for habitat and nutrition, so as not to harm the health and life of these cute animals.
Important! This species is listed in the Red Book; hunting for them is prohibited. Special reserves are being created to preserve this species of little pandas.
In the wild, the Chinese red panda prefers to stay awake at night during its life. During the day they sleep in a hollow or on tree branches.
When they see a threat, they climb high into the trees and camouflage themselves using their color.
Animals feel much more comfortable in trees than on flat surfaces, where they move unevenly, slowly and awkwardly.
Small red pandas have their own language, which is very similar to a bird whistle. They make short, quiet sounds that also resemble the chirping of birds.
Little pandas playing with pumpkins
Interesting! The red panda is depicted on the logo of the Mozilla Firefox browser, and not a fox, as many people think.
Appearance
Externally, the Chinese panda has soft, fluffy and long fur.
In its color it is very similar to a fox: the tail and upper part of the body are colored red-brown; the belly is dark, maybe black.
The paws are also dark, have very sharp and quite long claws, like those of a claw. Thanks to their sharp claws, Chinese red pandas have natural excellent tree climbing abilities.
According to the description compiled on the basis of observations, red-orange rings form on the tail of animals as they grow older.
A red panda yawns while holding onto a branch tightly to avoid falling.
Pandas have a short muzzle, but their body is quite long. The ears are white, neat, slightly pointed in shape. The muzzle is covered with white fur, and the nose is black.
The animals' eyes are dark, and under the eyes the fur is colored with dark stripes. There is also a fur covering on the inside of the paws.
Their resemblance to a panda bear is due to the color of their muzzle, with dark circles around the eyes, and a leisurely, awkward gait. In addition, they also spend most of their time searching for food, eating and sleeping.
Interesting! For residents of India, these exotic animals serve as pets. This is of great concern to biologists and ecologists, as this could significantly reduce the population of red pandas.
Red panda having a meal
Key Features
Pandas spend the greatest amount of time throughout their lives being alone.
And this is not surprising, because these lazy, clumsy animals spend all their time doing nothing but eating and sleeping. Only during the mating season they look for a mate.
Each panda owns its own territory and does not allow others into it. However, due to their natural peacefulness, they rarely lay claim to what belongs to others.
They become more active early in the morning and late at night, and mostly sleep during the day.
They can live at a maximum temperature of 25 degrees, but lower is better. If the temperature is higher, they may die.
Interesting! Representatives of this species spend sixteen hours a day searching for and chewing food. The rest of the time, the animals sleep high in the trees.
Red panda on vacation
Nutrition
The red panda is a carnivore, and its diet includes eggs of various birds and the smallest rodents, but this is quite rare, in percentage terms - about 5%.
But it should be noted that the main diet (95%) consists of bamboo leaves, berries, grass and mushrooms.
They are called predators only because of the structure of the digestive system, but in fact they are herbivores.
Also, pandas love to eat plant roots, acorns and lichens. Every day, the Chinese red panda consumes approximately 4 kilograms of plant food.
In captivity, pandas are fed a wide variety of foods:
- milk;
- rice;
- grass;
- fruits.
The diet of red pandas is quite unique and special.
Therefore, those who want to keep a panda as a pet will find it very difficult to provide it with a good and balanced diet.
Otherwise, the animal may develop diseases of the digestive system.
The red panda's diet consists of 95% plant foods.
Reproduction
The mating season and breeding stage for pandas occurs in January and lasts until early March. Females carry cubs for 4-5 months. Fetal development lasts about 50 days.
Before the birth of the babies, the female builds a nest of branches high in the tree. This is where the animals appear.
The cubs are born blind and deaf, and very tiny, their weight is 100 grams.
The female gives birth to up to 4 cubs, but most often only one survives. Pandas are considered adults at 2-3 years of age. Children remain with their mother for 1 year until she gives birth to new babies.
The color of newborns is beige or gray, but not red at all; they acquire this color already at a more mature age.
At three months, the color also changes, and then more and more they become like adult pandas.
A panda can have offspring only once a year, which is why their numbers increase at a very slow pace.
In its natural habitat, a red panda can live for about 10 years; in captivity, its life can last up to 12 years. And in exceptional and extremely rare cases - up to 19 years of age.
Red panda with cub
As is already known from the description, the Chinese red panda takes root well in an artificial habitat. Animals are not entirely easy, but quickly tamed and become quite tame.
Currently, about 300 pandas are kept in 85 zoos around the world, where there are all conditions for them. Also, the panda reproduces well in captivity.
Today, there are about ten thousand pandas left in the wild.
Their individual needs played a cruel joke on them, because in order to survive, they need a specific climate and a forest with certain vegetation, otherwise they simply will not survive.
Therefore, if you do not take care of nature, thoughtlessly cut down forests, burn them, or simply allow them to die, you can lose many species of animals, not only red pandas, whose numbers, by the way, are decreasing every year.
Due to the fact that the forests in which these animals lived are being mercilessly cut down, their habitats are being significantly reduced.
Poachers also had a hand in the extinction of this species of charming animals. These criminals are attracted to the bright skins of animals from which they want to make money.
Recently, they have become popular pets in India and are being captured from the wild to be bred for captive sale.
To combat this situation, animals are placed in sanctuaries.
Red panda sleeps on a tree branch
The red panda, due to its physiological characteristics, can live only in limited areas in the wild, because it needs special climatic conditions and a sufficient amount of plant food.
Moreover, due to catastrophic deforestation, these animals are becoming fewer and fewer.
They are even listed in the Red Book, so many reserves are engaged in artificial breeding of these animals in captivity to maintain the species and prevent extinction.
In India, these exotic animals, like , are considered an excellent option for a pet, but it is worth remembering about the conditions of detention so as not to harm the life and health of the animals, which are becoming less and less every day.
Red Panda: Miniature Fire Bear
The red panda bears a slight resemblance to the bear of the same name. The animal is slightly larger in size than a cat, and makes sounds reminiscent of the cry of birds.
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