An amazing and unusual Chinese animal that eats bamboo is the red panda or red panda. There are countless names for this beautiful animal! They are also called fire fox and fire cat and bear cat. The first name given by the French naturalist was sparkling cat. The cute animal has a breathtakingly touching appearance and unique habits; this panda is compared to raccoons, cats, but least of all the creature resembles a bear.
Who is the red panda?
Unfortunately, the animal is listed in the Red Book as an endangered species. According to various sources, there are 2,500-10,000 individuals left on the planet. This animal has few natural enemies, the main problem – deforestation where this species lives. No less dangerous are poachers who destroy animals for luxurious fur. The fire fox reproduces well in captivity, zoos around the world are trying to restore the population, but the situation remains precarious.
origin of name
First official name red panda - Ailurus fulgens - was given by the Frenchman Frederic Cuvier. However, earlier this type fauna was discovered by Thomas Hardwig and suggested calling the animal “ua”, as the red animal sounds like. The fiery fox began to be called panda from the Nepalese “punya”. The name firefox is not justified, the animal is not related to foxes, until recently its closest relative was a raccoon, but this information was denied. Many years ago, the dwarf and big panda had a common ancestor, both species are classified in the family Ailuridae.
Where does it live?
The red panda lives in China, Nepal and northwestern India. Animals prefer highlands and live at altitudes from 1500 to 4800 m above sea level. Animals do not like sudden changes in temperature; they need moderate climatic conditions- They can't stand it not only cold, but also heat. Temperatures above 30 ºC are fatal. The ideal temperature is from 17 to 25 ºC.
Many years ago, the habitat of the dwarf panda was much wider. The remains are found in Eastern Europe, North America. There is an assumption that these places once had a suitable temperate climate, and a change in the climatic picture of the world greatly narrowed the boundaries of the species’ habitat and brought it to those protected places, where this little bear can still be found in nature.
In all areas of its natural habitat, the animal is exterminated, someone catches the cubs for taming and domestication, in the Chinese province it is believed that hats made of panda fur at weddings bring happiness to newlyweds. The animal also acts as the mascot of the international tea festival in the Indian city of Darjeeling.
Description of the red panda
The dwarf panda resembles a small fox, a raccoon and a cat at the same time. It is small, the weight of males varies from 3.7 to 6.2 kg, females are more miniature - up to 6 kg. Body length – 51-64 cm. The tail is long and strong, up to half a meter in length, which, in addition to its aesthetic component, carries a functional load. With its help, the “bear” climbs trees perfectly.
The body of the animal is elongated, the muzzle is short, dark brown beady eyes and a black, dog-like nose stand out. Paws are strong and stable. The claws are long and sharp, especially on the front paws, which only this species of panda can partially retract, like cats. The head is large due to excellent developed jaws with wide teeth. The fire fox has 38 teeth!
Features of color
When you mention “little panda,” everyone imagines the teacher of the black and white clumsy cartoon bear, a kung fu master. However, in nature, the fiery fox is even more beautiful, thanks to the brightness and shimmering shades of its luxurious fur coat. The body of the fire cat is covered with thick fur, the color of which is truly unique, partly referring to classic pandas, but with individual differences.
The main color of the back and head is from light walnut to red. The color looks especially impressive due to the ticking of the coat. Each hair is darker at the base and very light towards the tip, hence the beautiful tints. The light muzzle is almost beige, around the eyes too light circles, the pattern is unique for each animal. Paws are dark brown. A tail deserves special attention. It is red, but with narrow rings of a more intense color, resulting in a striped raccoon tail, which refers the subspecies to raccoons.
Lifestyle in nature
IN wildlife brown panda leads predominantly night image life, during the day the animals sleep in the branches of trees or in the hollow of a tree. Animals hide there in case of danger. Most of the life of these animals spends in trees; here they are agile thanks to long claws and the tail with which they hold onto the trunks. On earth, the “fiery fox” is funny, touching and sometimes clumsy.
Habits and behavioral characteristics
Animals live in pairs or populations, together. They even have your own language. The animals “talk” using funny chirps. They have a peaceful nature. But these miniature bears mark their territory - like traditional way, and with the help of glands located on the pads of the paws. Males bravely defend “their” zone, and when a competitor appears, they hiss, stand on their hind legs and nod their heads threateningly to frighten the enemy.
What does a dwarf panda eat?
Fire cats are predators. However, in reality they are vegetarians and practically do not consume animal food. The basis of the diet is young leaves and shoots of bamboo - these gourmets choose the softer shoots. But the animal’s stomach is simple, like that of predators, and not multi-chambered, like that of herbivores. Therefore, a small part of what is eaten is absorbed. The little animal has to eat for days on end to store up energy. Another 5% of the diet consists of berries and mushrooms; the animal can eat bird eggs and even hunt small rodents.
Reproduction and raising offspring
The mating season for the animals falls in January. Mating these animals only visit once a year. During this period, males become very active, intensively marking trees with the help of urine and special glands. Females are also interested in searching for a male, because the period suitable for fertilization lasts up to a day and occurs only once a year. It is necessary to take advantage of the opportunity presented, because the animals quickly find mutual language.
After conception, the fetus develops within 50 days, but raccoon panda often paces. Pregnancy lasts 90-145 days; it is impossible to say more precisely how long it will take before the babies are born. At the beginning of pregnancy, there are latent periods when fetal development is slowed down. In a litter, the number of cubs is 1-2 puppies, less often - up to 4, but up to adult life Only a few survive. The cubs are called puppies, they weigh 110-130 grams, like newborn kittens.
For the first couple of weeks, the puppies live in the population with their mother, curled up in a tight ball in the nest, where the female warms and feeds the puppies. Little pandas open their eyes on day 18. After this, the female begins to remove the puppies from the nest and adapt them to independent life. Later, babies are offered solid food, but milk feeding continues until 5 months. Then each cub lives and moves with its mother for up to a year.
“Fire fox”, in English “firefox”, in Chinese - hunho, and officially, in Latin - Ailurus fulgens - fire cat, red panda - it’s all about her, about the little panda. The names reflect what is perhaps the most striking hallmark the animal is its fiery, red-orange-red color of fur.
Scientists argued for a long time about which family to include it in - there is general signs and with, and with... As a result, the work of geneticists made it possible to classify the red or small panda - the “fire fox” - into its own family of the little pandas. And, probably, this is fair, since the red panda, just like the “big brother”, is a very cute and photogenic animal. Moreover, it reproduces well in captivity, so the “fire fox” lives in many zoos around the world.
And in the wild, the red panda lives mainly in the Chinese provinces and Yunnan, in the north of Bhutan, Nepal, Burma and in the Indian northeastern mountains. Previously, these animals were much more widespread; scientists know about their former presence in other parts of the world - in Europe, and even on other continents - in North America. Most likely, for the stable existence of the “fire fox”-little panda, certain climatic conditions are needed, and when the required range of these conditions changes, the habitat of the red panda sharply decreases... A similar phenomenon is observed for other rare animals: for the cutest Australian ones, for wild ones. Which, of course, cannot but cause regret and concern...
Little panda- a predator, but also a big lover of bamboo. Only, unlike black and white bears, it loves softer shoots and younger leaves. Bamboo makes up about 95 percent of the red panda's menu, and the rest is various berries and fruits. The "Fire Fox", like other foxes, will not disdain to feast on bird eggs or even small rodents - after all, it is a predator! Although these predators do not move very quickly and dexterously on the ground, the red panda most often feeds on the ground. And it takes her at least half a day a day to eat...
The “fire fox” leads a twilight lifestyle and often sleeps during the day with its tail wrapped around it, like a cat or our friend Red fox. Sleeps on a tree or in a hollow, climbs trees easily, thanks to semi-retractable claws.
“Fire foxes” - red pandas - are not very large animals, smaller than real foxes, males and females weigh from about four to six kilograms, their body length is about fifty to sixty centimeters, plus a tail up to half a meter long. Each individual red panda has a strictly individual “mask” pattern around the eyes.
The “conversation” of small pandas is similar to the chirping of birds; they are not aggressive and are peaceful. The red panda has few natural enemies in the wild, but the “fire fox” is still listed as an “Endangered” species in the International Red Book. This is due to the fact that, despite a fairly wide habitat, the density of this species in nature is low. And the very specific living conditions of the red panda, like those of the “big brother”, can be easily violated. For the red panda, these conditions are bamboo forests in the mountains with a temperate climate at an altitude of two to four thousand meters above sea level.
But you don’t have to climb so high into the mountains to admire the “fiery fox”; you can look at these cute animals in the zoo or watch the video below!
The world became aware of the big and small panda only at the end of the nineteenth century, despite the fact that they are very ancient and rare animals. From the moment of discovery, the study of these interesting and unusual animals began. But after two centuries of constant research, much about these mammals still remains a mystery. Scientists can't come to a conclusion general opinion about the class of these animals. This problem is further aggravated by the fact that these two types have many differences between them. Therefore, nowadays you can hear a lot of discussions on the topic: “Is a panda a bear or a raccoon?”
Description of the large “bamboo bear”
This type of animal is usually classified as a mammal, a carnivorous order, a raccoon family, and a panda subfamily. But not so long ago, the Australian researcher E. Tennius conducted a series of morphological, cardiological, ethological and biochemical analyses. Based on the results, the scientist found that out of sixteen characteristics, five of the giant panda are a raccoon, and the remaining twelve are characteristic only of it alone.
If we consider the appearance of this animal, then the giant panda is undoubtedly more similar to bears, because it is not for nothing that it is also called “ bamboo bear" She has a massive body that is completely covered with thick fur. Its length varies from 1.1 to 1.9 meters, and its weight ranges from 75 to 140 kilograms. The thick and short legs of this animal end in massive paws with large claws.
If you look closely at the sole, you can see that on it and near each toe there are peculiar pads that serve the animal to hold smooth and slippery bamboo stems.
Unlike a bear, this animal has a tail, the length of which reaches 13 cm, and teeth with a different structure. On the panda's premolars you can see protrusions and tubercles that are not found in any other species of bear, and its head is massive and blunt-faced, with large erect ears.
The description of this species of panda says that it has a white color with characteristic black spots near its eyes, black legs and a tail of the same color. And although she looks like a bear, some features of her anatomy have forced scientists to doubt this. In their opinion, the panda is a representative of the raccoon family, and some even identified it as special class mammals.
What does the small species of these interesting animals look like?
This species, according to scientists, belongs to the raccoons, since it has the same tail with striped colors, a similar muzzle, as well as the shape of the skull and the structure of the teeth. Although its discoverers were inclined to believe that the red panda is actually a cat with a fiery red color. This animal also has two subspecies - Western and Chinese.
This animal, unlike its larger relatives, has a body whose length reaches a maximum of 67 cm, with a tail up to 47 cm and a weight not exceeding 6 kg. Therefore, if you answer the question: “Is a panda a bear or not?”, then we can safely say that the small species of these animals with a red color is more related to raccoons than to bears.
Spreading
Giant pandas live in mountainous area in the heart of China. The regions of Sichuan and Tibet are considered their home. Their entire life is spent in forests where mainly bamboo grows; they are located at an altitude of 1500-4600 m above sea level. This area has fairly moderate climatic conditions and all seasons of the year are pronounced. In addition, these animals live in many centers and zoos, where they continue to be studied and researched. In captivity, their lifespan reaches 27 years, and in the wild it is even shorter.
It lives in China, Nepal, Bhutan and Myanmar. She lives, like her large relative, in a mountainous area at an altitude of 4800 m. This small animal inhabits the forests of Assam, as well as the provinces of Sichuan and Yunnan. This animal lives in 86 other zoos around the world.
Despite the fact that the large and small species differ significantly from each other in appearance and scientists believe that one panda is a bear, and the other is a raccoon, they lead the same lifestyle.
Behavior
These animals mostly live alone. The only exception can be considered mating season and time to raise their young. Mature individuals live in a territory whose area is about five square meters, which is much less than that of bears. In order to indicate their presence, they can use marks with a specific odor.
The giant panda, unlike the small panda, is active at any time of the day or night. Its red relative is nocturnal, and during daylight hours it sleeps in the treetops, curled up in a ball and resting its head on its large striped tail.
Nutrition
Numerous and dense thickets Bamboo is food for both giant and red pandas. Thirty species of this plant make up approximately 99 percent of their diet. They also willingly eat all kinds of berries, fruits, seeds and acorns. Sometimes they can even hunt small birds, reptiles and rodents.
In captivity, they are fed the same bamboo, as well as biscuits and insect larvae. The panda is one of the few animals that can eat food in any position of its body, even lying down.
Reproduction
Individuals of the two species reach sexual maturity closer to five years, and begin to mate only at seven. Females, during their mating season, which ranges from two days to a week, make loud sounds and actively emit a specific odor.
After this, pregnancy occurs, which lasts for these animals for an average of five months. Usually one or two naked cubs are born with a body weight of no more than 200 grams and a length of 14 to 16 cm, just like brown bears. Although scientists have not yet come to a clear conclusion about whether a panda is a bear or not, the reproduction process of these two animals is similar.
Offspring
At birth, their cubs, like all varieties of bears, are helpless and blind. The female raises her little puppies herself and treats them very carefully and with special care. For several days after their birth, she does not leave the hole for a minute, even to eat or drink. The mother puts her cubs to her breast fifteen times a day, and one feeding can last about half an hour.
A panda most often has twins at birth, but after some time the female chooses the most strong baby and continues to take care of him, and the second, accordingly, dies without supervision. The lactation period for these animals lasts approximately 45 weeks, and the cubs remain with their mothers until they reach three years of age.
It turns out that for the first time, when scientists conducted research on great view of these animals, they could not understand for a long time who the panda is, what kind of animal it is. A little later they came to the conclusion that she was a raccoon, but only of enormous size.
After some time, other experts refuted this opinion, since with the help of a genetic test it was possible to establish that this species of animal is more related to bears.
As for red pandas, many scientists have generally recorded them as a marten-like species, which also consists of raccoons and skunks.
Although, according to most researchers, these two subspecies belong to different classes, they still have a certain similarity with each other. For example, both pandas have a sixth "pseudo-toe" located on their front paws. It is significantly larger than the other five. This part of the body is actually a carpal bone covered with skin. This structure helps animals better hold onto bamboo plants.
Conservation status
Unfortunately, pandas are on the verge of complete extinction, so they are listed in the International Red Book. This happens for many reasons. Redhead live panda is not of such great interest to people as its fur. Because of this, she was constantly hunted, especially in Nepal. But in Lately The number of this species began to gradually recover.
Giant pandas are also protected by law, according to which, the destruction of this animal will be punishable death penalty or life in prison.
Although this animal was discovered several centuries ago, and in 1912 even became the national treasure of the People's Republic of China (according to the legislation of this Republic), scientists still cannot come to a definite conclusion about whether a panda is a bear or a raccoon. Therefore, research on this animal continues to this day.
Name: Lesser panda, red panda (named because of its long and soft fiery-colored coat).
In China it is called "hon ho" or "fire fox". Sometimes the Lesser Panda is also called a cat bear. A modern name panda ( panda), comes from the Chinese "punya" - " poonya".
Written mentions of this beast in China go back to the 13th century: in a scroll of the Shu dynasty of the 13th century, but Europeans learned about it only in the 19th century. It was officially discovered 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 a word (wha) - one of his Chinese names, based on imitation of the sounds made by the animal. Latin name Ailurus fulgens- a brilliant cat, the new animal was given by the French naturalist Frederic Cuvier.
Red pandas have been a taxonomic mystery. In appearance, the panda is similar to the raccoon; in its movements it resembles a bear - it sits on its hind legs, wields its front paws, climbs, gets angry and screams just like a bear. They were originally placed in the raccoon family ( Procyonidae) due to similarities in teeth, skull, tail and others morphological characteristics. They were then moved to the bear family ( Ursidae) due to similarities in DNA. Currently, most researchers keep them in the raccoon family, although others, using evidence based on new molecular taxonomy studies, consider red pandas as members of their own family Ailuridae.
There are two subspecies of the red panda. Subspecies Ailurus fulgens styani: Individuals weigh 5.4-9 kg and are found in China in southwestern Sichuan, Yunnan and northern Burma. Subspecies Ailurus fulgens fulgens- a slightly smaller animal, lives in the Himalayas.
Area: Homeland of the red panda - south-eastern part Himalayan mountains, where it is found at an altitude of 2000-4000 m. The habitat of the red panda is limited to the provinces of Yunnan and Sichuan in China, northern Burma, Bhutan, Nepal and northeast India. It has not been seen west of Nepal. The ancestors of today's pandas were much more widespread - their remains are found in Eastern Europe and North America. Obviously, these animals were adapted to a certain type of climate, with the change of which their range sharply decreased.
Description: The body of the red panda is elongated, the fur is thick, soft, smooth and very long. The thick and soft fur makes her body seem thicker than it actually is. The tail is fluffy, the head is very wide, with a short, sharp muzzle. The ears are small, round, and the eyes are also small. The paws are short, strong, have hairy feet (adapted for walking on snow and ice), which only half touch the ground when walking, and short toes are equipped with strongly curved claws. Unlike other bears, the red panda's claws are partially retractable (semi-retractable). On its wrist, the panda has an enlarged radial sesamoid bone of the forepaw - an "extra digit". It is opposed to other fingers, which allows the panda to hold slender branches of bamboo in its front paws. Differences in appearance there are no males or females. Number of teeth 38.
Color: The coat on the upper side is a brilliant dark red color, changing to a light golden yellow on the back, as the hair here has yellow tips. The lower part of the body and legs, with the exception of a dark chestnut stripe on the outside and front, are glossy black, the hair on the chin and cheeks is white, and the back is rusty yellow, as well as the forehead and crown; a rusty-red stripe runs from the eyes to the corners of the mouth and separates the white muzzle from the cheeks; The ears are covered with dark red hair on the outside and long white hair on the inside. The tail is long, red and bushy, with about twelve alternating lighter narrow rings on a red background. The red colors in the panda's coloration play a protective camouflage role, allowing a resting or sleeping animal to be invisible against the background of red lichens that grow en masse on the branches and trunks of fir in China.
Size: In size, a panda is approximately equal to a large domestic cat: they reach 170 cm in length, with a body length of 51-64 cm and a tail of 28-48 cm. Height at the shoulders is 25 cm.
Weight: up to 6 kg: from 3.7 to 6.2 kg.
Lifespan: Maximum lifespan in captivity is 14 years. Average duration life in nature is about 8-10 years.
In its normal state, the red panda's voice is short, weak cries, reminiscent of bird chirping. She can also make a series of whistles and snorts when she gets scared. "An angry panda," says Simpson, "climbs up the hind legs just like a bear and emits a cry that can be easily reproduced if you open your mouth and quickly release air through your nose. "One day, an observer noticed two alarmed pandas on top tall tree: They emitted such terrible screams as he had never heard before.
Habitat: The main habitat of the panda is a tall forest consisting of various varieties of trees: conifers (almost exclusively fir), interspersed with deciduous species such as oak, chestnut and maple, which provide protection for sustainable development lower tier from rhododendron and bamboo. These mountain bamboo forests are located at an altitude of 2000-4000 m above sea level in conditions temperate climate, which is characterized average temperature 10-25"C and an average annual precipitation of 350 mm. Clouds envelop these forests most years, favor extensive growth of mosses and lichens on possible surfaces (trunks, branches and stones). Tightly packed, intertwined root systems this large quantity vegetation, binds the soil on even the steepest slopes, maximizing the retention of precipitation here.
Enemies: The main enemy of the red panda is snow leopard(leopard). When threatened with attack, the red panda quickly climbs a tree thanks to its sharp and long claws.
Food: Although the red panda is a member of the order of carnivores, it can be called a herbivore: 95% of its diet consists of young leaves and shoots of bamboo. Bamboo is poor in nutrients; Therefore, red pandas spend up to 13 hours a day searching for and eating bamboo. Unlike the giant panda, the small panda is very selective in its diet. If bamboo bear eats almost all parts of bamboo, except for the roots, while practically not chewing, then the red panda looks for shoots that are younger and more tender. Despite this, the panda manages to extract only about 25% of the energy contained in the sprouts from bamboo. To compensate for the low calorie content of food, they are forced to consume food up to 30% of their body weight. In the process of evolutionary development Red pandas have developed low basal metabolic rates that are comparable to those of sloths. In very cold weather, they can temporarily reduce metabolic rate. Therefore, thanks to a number physiological adaptations, which, in combination with the existing dense and warm fur covering the entire body (including the soles of the feet) and energy-saving behavior that allows temperature regulation (such as curling into a tight ball when cold), make it possible to effectively retain body heat and regulate energy costs. It has also been established that pandas eat only mature bamboo shoots, which is typical for adult animals in nature from late autumn to early spring, can barely maintain their body weight at a stable level. Some individuals even lose up to 15% of their body weight on this diet, despite using the youngest shoots and thoroughly chewing each portion before swallowing to increase the digestibility of the food.
The remaining 5% of the diet is various fruits, roots, herbs, acorns, berries and mushrooms. There are observations that, when possible, the panda destroys bird nests, eating eggs and rarely eats insects and small rodents. Although, according to other sources, when kept in captivity, it was never possible to force a red panda to eat meat. In captivity, they eat leaves and buds, fruits, as well as grass, bamboo buds, rice cooked with milk, and milk sweetened with sugar.
Behavior: Red or red panda leads a nocturnal (or rather, twilight) lifestyle, sleeps during the day in a hollow or in a nest on evergreens, usually curled up into a ball and covering its head with its tail. Sometimes she sleeps in a position reminiscent of a sleeping American raccoon: sitting on a branch, with her head down on her chest and between her front paws. In warm weather, red pandas can be seen on a branch, fully stretched out on their bellies and with their legs dangling to their sides.
Although the panda is an excellent tree climber, it collects most of its food on the ground. Food is usually taken in the front paw and then brought to the mouth, and then eaten while sitting, standing or lying on the back.
On the ground, red pandas move slowly and awkwardly. They descend from the tree head first, and when moving from branch to branch they demonstrate their flexibility and dexterity. When a panda is in the trees, it uses its tail for balance, and when moving on the ground, it keeps it straight and horizontal.
After waking up or eating, several non-feeding behaviors can be observed in red pandas. They lick their entire body and their paws, wash their faces with their paws, stretch or rub their backs and bellies against a tree trunk or rock.
When restless, red pandas make a puffing sound when they exhale sharply, much like a raccoon. At the same time, they greatly arch their bodies to frighten impostors.
Red pandas display several visual postures during intraspecific interactions, including:
- bending the tail in an arc, slowly raise and lower the head, while emitting a low-intensity puff;
- turns or shakes the head from side to side, while simultaneously clicking the jaws;
- a bipedal pose with the front legs raised above the head and a fixed gaze at a fellow tribesman.
There is conflicting evidence about how pandas drink water. According to Bartlett, they drink like bears, sucking the liquid with their lips; according to Hodgson, they lap up the liquid with their tongue. The red panda has a peaceful character and easily takes root in captivity.
Social structure: Red pandas live alone, like silent hermits. The personal territory of the female covers an area of about 2.5 km 2, the male - twice as much. They mark their territory with scent marks using urine and secretions from the anal glands and glands located on the soles of their paws. They also use piles of their droppings for the same purpose. Through such "scent mail" they convey information that helps maintain social intervals and undoubtedly provide information about the sex, age and reproductive state of its owner. As such, adult red pandas rarely have direct contact with each other outside of the breeding season.
Being fairly shy and solitary animals, adult red pandas normally only share each other's company during mating season. Only at this time do they actively look for a partner, using sophisticated body language and vocalizations to establish contact and sort out relationships, including arching their tails, producing threatening hisses and clicks, seductive “chirps” and warning “whistles”.
During the mating season, pandas live in pairs or family groups, consisting of an adult female and her grown offspring.
Reproduction: The red panda reproduces annually, leaving offspring once a year. During the mating season, contacts between individuals of different sexes increase sharply. Males become very active, leaving their scent everywhere on trees, spraying them with urine or rubbing them with the secretion of a gland located in the anal area. Apparently, the female is in heat once a year and only becomes receptive for conception within 18-24 hours. Therefore, a female, ready for mating, actively invites the male to love games.
Shortly before giving birth, usually a few days before, the female begins to carry nesting materials (sticks, grass, leaves) to a suitable hollow or rock crevice, where she builds a nest for future offspring.
All reported births occurred in the afternoon: between 4 and 9 pm, which is the period of their highest activity.
Breeding season/period: Early winter(usually in January). Childbirth occurs from mid-May to mid-July.
Puberty: Juveniles reach adult size at about 12 months of age and become sexually mature at 18 months.
Pregnancy: According to data obtained from different zoos, the pregnancy of a red panda lasts from 90 to 145 days, with an average of 131 days. Of these, the actual development of the embryo accounts for only 50 days, since fetal development does not begin immediately after conception, but after quite a long time (from 20 to 70 days, on average 40), called diapause.
Offspring: In a litter of 1-2, occasionally up to 4 blind cubs, but rarely more than one survives. They remain with their mother until the next litter.
At birth, puppies weigh 110-130 grams and are completely covered in fawn-colored fur. After giving birth, the female quickly licks the young and remains with them 60-90% of the time during the first few days. Mothers recognize their young through the sense of smell, by placing scent marks on them shortly after birth. After one week, the females spend most of their time away from the nest, returning to it every few hours to feed and lick the young animals, thus keeping the nest clean.
Young red pandas open their eyes at about three weeks of age, but remain attached to the nest for about 90 days. They make their first excursion from the nest at night. Puppies stop eating breast milk at about 5 months of age. A close relationship develops between the young and the mother until the young become aggressive at the start of the next breeding season. Males do not take any part in caring for their young.
Benefit/harm for humans: All mountain peoples seem to actively persecute the panda for its beautiful fur; perhaps they also eat its meat, despite the strong musky smell that this animal spreads around itself when irritated.
The fur of red pandas in China is used to make hats and clothing by local people, and their tails are used as anthers. The fur hat with its long, luxurious tail at the end is warm and has a wonderful look. In Yunnan Province, this type of hat is still desirable for newlyweds because in the past it was regarded as a talisman for a happy marriage.
Small (red) pandas have important social, scientific and economic importance. It is the national animal of Sikkim and the mascot of the Darjeeling International Tea Festival. Quite a lot of these beautiful animals arrive every year from Nepal to Calcutta for export to foreign zoos...
Population/Conservation Status: The world population of the red panda is estimated at 16,000 - 20,000 individuals, of which 6000-7000 are in China, 5000-6000 in India, and several hundred in Nepal. The probable habitat area of the red panda in China is approximately 37,000 km2; in India - about 170,000 km 2, although within this area it actually lives only on about 25,000 km 2. Population density: 1 adult panda per 2-4 km 2, sometimes up to 11 km 2 (females have smaller habitat areas than males).
Although the red panda's range is very large territory And natural enemies she has a little, this species is included in the lists of the International Red Book with the status of “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. Deforestation deprives pandas of their food source and their habitats become lost and fragmented.
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 in recent years.
Systematic position of the red panda for a long time it was 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.
If I'm sleeping, you can put something tasty here.
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.
IN calm state red pandas make short sounds reminiscent of bird chirping.
The red panda has a peaceful character and easily takes root in captivity.
Small or red panda (lat. Ailurus fulgens). For the first time, this hulking reddish-brown cutie is a little bigger than a cat 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.
And today the red panda is natural environment habitats can only be found in the mountain bamboo forests of the Chinese provinces of Yunnan and Sichuan, 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.
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