Critter Facts provided by
Red pandas can be found in the mountains and high-altitude forests of the
eastern Himalayas and southwestern China. The most important factor for a
suitable red panda habitat is a large amount of obtainable bamboo.
With female red pandas being slightly smaller than the males, the average length is a little under two feet long not including their long, bushy tail, which can grow just as long as their body. A red panda’s weight can range between 8 and 14 pounds.
Most camouflaging critters have neutral, dull-colored coats; however, the bright reddish coat of the red panda is still effective since they normally escape to fir trees with red-brown moss if in danger. They also have white markings around their eyes and dark fur down their limbs and stomach.
Like giant pandas, red pandas have a “false thumb” to help them climb. This thumb is actually an extension of their wrist bone and will rotate when decending a tree head-first.
Red pandas thrive in the trees eating mainly large amounts of bamboo. They cannot breakdown cellulose, which effects their digestion and energy levels. To counteract this, red pandas eat the richer parts of bamboo shoots and consume almost four pounds of leaves and nine pounds of shoots daily. Their diet also contains birds, insects, and eggs.
Red pandas are neither in the bear or raccoon family; instead they have their own family called Ailurus.
Red pandas communicate in a high-pitched noise known as twittering.
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