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Red Panda

2007 Schools Wikipedia Selection. Related subjects: Mammals

          How to read a taxoboxRed Panda

                             Conservation status

   Endangered ( IUCN)
            Scientific classification

   Kingdom:     Animalia
   Phylum:      Chordata
   Class:       Mammalia
   Subclass:    Eutheria
   Superorder:  Laurasiatheria
   Order:       Carnivora
   Suborder:    Caniformia
   Superfamily: Musteloidea
   Family:      Ailuridae
   Genus:       Ailurus
   Species:     A. fulgens

                                Binomial name

   Ailurus fulgens
   F. Cuvier, 1825
   Red Panda range
   Red Panda range

                                 subspecies

     * A. fulgens fulgens
     * A. fulgens styani

   The Red Panda, Ailurus fulgens ("shining cat," from a Latinized form of
   the Greek αιλουρος, ailouros, "cat," and the participial form of the
   Latin fulgere, "to shine") is a mostly herbivorous mammal, slightly
   larger than a domestic cat (55 cm long). The Red Panda has semi-
   retractile claws and, like the Giant Panda, has a "false thumb" which
   is really an extension of the wrist bone. Thick fur on the soles of the
   feet offers protection from cold and hides scent glands. Red Pandas are
   a little bigger than domesticated cats and their cubs are a little
   bigger than domesticated kittens. The Red Panda is native to the
   Himalayas in India and Nepal and southern China.

   This taxonomic classification of both the Red Panda and Giant Panda has
   been under debate for many decades, as both species share
   characteristics of both bears and raccoon. However, they are only very
   distantly related by remote common ancestry from the Early Tertiary
   Period. Its ancestor can be traced back to tens of millions of years
   ago with a wide distribution across Eurasia. Fossils of the Red Panda
   have been unearthed from China in the east to Britain in the west (Hu,
   1990), and most recently a handful of fossils (Pristinailurus bristoli,
   Miocene, considered to be a new genus and species of the Red Panda)
   have also been discovered in North America.

   There are two extant subspecies of Red Panda: the Western Red Panda
   (Ailurus fulgens fulgens) that lives in the western part of its range,
   and the somewhat larger Styans Red Panda (Ailurus fulgens styani) that
   lives in the east-northeastern part of its range. The Western Red Panda
   has lighter pelage, especially in the face, while the Styans Red Panda
   has more dramatic facial markings. The effective population size in the
   Sichuan population is larger and more stable than that in the Yunnan
   population, implying a southward expansion from Sichuan to Yunnan.

   The Red Panda is classified as an endangered species. There is an
   estimated population of less than 2,500 mature individuals and this
   number continues to decline due to severely fragmented populations.

Common names

   The Red Panda is also known as the Wah because of its distinctive cry.
   This name was given to it by Thomas Hardwicke, when he introduced it to
   Europeans in 1821. It is called a Cat Bear because it was thought to be
   related to a small bear and washes itself like a cat by licking its
   entire body. Other names include Bear Cat, Bright Panda, Common Panda,
   Fire Fox, Red Fox, Fox Bear, Himalayan Raccoon, Lesser Panda, Nigalya
   Ponya, Panda Chico, Panda Éclatant, Panda Rojo, Petit Panda, Poonya,
   Crimson Ngo, Red Cat, Sankam, Small Panda, Thokya, Wah, Wokdonka,
   Woker, and Vetri, and Ye.

Phylogenetic classification

   The most recent molecular- systematic DNA research places the Red Panda
   into its own independent family Ailuridae. Ailuridae are part of a
   trichotomy within the broad superfamily Musteloidea (Flynn et al.,
   2001) that includes the Mephitidae (skunks), Procyonidae (raccoons),
   and Mustelidae (weasel, mink, wolverine, badger); but it is not a bear
   ( Ursidae) as is the Giant Panda.

   Frédéric Georges Cuvier first described it as belonging to the raccoon
   family in 1825 and this classification has been controversial ever
   since. It was classified in the raccoon family ( Procyonidae) because
   of morphological similarities of the head, dentures, colored ringed
   tail, and other morphological and ecological characteristics. Then, due
   to some agreements in the DNA, it was assigned to the bear family
   (Ursidae).

   Molecular phylogenetic studies show that as an ancient species in the
   order Carnivora, the Red Panda is relatively close to the American
   raccoon (family Procyonidae) and may be either a monotypic family or a
   subfamily within the procynonid (Mayr, 1986; Zhang and Ryder, 1993;
   Slattery and O'Brien, 1995). In an in-depth mitochondrial DNA
   population analysis study by Su et al. (2001): “According to the fossil
   record, the Red Panda diverged from its common ancestor with bears
   about 40 million years ago (Mayr 1986). With this divergence, by
   comparing the sequence difference between the red panda and the
   raccoon, the observed mutation rate for the red panda was calculated to
   be on the order of 10^9, which is apparently an underestimate compared
   with the average rate in mammals (Li, 1997). This underestimation is
   probably due to multiple recurrent mutations as the divergence between
   the Red Panda and the raccoon is extremely deep.”

   Red Pandas are one-of-a-kind in the animal world and are considered by
   many to be living fossils. They have no close living relatives, and
   their nearest fossil ancestors, Parailurus, lived 3-4 million years
   ago. There may have been as many as three different species of
   Parailurus, all larger and more robust in the head and jaw, living in
   Europe and Asia but possibly crossing the Bering Strait into America.
   The Red Panda may be all that's left - a specialized offshoot surviving
   the Ice Age in a Chinese mountain refuge (Roberts and Gittleman, 1984).

Distribution

   Red Panda at the Bronx Zoo
   Red Panda at the Bronx Zoo

   Red Pandas are native to southeastern Asia, along a crescent formed by
   the Himalaya Mountains in Nepal, southern Tibet China, Bhutan, and
   northeast India, then east into the highlands of Myanmar (Burma), the
   Gongshan Mountains of Yunnan China, and the Hengduan Mountains of
   Sichuan China. The latter area is thought to have been a refuge for Red
   Pandas, as well as many other animals, during the last ( Pleistocene)
   period of glaciation. The gorge of the Brahmaputra River, as it loops
   around the eastern end of the Himalayas, is considered a natural
   division between the two subspecies, although some suggest the A. f.
   fulgens range extends more eastwardly into Yunnan China. Red pandas
   used to have a broader distribution farther northeast into China and
   southwest into India.

   Red Pandas inhabit climates of moderate temperature (10-25 °C) and
   prefers forested mountainous areas at elevations of 1,800-4,800 m,
   particularly temperate deciduous- coniferous forests with an understory
   of rhododendron and, of course, bamboo. They share habitat with another
   bamboo specialist, the Giant Panda, in China (Wolong Preserve). Red
   Pandas are cavity nesters, using rock dens and old hollow trees. They
   often spend the day drooped over a branch high in the trees, feeding
   more actively at dawn and dusk. There are also several captive red
   panda populations living in zoos around the world. The North American
   captive population is maintained under the Species Survival Plan (SSP),
   and contained 182 animals as of October 2001.

Characteristics

   Red Panda in Tree
   Red Panda in Tree

   The Red Panda is quite long: 79-120 cm (including the tail length of 30
   to 60 cm). Males weigh 4.5 to 6.2 kg: females 3.7 to 4.5 kg. Their
   average lifespan is nine to ten years but can reach a maximum of
   fourteen.

   The Red Panda is specialized as a bamboo feeder ( robust cranial-
   dental features, ~ 'thumb' adapted for grasping), with long and soft
   reddish-brown fur on upper parts, blackish fur on lower parts, light
   face with tear markings, and a light-ringed tail. The light face has
   white badges similar to those of a raccoon, but each individual can
   have distinctive markings. Its roundish head has medium-sized upright
   ears, a black nose, and very dark eyes: almost pitch black. It has a
   bushy tail with six alternating yellowish red transverse ocher rings.
   The legs are black, short and bear-like with thick soles serving as
   thermal insulation on snow-covered or ice surfaces; and curved, sharp
   semi-retractable claws. The strong paws stand inward to facilitate
   substantial movement on narrow tree branches. Like the Giant Pandas
   (Ailuropoda melanoleuca), it has a “false thumb” that really is an
   extension of the bone of the wrist, permitting them to seize fruit.
   Their multi-colored reddish fur provides excellent camouflage against
   its habitat of mats of moss and lichens that cover the trees.

Behaviour

   Red Panda in Munich Zoo
   Red Panda in Munich Zoo

   Red Pandas are nocturnal and live in the slopes of the south of the
   Himalayas and the mountainous forests of the southwest of China, at
   altitudes of up to 4,800 meters, and generally do not venture below
   1,800 meters. They are sedentary during the day resting in the branches
   of trees and in tree hollows and increase their activity only in the
   late in the afternoon and/or early evening hours. They are very heat
   sensitive with an optimal “well-being” temperature between 17 and 25°
   C., and cannot tolerate temperatures over 25 º C at all. As a result,
   Red Pandas sleep during the hot noontime in the shady crowns of
   treetops, often lying stretched out on forked branches or rolled up in
   tree caves with their tail covering their face.

   Red Pandas are very skillful and acrobatic animals that live
   predominantly in trees. They live in territories, frequently as loners,
   and only rarely live in pairs or in groups of families. They are very
   quiet except for some twittering and whistling communication sounds.
   They search for food at night, running along the ground or through the
   trees with speed and agility and, after finding food, use their front
   paws to place the food into their mouths. Red pandas drink by plunging
   their paw into the water and licking it. Predators of Red Pandas are
   snow leopards ( Uncia uncia), martens ( Mustelidae) and humans.
   Human-induced damage to their habitat is having a significant effect on
   their well-being.

   Red Pandas begin their daily activity with a ritual washing of their
   fur by licking their front paws and massaging their back, stomach and
   sides. They also scrub their back and belly along the sides of trees or
   a rock. They then patrol their territory, marking it with a strong
   musk-smelling secretion from their anal gland and with their urine.

   If a Red Panda feels threatened or senses danger, it will often try to
   scamper up into an inaccessible rock column or a tree. If they can no
   longer flee, they stand up on their hind legs, which makes them appear
   somewhat more daunting and on allows them the possibility of using the
   razor-sharp claws on their front paws, which can inflict substantial
   wounds. Red Pandas are friendly, but are not helpless, and will resist
   if they feel threatened.

Diet

   The Red Panda, despite having a digestive system more suited to a
   carnivorous diet, subsists primarily on bamboo. Like the Giant Panda,
   it cannot digest cellulose, so it must consume a large volume of bamboo
   to survive. Its diet consists of about two-thirds bamboo, but they also
   eat berries, fruit, mushrooms, roots, acorns, lichen, grasses, and they
   are known to supplement their diet with young birds, eggs, small
   rodents, and insects on occasion. In captivity, however, they will
   readily eat meat. Red Pandas are excellent climbers and forage largely
   in trees. The Red Panda does little more than eat and sleep due to its
   low-calorie diet.

   Bamboo shoots are more easily digested than leaves and exhibited the
   highest digestibility in the summer and autumn, intermediate in the
   spring, and low in the winter. These variations correlate with the
   nutrient contents in the bamboo. The Red Panda poorly processes bamboo,
   especially the cellulose and cell wall components. This implies that
   microbial digestion plays only a minor role in its digestive strategy.
   The transit of bamboo through the red panda gut is very rapid (~2–4
   hours). In order to survive on this poor-quality diet, the Red Panda
   has to select high-quality sections of the bamboo plant such as the
   tender leaves and shoots in large quantities (over 1.5 kg of fresh
   leaves and 4 kg of fresh shoots daily) that pass through the digestive
   tract fairly rapidly so as to maximize nutrient intake (Wei et al.,
   1999).

Reproduction

   The Red Panda is predominantly a loner who only comes together for
   mating at the end of December to the middle of February. After a
   gestation period of 112 to 158 days the female gives birth to one to
   four blind cubs weighing 110-130 g. This occurs between the end of May
   to the beginning of July, and always sometime between 4 P.M and 9 A.M.
   during its activity period. A few days before the birth the female
   begins to collect material, such as brushwood, grass and sheets, to use
   for the nest. The nest is normally located in a hollow tree or a rock
   column.

   After the birth the mother cleans the cubs and in this way can
   immediately recognize each by knowing its smell. After one week the
   mother leaves the nest to clean herself. The cubs start to open their
   eyes about 18 days later, but not fully till 30 to 40 days. The eyes
   are first grey, and after six weeks slowly start to turn dark in
   colour, becoming fully darkened in about 70 days. The new litter
   remains at the nest for twelve weeks. Fourteen days after they leave
   the safety of the nest, they start the process of learning to care for
   themselves but can only do so after about five months.

   Near the beginning of the next mating, the cubs are abandoned by the
   mother. The males only very rarely help with the raising of the new
   generation, and only if they live in pairs or in a small groups. Red
   Pandas start to become sexually mature at about 18 months of age, but
   not fully until 2-3 years.

Endangerment and Protection

   No reliable numbers exist for the total population but it is very
   threatened due to the fragmentation of its natural habitats, their
   small numbers, and their food specialization needs. In southwest China
   the Red Panda is hunted for its fur and especially for its
   highly-valued bushy tail from which hats are produced. In the areas of
   China where the Red Pandas lives their fur is often used for local
   cultural ceremonies and in weddings the bridegroom traditionally
   carries the hide. The 'good-luck charm' hats are used by Chinese
   newlyweds.

   This, and the continuous clearing of the forests, has made it an
   endangered species. It is now protected in all countries in which it
   lives, and the hunting of Red Pandas is illegal everywhere.
   Nevertheless, poaching continues and they are often illegally hunted
   and sold at zoos for dumping prices. The IUCN has mandated that small
   Pandas are a “threatened species“ since 1996, however it is now listed
   as endangered. It is very difficult to estimate the total population,
   yet one can assume that they cannot bear much more of a habitat change
   and that they are in danger of extinction due to the disappearance of
   the forests and the furtive hunting for its highly-valued tail and fur.

Major Indications of Endangerment

   Major threat indications as listed by the SREL DNA Lab, University of
   Georgia:

   - A 40% decrease in Red Panda population reported in China over the
   last 50 years, and those in western/Himalayan area are considered to be
   in worse shape

   - Red Pandas have a naturally low birth rate (usually single or twin
   births per year) and a high death rate in the wild.

   - Natural population subdivision from topography and ecology has been
   worsened by human encroachment, leading to severe fragmentation of the
   remaining wild population. For example, 40 animals in 4 groups share
   resources of a preserve in Nepal with 30,000 humans (only 6% of its
   1710 km2 is preferred red panda habitat).

   - Small groups of animals, with little opportunity for exchange between
   them, face the risk of inbreeding, decreased genetic diversity, and
   even extinction.

   - Habitat loss: deforestation, grazing, farming, e.g.,
   government-encouraged cheese production for tourists in Nepal
   contributed to fuel wood consumption for the factory, overgrazing by
   chauri (cattle-yak hybrid) impacting bamboo growth, and intrusion by
   herders and dogs (often attacking cubs).

   - Agricultural terracing on former Red Panda habitat in Nepal.

   - Poaching: 'good-luck charm' hats for Chinese newlyweds, other fur
   clothing, illegal pet trade.

In Culture

   The Chinese name of the Red Panda is 小熊貓; (pinyin: xiǎo xióng māo),
   meaning 'small panda' or, more analytically, 'small bear-cat', in which
   'bear-cat' is the Chinese name for the panda. The Chinese name of the
   Red Panda is based on that of the Giant Panda, unlike English where the
   Giant Panda has been named after the Red Panda. The Red Panda is also
   sometimes known as hǔo hú (火狐), which literally translates as "fire
   fox", a name which can designate either the red fox or the Red Panda.

   The term fire-fox, as used to describe the Red Panda, has been
   propagated by its use as the logo for the web browser Mozilla Firefox.
   The old Chinese designation of Red Panda as “fire fox “refers to the
   Red Panda’s fur colour.

   In the Indian province of Sikkim the Red Panda is the national animal
   and it is also the mascot of the Darjiling international festivals.

Gallery

   National Zoo, D.C.

                     Prospect Park Zoo, New York

                                                Dublin Zoo, Ireland

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