"Red Panda (Ailurus fulgens) - Paignton Zoo, Devon - Sept 2019" by Dis da fi we is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0
"Red Panda (Ailurus fulgens) - Paignton Zoo, Devon - Sept 2019" by Dis da fi we is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0
Red pandas are not actually related to the giant panda. the name panda comes from the words bamboo eater or bamboo footed. They are only a little bit bigger than a house cat, are red in color with white face markings and lack legs and under belly. Their paws also have semi retractable claws.
They can live up to 23 years. they are endangered with less than 10,000 in the world. They are very good at climbing and resting in trees.
Their diet is 95% bamboo
But they are omnivores so they will also eat
Bird eggs, birds and small mammals
That and various differnt roots and plants
Red pandas live in the Eastern Himalayas. Often in trees. in the winter they lay there tails over their body in what we think is a way to they warmth.
The red panda population is down to 10,000. This is mainly because their forests in the Himalayas are being cut down. This means that they have no place to nest. Climate change is also playing a part. As temperates rise the red pandas have to travel to high elevation. Climate change can also bring about a change in rainfall. With less rainfall there is a more likely chance for a forest fire which would be devastating.