Red Panda

Ailurus fulgens refulgens

Subspecies: Styan’s Red Panda

Although the species name includes the word "panda," it is an animal in a completely different category from Giant Panda. It is a subspecies of Red Panda that lives in the high mountain forests from China to the Himalayas, and is found in the eastern area. It lives alone. It is active throughout the day, but is most active in the dim light of the morning and evening.

coat

They live in harsh, snowy environments in winter, so their fur can withstand the cold. Their distinctive coloration is a camouflage that allows them to blend in with their environment. The reddish-brown coloring on their backs helps them blend in with the soil and fallen leaves on the ground, and the black coloring on their undersides, including their limbs, helps them Red Panda in with the branches in the backlight when ground predators look up at them in the trees.

"Sixth Finger"

Red Panda have protrusions (sesamoid bones) on their front ankles similar to the human thumb. When they bend their five horizontally arranged fingers, the protrusions on the sesamoid bones come together, allowing them to grasp objects. However, they cannot move these protrusions alone.

breeding

Red Panda are seasonal breeding animals, with winter being their breeding season. During the breeding season, males and females, who usually live alone, communicate with each other by making a squealing sound. They also actively mark their territory.

Childbirth and child-rearing

If mating is successful, the female will build a nest in a tree cavity or a rock crevice, and give birth to one to three babies between May and August. The mother raises the babies, who live in the burrow until they are about three months old.

Danger in the wild

Rapid human population growth in their habitat has led to deforestation, resulting in habitat loss and fragmentation, causing population decline.