Red panda Information Report
Classification:
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| This is a very exhausted Red Panda. |
Red pandas are a highly endangered species of animal, the red panda is now becoming endangered because of deforestation.
Appearance:
A Red Panda is a mammal animal, and also an endangered herbivore species.
Red pandas are highly similar to raccoon in their appearances as they have red and black fur coats. They also have long, bushy tails, with cream and red rings on them.
On top of their heads are two, large black and white ears.
Red pandas can be up to 107 centimeters long and weigh between 3-6 kilograms.
They have an extended wrist bone that functions almost like a thumb and greatly aids their grip.
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| This Red Panda is in an angle where you can most of its features and body. |
Habitat:
The red panda species can be located in portions of Nepal, Burma, Southern China and the surrounding areas.
They also live in the cool temperate bamboo forests in Sichuan, Yunnan and Xizang provinces of China. They live in the trees, and mainly stay in the trees for almost the entire day. Red pandas have also been imported to certain Zoos.
Movement:
Red Pandas spend a large amount of time in trees, they also move leisurely and steadily on the ground. Their bushy tails ensures balance during movement in the forest. The red panda can move very fast, traveling at 24 miles per hour.
Red pandas don’t hibernate because they can’t collect enough food to do either. And they need to eat the bamboo and other food to stay big and healthy. They are supposed to be large in size and have a lot of fat so they can be warm in the winter.
Food & Diet:
Red pandas mainly eat bamboo leaves and fresh shoots; as well as berries, blossoms, birds eggs, and various plants’ leaves.
Behavior:
A red panda is active from dusk, to dawn and their primary is above the ground and in trees. In facts, this type of Panda breed sleep and breed/reproduce, in trees. Another main characteristic is the ability to traverse tree branches very easily.
In one study, female red pandas ate approximately 20,000 bamboo leaves in one day.
Life Cycle:
The breeding/mating season is in the late fall through winter.
The gestation period is around 4 months.
They are shy and solitary except when mating. Females give birth in the spring and summer, typically to one to four young. Young red pandas remain in their nests for about 90 days, during which time their mother cares for them. (Males take little or no interest in their offspring.) When the cubs are born, the mother must leave the cubs to go and find food. This keeps her cubs’ lives at danger, as they could be hunted by larger predators such as Snow Leopards and Martens.
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| This is one of the red panda's biggest predators - This is a Snow Leopard. |
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| This is also a predator to a red panda. It is a Marten. |
Conclusion:
Red pandas are endangered, victims of deforestation. Their natural space is shrinking as more and more forests are destroyed by logging and the spread of agriculture.
Bibliography:
1. NationalZoo.si.edu/animals/asiatrail/redpanda/factsheet.cfm
2. WWW. Bearlife.Org/red-panda.html
