Red pandas are considered endangered by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature, the organization that determines the conservation status of plant and animal species. While no one knows the exact number of animals in the wild, a 2015 estimate put the population at 10,000, a 50 percent drop since 1997.

reproduction in which fertilization and development take place within the female body and the developing embryo derives nourishment from the female. References Red pandas live in the remaining bamboo forests of the Eastern Himalayas in places like China, Nepal and Bhutan. Adult red pandas rarely interact with each other outside of the mating season. During the mating season, scent-markings increase, and the female invites the male to mount her on the ground. Males leave their scent by urinating or rubbing their anogenital area on trees. Both males and females may mate with more than one partner in a season.The red panda is a rare species, whose numbers continue to decline. Deforestation is the primary threat to the red pandas’ survival. Habitat fragmentation from logging and agriculture have resulted in the loss of bamboo and threatened their numbers. Red pandas are also hunted, and cubs are sold in the illegal pet trade. The red panda is an endangered species and is protected under their listing in Appendix I of CITES, the Convention on the International Trade in Threatened and Endangered Species. The work involved sequencing the genomes of 65 wild red pandas. The researchers collected muscle, skin and blood samples from seven population areas. The analysis was focused on finding differences in DNA base pairs on the Y chromosome. The data showed that not only are the two varieties of red panda different species, but that the Chinese red panda has three populations that are genetically different. It also showed that the line that divides the two species is not the Nujiang River, as previously thought, but the Yalu Zanbu River.

Watch the amazing red panda documentary below to see footage of the animal in the wild, or continue reading for in-depth info on the species … That makes red pandas the only “true” panda. The term "panda" is believed to be derived from the Nepalese words "nigalya ponya" which translates to "bamboo eater." Styan's red panda ''Ailurus fulgens styani''— lives in the east-northeastern part of its range: in southern China and northern Myanmar.Interestingly, red pandas are creatures that love to hold their food in their hands while eating. With all five fingers, they’re able to hold a bunch of bamboo leaves in their hands. Other foods eaten by the red panda include fruit, berries, roots, succulent grasses, mushrooms, flowers, lichens and acorns. Occasionally, it may also feed on fish, insects, birds and bird eggs. Red Panda Predators The snow leopard is the primary predator of the red panda. One way that the Red Panda Network supports both locals and red pandas is by hiring community members as environmental stewards, which reduces poaching and provides alternative income sources. They Are Smelly Socializers Since they also have the digestive systems of carnivores, red pandas have to make digesting plant foods easier themselves. Red Pandas Don’t Have Pouches It takes young red pandas months of practice to successful navigate treetops. Jar0d via Wikimedia Commons

Red pandas have shot to viral fame for their adorable looks, but there’s a lot more to these elusive animals than their kitten-like faces and striking reddish-brown coats. As a highly specialized species, red pandas have many unique traits that set them apart but they are also very important to global biodiversity. They have been identified as a flagship species and an indicator of ecological health of the Eastern Himalayan Broadleaf Forest Ecoregion — one of our planet's biodiversity hotspots — that supports over 500 million people! Their conservation has landscape-level impacts, and like an umbrella, the entire ecoregion (its forests and wildlife) are protected when red pandas are conserved. Here are fifteen of our other favorite red panda facts! Like the Giant Panda, they cannot digest cellulose, so they must consume a large volume of bamboo to survive. Their diet consists of about two-thirds bamboo, but they also eat mushrooms, roots, acorns, lichen, and grasses. Occasionally, they supplement their diet with fish and insects. They do little more than eat and sleep due to their low-calorie diet. They have large, round heads and short snouts with big, pointed ears. Their faces are white with reddish-brown “tear” marks that extend from the eyes to the corner of the mouth. These markings could have evolved to help keep the sun out of their eyes. Their tails are marked with alternating red and buff rings.

Is a red panda a bear?

Red pandas become sexually mature at approximately 18 months of age. Adult males and females typically only come together during the breeding season, which occurs between early January and mid-March. During this time males will urinate or rubbing their ano-genital area on trees. Females invite the males to mount them on the ground. Delayed implantation occurs, and the gestation period lasts approximately 134 days. Nigálya pónya'', ''nyala ponga'', and ''poonya'' are said to mean ''eater of bamboo''. It could be that the name ''panda'' originates from ''panjā''. The Himalayas is a mountain range in Asia. It lies between the Indian Subcontinent and the Tibetan Plateau. Mount Everest – Earth’s highest mountain above sea level – is part of the Himalayas. Red Panda Habitat The red panda lives in temperate (non-tropical) forests. The effective population size of the Sichuan population is larger and more stable than that of the Yunnan population, implying a southward expansion from Sichuan to Yunnan.

For instance, in India the biggest threat seems to be habitat loss followed by poaching, while in China the biggest threat seems to be hunting and poaching. A 40% decrease in red panda populations has been reported in China over the last 50 years, and populations in western Himalayan areas are considered to be lower. In addition, different colors of furs make up their body color. The main color is the reddish reddish-brown fur that covers almost all parts of their bodies. A red panda’s ear is so sensitive that it can hear sounds humans can’t even hear. They can detect strange sounds within their environment.

Habitat

Habitat loss: Commercial logging, agriculture and roads have decreased and fragmented red panda habitat. Habitat fragmentation makes it difficult for the pandas to move to new feeding grounds when bamboo (the species’ main food source) goes through its cycles of mass flowering and die-off over large areas. Red pandas are the only living member of the Ailuridae family, and their taxonomic position has long been a subject of scientific debate. They were first described as members of the raccoon family ( Procyonidae) — a controversial classification — in 1825, because of ecological characteristics and morphological similarities of the head, dentition and ringed tail. Later, due to some agreements in DNA, they were assigned to the bear family ( Ursidae). Red panda numbers may have decreased by as much as 40 percent over the last 50 years. Today the adult population is probably around 10,000. People clearing forests for farming and grazing, as well as hunting and the pet trade, have drastically reduced the number of red pandas—some estimate that only 2,500 adult red pandas remain in their native habitat. Red pandas are hunted for their pelts, which are made into fur capes and hats. Sometimes, red pandas are caught in snares set out for wild pigs, deer, and takins. Red panda's activity changes throughout the year based on the temperature, feeding regimes, and the presence of young. The normally solitary A. fulgens are most active at dusk, dawn, and during the night. Movement on the ground is done by a slow, cross-extension gait, and faster bounding or trotting. Ailurus fulgens is arboreal, sleeping in nests in evergreens. They descend trees headfirst and display their flexibility as they move from branch to branch. The tail is used for balance when in trees, while on the ground it is carried straight and horizontally.