Red Panda
Ailurus fulgens · Animal
The red panda is a small, tree-climbing mammal of Himalayan forests. Despite its name it is not closely related to the giant panda: it is the only living member of its own family.
Key facts
- Scientific name
- Ailurus fulgens
- Kind
- Animal
- Conservation status
- Endangered (IUCN EN)
- Habitat
- Temperate mountain forest
- Range
- Eastern Himalayas and southwestern China
- Size
- 50–64 cm body plus a long ringed tail
- Weight
- 3–6 kg
- Lifespan
- 8–10 years in the wild
- Diet
- Mostly bamboo
- Activity
- Crepuscular · arboreal · solitary
- Population
- Fewer than 10,000 adults (estimate)
Diet
Feeds mainly on bamboo leaves and shoots, adding fruit, acorns, eggs and insects.
Behavior
Spends most of its life in trees and wraps its bushy tail around itself for warmth in winter.
Classification
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Mammalia
- Order
- Carnivora
- Family
- Ailuridae
- Genus
- Ailurus
- Species
- A. fulgens
Conservation
Populations are declining as forests are cleared and fragmented.
Main threats
- Habitat loss
- Poaching
- Illegal pet trade