Red (red) panda: where it lives, photos and interesting facts. Red panda (photo): Miniature fiery “bear cub”

Red panda- This is an animal that belongs to mammals from the panda family. The name comes from the Latin "Ailurus fulgens", which means "fire cat", "cat-bear". There are notes about this amazing animal in China dating back to the 13th century, but Europeans learned about it only in the 19th century.

The red panda became known throughout the world thanks to the work of naturalists Thomas Hardwicke and Frederic Cuvier. These two people made a huge contribution to the development of science and revealed to the whole world one of the cutest four-legged animals.

The red panda is often compared to a cat, but these animals have very little in common. Although this species of panda is considered small, it is significantly larger in size than an ordinary domestic panda. The body length is approximately 50-60 centimeters, and the tail is usually up to 50 centimeters. The weight of a male is 3.8-6.2 kilograms, and the weight of females is approximately 4.2-6 kilograms.

The body is elongated, elongated. They have a large fluffy tail, which plays an important role in the life of this animal. The head of the red panda is wide, with a short, slightly elongated and sharp muzzle, the ears are small and round in shape.

The paws are small in size, however, quite powerful and strong, with semi-retractable claws. This is explained by the fact that the animal easily climbs trees and clings to branches, and also descends to the ground with ease, caution and special grace.

The color of the red panda is unusual and very beautiful. The animal's fur is unevenly colored, usually black or dark brown underneath, and red or hazel on top.

On the back, the hairs have yellow tips rather than red ones. The paws are pure black, but the head is light, and the tips of the ears are completely snow-white, as is the mask pattern on the face.

It is surprising that the pattern on the face of a red panda is unique and special for each animal; no two identical colors are found in nature. The tail also has an unusual uneven color, the main color is red, and thin rings several shades lighter can be seen on it.

It should be noted that The red panda is included in the International Red as animals in grave danger. This class of animals is classified as endangered; according to various sources, there are from 2,500 to 10,000 individuals left on earth.

IN natural environment There is practically no habitat for enemies of the red panda, however, deforestation and poaching have practically destroyed the entire population. The unique beauty of the fur makes these animals a valuable commodity on the market, so there is a cruel hunting red pandas, in which a huge number of both adults and cubs die.

Character and lifestyle

The photo shows a red panda looks very kind and affectionate, in nature they actually have to fight for their existence, but in general, they are peaceful and quite friendly.

This is not to say that it is easy to tame, but they take root quite easily in captivity, in an artificial habitat. The panda is listed in the Red Book, so now experts are doing everything possible to prevent these cute “bears” from disappearing altogether.

Under natural conditions, the life of a red panda is constantly under threat, therefore, in order to preserve their lives and give birth to new ones, whole panda shelters.

Now there is evidence that about 350 animals live in 85 zoos around the world, where they are provided necessary conditions for accommodation and food. There are cases that red pandas delight in the birth of their offspring even in captivity.

In their natural habitat, pandas are predominantly night look life. During daylight hours, they prefer to rest, sleep in a hollow, while they curl up into a ball and always cover their heads with their tail. If the animal senses danger, it also climbs high up a tree and, using its color, camouflages itself there.

Trees are much more important to them. comfortable place than the flat surface of the earth, where red pandas feel awkward and move very clumsily and slowly. But still they have to go down to earth in search of food. Pandas have their own language, which is more like a bird whistle or chirp. Animals make quiet short sounds that help them communicate with each other.

Reproduction and lifespan of the red panda

The red panda's breeding season is in January. Conception and fetal development in this animal occurs in a special way. Pandas have a so-called diapause, which can be of varying duration, that is, this is the time between conception and the development of the baby in the mother’s body. The development of the fetus itself takes about 50 days, but taking into account diapause, more than 120 days can pass before the baby is born.

The signal that a cub will soon be born is the so-called “nest” that the mother panda builds in the hollow of a tree from branches and leaves. In this secluded place, tiny babies appear, weighing about 100 grams, and they are blind and deaf.

In the photo there is a red panda with a cub

The color of a newborn varies from beige to gray, but not fiery red. As a rule, a female gives birth to 1-2 cubs, but it happens that she gives birth to four at once; however, most often only one of them survives.

Babies grow very slowly and at the same time constantly need care. Only on the 18th day do they open their eyes, and by the age of 3 months they begin to eat solid food.

At the same time, they leave their native “nest” for the first time in order to gain skills in obtaining food on their own. At about 3 months, the coat color also changes; every day the cub becomes more and more like its parents.

When the babies get stronger and acquire the full color characteristic of an adult, they, together with their mother, leave the cozy place where they lived and begin to roam and explore the territory.

At the age of 1.5 years, young pandas reach sexual maturity, but pandas aged 2-3 years are considered adults. A red panda can only give birth once a year, so their numbers cannot increase quickly; it will take decades.

In the wild, red pandas live for about 10 years. There are cases when pandas live for 15 years, but these are rather exceptions. In captivity, in an artificial habitat created for them, red pandas live a little longer, about 12 years. There was a case when a panda lived for almost 19 years.

Nutrition

Although I classify red pandas as predators, almost the entire diet consists of vegetation. Pandas are considered a predator because special structure their digestive system, and not because of food preferences.

Young bamboo shoots, berries, mushrooms, and various fruits are considered a special treat for the red panda. Small rodents and bird eggs occupy 5% of the food consumed.

Since they eat mostly low-calorie foods, they need to absorb about 2 kilograms of food per day to provide their body with the necessary energy supply.

If a young panda feeds exclusively on young bamboo, then it needs to eat more than 4 kilograms per day. For this she will need approximately 14-16 hours. Thus, the panda spends most of the day chewing his treats.

In zoos, I feed pandas with cereals made with milk (mostly rice) to increase the calorie content of the foods they consume. In general, the red panda has a special diet, so for those who like to have such animals as pets, it will be very problematic to provide good food.

If the diet is unbalanced, then the red panda begins to suffer from various diseases of the digestive system, and this can lead to the death of the animal.

Classification

Family: Little pandas

Squad: Predatory

Class: Mammals

Type: Chordata

Subtype: Vertebrates

Kingdom: Animals

Domain: Eukaryotes

Dimensions: Height is just over 50 centimeters. Males weigh from 3.7 to 6.2 kilograms, and females weigh from 4.2 to six kilograms. Body length 51-54 cm, tail length from 28 to 48 centimeters

Lifespan: 8-10 years, in captivity – 14 years

The red panda is a little similar to, for example, they have the same clumsy movements, they eat and sleep most of the time, and on their face there are similar dark circles around the eyes.

However, this is not a bear at all. Animals are small in size more cat, make sounds reminiscent of the cry of birds, and family ties closest to them.

The panda gained its greatest popularity after the release of the popular animated film “Kung Fu Panda”.

But if we're talking about about the red Chinese panda, this animal is not at all similar in appearance to the familiar image associated with this name.

The Chinese red or Lesser panda - “cat-bear”, “fire cat” - was first described in Chinese literature in the 13th century.

Europeans learned about this “fox-like” animal 600 years later. Unfortunately, now this animal can be found in wildlife- only in the mountain forests of Chinese provinces and northeast India.

In photographs taken in the wild, one notices an obvious similarity between the red panda and a fox: that is why scientists attribute the name “fire fox” to it.

Red panda at the Rotterdam Zoo. Netherlands

Habitat

The habitat is limited between the villages of Yunnan, Sichuan in China, and northern Burma, Bhutan, Nepal and northeast India. It will not be possible to meet this animal further west than Nepal.

They prefer to live in the highlands, from 1800 to 4800 thousand meters above water level, in temperate climate, with average temperature not subject to sudden changes.

These animals are covered with thick fluffy fur, so, like , they feel very uncomfortable in hot temperatures. The suitable air temperature for them is from 17 to 25°C.

If the temperature is higher, it is very dangerous for the health of animals. It is important that the habitat has enough deciduous and coniferous trees, bamboo and rhododendron.

This animal is peaceful and benevolent, and it has no enemies, but when it feels danger, it can run away to hide in a hollow tree, in rocks or on high branches.

The remains of the ancestors of these animals were found over larger territories, but their modern representatives are quite picky about the climate, so their range has decreased significantly.

The red panda spends most of the day in the trees

Characteristic

In many photos, the Chinese red panda looks like a very kind and sweet animal, but in nature they have to fight fiercely for existence.

Their main enemy in the wild is snow leopard, they hide from him in trees or in gorges.

Red pandas are classified as predators, however, they are quite peaceful and friendly animals; they can only hunt small rodents or steal eggs from birds’ nests.

They have virtually no struggle for territory.

Males usually take much more space, a territory twice the size of that occupied by the female.

It is not entirely easy to tame them, but, as practice shows, they take root both in the wild and in artificially created habitats; the most important thing is to comply with all the requirements for habitat and nutrition, so as not to harm the health and life of these cute animals.

Important! This species is listed in the Red Book; hunting for them is prohibited. Special reserves are being created to preserve this species of little pandas.

In the wild, the Chinese red panda prefers to stay awake at night during its life. During the day they sleep in a hollow or on tree branches.

When they see a threat, they climb high into the trees and camouflage themselves using their color.

Animals feel much more comfortable in trees than on flat surfaces, where they move unevenly, slowly and awkwardly.

Small red pandas have their own language, which is very similar to a bird whistle. They make short, quiet sounds that also resemble the chirping of birds.

Little pandas playing with pumpkins

Interesting! The red panda is depicted in the logo Mozilla browser firefox, not a fox, as many people think.

Appearance

Externally, the Chinese panda has soft, fluffy and long fur.

In its color it is very similar to a fox: the tail and upper part of the body are colored red-brown; the belly is dark, maybe black.

The paws are also dark, have very sharp and quite long claws, like those of a horse. Thanks to their sharp claws, Chinese red pandas have natural excellent tree climbing abilities.

According to the description compiled based on observations, red-orange rings form on the tail of animals as they grow older.

A red panda yawns while holding onto a branch tightly to avoid falling.

Pandas have a short muzzle, but their body is quite long. The ears are white, neat, slightly pointed in shape. The muzzle is covered with white fur, and the nose is black.

The animals' eyes are dark, and under the eyes the fur is colored with dark stripes. There is also a fur covering on the inside of the paws.

Their resemblance to a panda bear is due to the color of their muzzle, with dark circles around the eyes, and a leisurely, awkward gait. In addition, they also spend most of their time searching for food, eating and sleeping.

Interesting! For residents of India, these exotic animals serve as pets. This is of great concern to biologists and ecologists, as this could significantly reduce the population of red pandas.

Red panda having a meal

Main Features

Pandas spend the greatest amount of time throughout their lives being alone.

And this is not surprising, because these lazy, clumsy animals spend all their time doing nothing but eating and sleeping. Only during the mating season they look for a mate.

Each panda owns its own territory and does not allow others into it. However, due to their natural peacefulness, they rarely lay claim to what belongs to others.

They become more active early in the morning and late at night, and mostly sleep during the day.

Can live with maximum temperature 25 degrees, but lower is better. If the temperature is higher, they may die.

Interesting! Representatives of this species spend sixteen hours a day searching for and chewing food. The rest of the time, the animals sleep high in the trees.

Red panda on vacation

Nutrition

The red panda is a carnivore, and its diet includes eggs of various birds and the smallest rodents, but this is quite rare, in percentage terms - about 5%.

But it should be noted that the main diet (95%) consists of bamboo leaves, berries, grass and mushrooms.

They are called predators only because of the structure of the digestive system, but in fact they are herbivores.

Also, pandas love to eat plant roots, acorns and lichens. Every day, the Chinese red panda consumes approximately 4 kilograms of plant food.

In captivity, pandas are fed a wide variety of foods:

• milk;
• rice;
• grass;
• fruits.

The diet of red pandas is quite unique and special.

Therefore, those who want to keep a panda as a pet will find it very difficult to provide it with a good and balanced diet.

Otherwise, the animal may develop diseases of the digestive system.

The red panda's diet consists of 95% plant foods.

Reproduction

The mating season and breeding stage for pandas occurs in January and lasts until early March. Females carry cubs for 4-5 months. Fetal development lasts about 50 days.

Before the birth of the babies, the female builds a nest of branches high in the tree. This is where the animals appear.

The cubs are born blind and deaf, and very tiny, their weight is 100 grams.

The female gives birth to up to 4 cubs, but most often only one survives. Pandas are considered adults at 2-3 years of age. Children remain with their mother for 1 year until she gives birth to new babies.

The color of newborns is beige or gray, but not red at all; they acquire this color already at a more mature age.

At three months, the color also changes, and then more and more they become like adult pandas.

A panda can have offspring only once a year, which is why their numbers increase at a very slow pace.

In its natural habitat, a red panda can live for about 10 years; in captivity, its life can last up to 12 years. And in exceptional and extremely rare cases - up to 19 years of age.

Red panda with cub

As is already known from the description, the Chinese red panda takes root well in an artificial habitat. Animals are not entirely easy, but quickly tamed and become quite tame.

On at the moment About 300 pandas are kept in 85 zoos around the world, where there are all conditions for them. Also, the panda reproduces well in captivity.

Today, there are about ten thousand pandas left in the wild.

Their individual needs played a cruel joke on them, because in order to survive, they need a specific climate and a forest with certain vegetation, otherwise they simply will not survive.

Therefore, if you do not take care of nature, thoughtlessly cut down forests, burn them, or simply allow them to die, you can lose many species of animals, not only red pandas, the number of which, by the way, is decreasing every year.

Due to the fact that the forests in which these animals lived are being mercilessly cut down, their habitats are being significantly reduced.

Poachers also had a hand in the extinction of this species of charming animals. These criminals are attracted to the bright skins of animals from which they want to make money.

IN lately In India, they have become popular pets and are captured from the wild to be bred for the captive market.

To combat this situation, animals are placed in sanctuaries.

Red panda sleeps on a tree branch

Red panda, in view of his physiological characteristics, can only live in limited areas in the wild because it needs special climatic conditions and a sufficient amount of plant foods.

Moreover, due to catastrophic deforestation, these animals are becoming fewer and fewer.

They are even listed in the Red Book, so many reserves are engaged in artificial breeding these animals are kept in captivity to maintain the species and prevent extinction.

In India, these exotic animals, like excellent option pet, however, it is worth remembering about the conditions of detention so as not to harm the life and health of animals, of which there are fewer and fewer every day.

Red Panda: Miniature Fire Bear

The red panda bears a slight resemblance to the bear of the same name. The animal is slightly larger in size than a cat, and makes sounds reminiscent of the cry of birds.

In this article I will talk about the red panda. I will describe its appearance, population, habitat, lifestyle and diet. I will write how it reproduces and cares for its offspring, what kind of character and habits it has, how relationships with humans are built.

Red or red panda belongs to the mammals of the panda family, the order of carnivores, the suborder of canids. The diet is predominantly plant-based, and the body size is slightly larger than the average cat.

Description of the appearance of the red panda

The red panda is an animal of extraordinary beauty. In China, where most of the representatives live, the animal is called the “fire fox” (hanho). The name is associated with the main body color of the animal - fiery red.

The white pattern on the muzzle is similar to big panda. The belly and paws are painted in dark colors: black or dark brown. Small round ears of light beige color.

The body is dense, muscular, elongated. The head is round. The muzzle is sharp and elongated. The fur is thick. The tail is long fluffy. The paws are small and strong. The claws are long and can be retracted.

The size is the same as a cat's average weight is 6.5 kg.

The animal lives on average 8-10 years. In captivity favorable conditions Life expectancy increases significantly, reaching 19 years.

Population

Today the population is declining sharply and is only about 2,500 individuals. 350 of which live in man-made conditions.

Where does it live?

They live in northern Burma, Sichuan and Yunnan provinces in China, Nepal, northeast India and Bhutan.

The place of settlement is chosen to be mountainous surroundings from 2000 to 4000 m above sea level with a predominance of vegetation in the form of bamboo, pine needles, rhododendron and deciduous trees. The giant panda also chooses these natural conditions for living.

Cool and hot weather animals don't like it. Prefer temperature regime from 17 to 25 degrees C.

Lifestyle and nutrition of the red animal

The raccoon panda is an omnivore. The main part of the diet consists of young succulent stems and leaves of bamboo. It also feeds on flowers, berries, mushrooms, roots and animal food, in the form of eggs, insects, birds, lizards and small rodents.

In order to protect itself from predators, it prefers a nocturnal lifestyle. It climbs trees very well and can jump from branch to branch. During the daytime in cool weather Representatives of this species sleep in tree hollows and, in warm weather, on branches. The sleeping position resembles the ball that cats curl into.

Character and habits

These are peace-loving animals. They live in populations or pairs. At the same time, they mark their territory to scare away strangers and protect their family. When attacked, males behave quite actively: they stand on their hind legs and hiss loudly and aggressively.

The sound made by animals when communicating is similar to bird chirping.

Dwarf pandas, unlike big pandas, are quite active, agile and playful animals.

Reproduction and care of young

These animals are among those animals that create a single pair for life.

They reach sexual maturity at the age of 1.5 years. They become adults at 2-3 years of age. In 1 year, a couple can produce offspring only 1 time. The breeding season occurs in winter, mainly in January. Pregnancy lasts from 90 days to 145. The litter is small, one or two cubs. In rare cases, the number of animals born reaches up to four. As a rule, only one cub from a litter survives to adulthood.

Before the birth of the offspring, the female prepares the future nest. Selects tree hollows as a location. The future home of the children is lined and insulated with moss and soft grass.

Little pandas are born naked, without fur, the body weight of newborns is 100 g. They grow and develop slowly.

Until the age of three months, the female feeds the cubs with milk in the nest. Then, when the small animals become stronger and larger, he goes outside with them and teaches them how to get food. Sexual maturity is reached at the age of 18 months. During this period, babies separate from their mother and begin to lead an independent lifestyle.

Listing in the Red Book and protection

Today, the red panda is an endangered species and is listed in the Red Book.

There are only 2,500 representatives in nature.

Animals are extremely sensitive to changes in natural conditions and habitat. The population size is affected by deterioration in the quality of life, in the form of pollution environment, cutting down bamboo groves, poaching.

Relationship between a raccoon and a human

Red pandas are good-natured and non-aggressive creatures. They adapt well to living conditions at home. They quickly get used to the person who cares for them. When in close contact they become tame animals. Easily given in human hands. They allow themselves to be fed and hugged.

In the article I talked about the red panda. She described its appearance, population, habitat, lifestyle and diet. She wrote how she reproduces and takes care of her offspring, what her character and habits are, how her relationship with a person is built.

The brightly colored, beautiful animal, which is called the fire cat, red bear and fire fox, is how the red panda can be described. Its appearance is very different from the popular bamboo bear. According to recent research by scientists, she is the only representative of the panda family.

Name and its origin

The history of the discovery and naming of the red panda goes back to the 13th century, when the animal was first mentioned in ancient Chinese scrolls from the Chow Dynasty. Only by the 19th century did information about it become known in Europe. The English army general and naturalist Thomas Hardwicke managed to discover and describe the red panda in 1821 in the mountains of northern India, who presented his report on it to the Linnean Society in London. According to his reports, the Chinese and Nepalese called the animal “punya” (poonya), but he suggested giving it a name based on the characteristic sounds that it produced - “wa”.

Almost simultaneously with Hardwick, a description of the animal was made by the French scientist Fr. Cuvier, who found it very cute, for which he gave it the name “brilliant cat” (Ailurus fulgens). Gradually the name "punya" was anglicized and transformed into "panda".

Systematization of the red panda

At first, biologists attributed this animal to the raccoon family according to external resemblance, tooth structure, skull shape and other characteristics. The animal received the name “small” after the discovery of the giant panda.

Disputes among taxonomists about the correct classification of the animal continued for more than 100 years. And only when DNA studies were carried out, it turned out that the giant panda belongs to the bear family, and the small panda received its own family - pandas.

Differences between big and small pandas

Many people believe that giant and red pandas are related, but this is not true. They received the name only for their external similarity. In fact, bamboo bear does not belong to the panda family at all.

But the red, or small panda, is the only representative of the family of the same name, the other members of which, according to scientists, are extinct.

Lesser pandas are part of the superfamily Musteloidea, which also includes skunks, raccoons and mustelids. They are distinguished by predatory behavior, general forms structure of the body and skull. The researchers concluded that in ancient times, red pandas were large predators and ate the meat of wild animals. The most ancient remains of Ailurus animals were discovered in Siberia and Washington state (USA), from where they probably spread to Asia.

Appearance and description

As can be seen in the photo of the red panda, this animal is distinguished by its bright fiery color of fur, and not solid, but decorated for natural camouflage with various color spots: black paws, a red tail decorated with yellow, white and red rings, on the muzzle there are white spots that decorate and tips of the ears. The fur is very thick, soft and long. Such colorful camouflage helps the animal become invisible when living in trees, where it spends most of its life.

To make it easy to climb trees, pandas have short, strong paws and claws that can be half retracted, and fluffy fur on the soles allows them to walk on ice and snow. On the wrist of the forelimbs there is an “extra” finger in the form of an enlarged part of the bone, which is designed specifically for holding a bamboo branch.

The weight of an adult animal depends on its gender: males are larger and can reach up to 6.2 kg, females - 4-6 kg. The height of the animal is up to 25 cm, the length of the body without a tail can reach up to 64 cm, but the chic fluffy tail adds another 30-50 cm.

The description of the red panda makes it clear why it was given names in praise of its brilliant and bright colors, which are the same for females and males. In nature, such animals live 8-10 years, and in comfortable conditions in captivity - up to 15.

Where does the red panda live?

According to scientists, red pandas previously lived in many European countries and even in North America, however, due to climate change, there are no more of them left in these areas.

The current habitat of the red panda is mountain system The Himalayas, passing through the countries of Asia: western India, Nepal, the southern regions of Burma and China. There are dense high-trunk forests of coniferous trees, oak, chestnuts and maples, where bamboo thickets are located in the lower tier, average height 2-4 km above the sea.

Depending on appearance and the region in which the red panda lives, scientists divide them into 2 subspecies: Indian (Nepal, Tibet, Bhutan and some states of India) and Chinese (Northern Myanmar and southwestern regions China). The latter are larger animals, and the color is slightly darker.

Red pandas usually live alone in their own territory, which they can leave only in mating season, which occurs from January to March. Males usually mark boundaries (trees, stones and other natural objects) with the help of the anal glands and those located on the tips of the paws. Each female panda's home range is 2.5 square meters. km, and males - up to 5 sq. km.

Nutrition and lifestyle

Although the animal is classified as a predator, it feeds on plant foods, most of which are bamboo shoots - the younger, the sweeter. They consume 4 kg of plants per day. They also eat leaves, roots, berries, fruits, lichens, acorns and mushrooms; for protein foods, they consume bird eggs and small insects, and occasionally feast on chicks or mice.

The red panda is an animal that prefers a nocturnal lifestyle, as it does not tolerate hot days well. Optimal conditions for them are +17...+25 ºС. Most of the time, "shiny cats" sit on bamboo trees (up to 13 hours a day) and slowly chew young bamboo shoots, holding them with their front paws, which is very similar to the posture when consuming food for humans.

During the daytime, pandas sit in the dense crowns of trees or inside a hollow, curling up on a branch and covering their faces with a fluffy tail or paw. In extreme heat, they stretch out and hang their paws down, as seen in the photo of the red panda below.

When an enemy appears, the animal either hides in a tree or tries to scare him by arching and snorting. Moreover, they can climb to any height, moving along the branches in a zigzag.

Reproduction

Female red pandas come into heat once a year, and last no more than a day, which reduces the likelihood of meeting their “betrothed.” Carrying babies lasts quite a long time (90-150 days), which is due to the slow metabolism of their body. Direct fetal development lasts about 50 days, and before that the embryo is in the latent period.

Shortly before giving birth, which occurs in May-June, the mother panda builds a nest in a hollow or in rock crevices and covers it with grass, branches and leaves. In a litter, 1-4 blind puppies are born, beige in color, weighing no more than 130 g.

After birth, the mother carefully licks the babies and feeds them milk. For the first week she practically does not leave the nest, and then she begins to carry out hunting trips for food. Due to diseases and predators, out of the entire litter, usually only 1 puppy survives to adulthood.

After 3 weeks, the red panda cubs' eyes open, and after a few days they try to leave the nest in search of food. However, they feed on mother's milk until almost 5 months of age, along with found plant foods.

Bright red color babies acquire by 3 months, becoming fluffy bright red “kittens”. They live with their mother and roam as a family. At the age of 1.5 years, the cubs become sexually mature, but they become capable of reproduction only at 2-3 years.

Rare species and its conservation

According to scientists' statistics, there are now no more than 10 thousand red pandas left in the world. The reason for their extinction and death are poachers who hunt for the beautiful fluffy skin of animals. Local residents use red fur to make hats and clothing. Thus, in one of the provinces of China, a newlywed’s headdress made from the wool of a “shiny cat” is considered a talisman that promises a happy family life.

The decline in the panda population is due to mass felling bamboo forests, which also suffer from trampling by livestock. “Fire foxes” often get sick and are attacked by predators. It is in this regard that the red panda is included in the Red Book as an endangered animal in need of protection and protection. To preserve their population, some habitat areas have been created protected areas.

In China, locals call the red panda the fire fox. This name and image were used by the artists to create the logo and title Firefox browser Mozilla, a company that develops computer programs.

The red panda is the symbol of the International Tea Festival, which is held in Darjeeling (India).

Unlike their large relatives, red pandas are gourmets, consuming only the youngest and most tender bamboo shoots. IN winter period they dilute their diet with berries, mushrooms and protein foods to replenish the missing nutrients.

It has long been customary for residents of India and Nepal to keep these animals as pets, and they buy them on the black market.

The red panda is also the hero of children's cartoons, for example, in the film "Kung Fu Panda" its image inspired artists to create the little master Shifu.

Life in captivity

IN modern zoos peace (in some cities in China and Sweden, as well as in Warsaw (Poland), Dublin (Ireland), Berlin (Germany), etc.) There are more than 800 red pandas. In Russia there lives 1 couple in Moscow, one animal each in St. Petersburg and Novosibirsk.

The nature of the animals is quite peaceful, so they are kept several individuals in each enclosure (usually 1 male and 2 females). They can also be housed together with other larger and more peaceful animals, such as deer. Red pandas breed freely in captivity: more than half of the zoo animals were born in the same conditions.

"Brilliant Foxes" in Moscow

Red pandas were brought to the Moscow Zoo in 2009 from Madrid; a couple of animals were quite old - 10 years old. They were settled on the Island of Animals, where they settled in well: during the day they slept on the branches, and at dusk they went down to walk around the enclosure. However, after 4 years they grew old and died.

Further, in 2014, a 1.5-year-old female panda, Zane, was brought in and placed in the Old Territory, where a special enclosure with climbing structures was prepared for her arrival. She liked the stairs and logs, but not so much the house. Zein's diet is based on mixed feed made from chopped fruits and green bamboo shoots.

In 2015, she was finally lucky enough to find a mate: a male was brought from a Polish zoo and placed in her enclosure. Since January 2018, the Moscow Zoo website has made it possible to observe online the lives of some animals in enclosures, including the family of “fire foxes.”

Although local residents in India and China often keep such animals as pets, in the climate of Russia those who want to make a “brilliant fox” as their pet may encounter legal problems and everyday issues. Pandas, as representatives of a rare and endangered species, can officially only be sold for keeping in zoos, and private individuals buy them only on the black market.

Creating comfortable conditions in an apartment or private house for a red panda is not at all easy. The animal will need an enclosure, preferably a high one, and special structures that allow it to climb branches or logs.

But the most big problem- provide the animal with normal nutrition, because in Russia it is unlikely that it will be possible to find bamboo shoots every day. Therefore, many animals die due to poor quality nutrition and stomach diseases.

Conclusion

Red or red pandas are the only representatives of a rare and endangered species, the fate of which depends on the correct attitude of people towards them. This is a beautiful, bright and original animal that attracts many children and adults in zoos with its appearance and behavior. And videos on the Internet showing big and small pandas collect more than one million likes.

Known to zoologists as the red panda, this bright red predator, about the size of a large cat, looks more like a raccoon than a giant panda. And this is natural: the latter represents the genus of giant pandas, and the first – the genus of small pandas.

Description of the red panda

The red panda was extremely favored by Indian Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru, and the first mention of “hon ho” or “fiery fox” (that’s how it is called in the Middle Kingdom) appeared in the 13th century. Europeans learned about the existence of the red panda only in XIX century thanks to Frederic Cuvier, who galloped ahead of the Englishman Thomas Hardwicke, who saw her before the Frenchman.

But Cuvier was the first to return to Europe and managed to assign the Latin name Ailurus fulgens to the predator, translated as “brilliant cat” (which is very close to the truth). The modern name panda goes back to the Nepalese poonya (punya).

Appearance

In terms of size, the red panda is comparable to a domestic cat, weighing up to 4–6 kg with a body length of 0.51–0.64 m and an impressive tail of almost half a meter. She has an elongated body, covered with thick and tall hair, which makes the panda seem more plump than it actually is. The red panda has a wide head with small ears, leading to a funny, pointed muzzle with shiny dark eyes. The exterior of male and female individuals is the same. The red and thick tail is decorated with several (up to 12) transverse light rings on a darker background.

The limbs are relatively short and strong, ending in hairy feet, adapted for walking on ice and snow. When walking, the feet, whose toes are armed with noticeably curved (semi-retractable) claws, only touch the ground halfway. The predator has a so-called accessory finger on the wrist of the front paws, which is a hypertrophied radial bone of the sesamoid bone. It is opposed to the other fingers and helps to hold the bamboo shoots.

Important! Not all animals have a fiery (red) shade of fur - its main color depends on the subspecies (there are 2 in total). Thus, the red panda Staiana is slightly darker than the western red panda, although colors vary within the subspecies. Often there are not so much red as yellow-brown individuals.

The rusty shades in the color of the predator serve as reliable camouflage (allowing you to rest or sleep serenely), especially against the backdrop of red lichens that cover fir trunks and branches in China.

Character and lifestyle

The red panda shies away from society and lives mostly in isolation, allowing its partner only during the mating season. Pandas stick to personal areas, with males occupying twice or even three times large area(5–11 km2) than females. The boundaries are marked with scent marks - the secretions of the glands located around the anus and on the soles, as well as urine and droppings. The smell carries information about the sex/age and fertility of a particular individual.

Red panda leads twilight image life, sleeping during the day in hollows or nests built on evergreen trees. When going into the arms of Morpheus, they take several characteristic poses - they curl up into a ball, covering their head with their tail, or, like American raccoons, they sit on the branches, lowering their head on their chest. When the forest is especially warm, animals often lie flat on branches (belly down), allowing their limbs to hang freely at their sides. After waking up or having lunch, pandas wash their faces and lick themselves completely, then stretch, rubbing their backs/belly against a tree or rock.

This is interesting! When moving through bushes and trees, the tail serves as a balancer, but loses this function when the animal descends to the ground. When descending from a tree, the head is directed downward, and the tail is not only responsible for balance, but also slows down the panda by wrapping around the trunk.

The animals run quite quickly on the ground and even loose snow, periodically jumping. Red pandas are extremely playful: when having fun with each other, they spread their front paws and stand on their hind legs, imitating an attack. In a comic fight, the panda takes the opponent to the ground and often bites his tail, never inflicting wounds.

How long do red pandas live?

In the wild, predators live approximately 8–10 years, almost doubling the average when they end up in zoological parks. Here they live up to 14, and sometimes up to 18.5 years: at least this record was set by one of the red pandas that lived in the zoo.

By the way, taking care of the length of their lives, the “brilliant cats” regulated their metabolism in such a way that they learned to independently lower and increase the metabolic rate (and in this they came closer to sloths). IN harsh winters animals reduce energy expenditure and conserve heat using energy-saving techniques: for example, they curl up into a tight ball, surrounding themselves with a thick cloud of fur (even covering their soles).

Range, habitats

Ailurus fulgens has a rather limited range, not extending beyond the borders of the Chinese provinces of Sichuan and Yunnan, Myanmar, Nepal and Bhutan, as well as northeast India. Already to the west of Nepal no one has seen animals. The homeland of the red panda is called south-eastern zone Himalayan mountains, where predators climb to a height of 2–4 km. The ancestors of modern pandas were found over a more extended area: this is evidenced by their remains discovered in Eastern Europe and North America.

Important! According to paleogeneticists, the sharp narrowing of the range of red pandas was caused by a change in the usual climate - animals prefer a temperate climate, with an average temperature of 10–25 degrees Celsius and precipitation of up to 350 mm per year.

The red panda chooses mixed tall-trunk forests, consisting of coniferous (fir) and deciduous species (oak, maple and chestnut). The latter serve as reliable protection for the lower tier created by bamboo and rhododendron. For most of the year, these forests are shrouded in clouds, which favorably affects the growth of lichens and mosses covering stones, trunks and branches. There is so much vegetation in these forests that the roots are closely intertwined with each other, holding the soil even on the steepest slopes and accumulating the maximum amount of precipitation that falls here.

Diet of the red panda

The panda spends more than half a day (up to 13 hours) searching for and eating food, which is obtained mainly on the ground. The red panda is a very strange predator, since its diet consists almost entirely of vegetation:

• bamboo leaves/shoots (95%);
• fruits and roots;
• lush herbs and lichens;
• berries and acorns;
• mushrooms

The red panda turns into a real predator, perhaps, only in winter, when it switches to small rodents, insects and bird eggs to give the body more energy. The red panda's digestion is structured like that of all carnivores - a simple (not multi-chambered) stomach and a short intestine, which makes it difficult to absorb plant fibers.

This is interesting! The panda's body uses only a quarter of the energy resources contained in the bamboo it eats. The panda's teeth (38 in total), especially the molars, equipped with special tubercles, help the panda grind coarse vegetation.

Due to its complex relationship with cellulose, the red panda chooses young and tender shoots, eating up to 4 kg per day. Leaves are added to the shoots - over 1.5 kg per day (the volume of feed compensates for it low calorie content). Paradoxically, red pandas living in captivity refuse any meat. The predator crushes (and even then not always) live chickens brought into the cage, but never eats them.

Reproduction and offspring

Mating games begin for red pandas early winter, usually in January. During this time, males and females interact wildly. The former leave their scent marks everywhere, while the latter demonstrate in every possible way their readiness for intercourse.

The activity of females is due to the transience of estrus: it occurs only once a year and lasts from 18 to 24 hours. Pregnancy lasts from 114 to 145 days, but fetal development is not observed immediately, but with a delay of 20–70 days (average 40). Closer to childbirth, the female builds a nest, lining a suitable hollow or rocky crevice with grass, branches and leaves. Pandas give birth from mid-May to mid-July, bringing one puppy (less often two, even less often 3-4).

Newborns are covered with fawn fur, cannot see anything and weigh approximately 110–130 g. The mother licks the offspring, applying scent marks to them, which help identify the pups when the mother returns to the nest with food. At first, she is always close to the brood, but after a week she goes quite far away, coming only to feed and lick.

This is interesting! Puppies begin to see the light at about three weeks, but do not leave home another 3 months, making the first independent foray at night. The mother weans them when they reach 5 months of age.

The puppies are very attached to their mother, but are not familiar with their father: he leaves his partner immediately after sexual intercourse. Communication with the mother is interrupted when the panda prepares for the next conception and becomes extremely nervous. Young animals become comparable in size to older ones by about a year, but are capable of reproducing offspring only by one and a half years.