All people know who pandas are. These are black and white cute representatives of the bear family that live in Asia and eat bamboo. But there are also so-called red pandas. Who are they, where did they come from, where and how do they live, and why are they called that way?
Description
The little red panda is an animal of the panda family. It belongs to mammals and to the order of carnivores. Outwardly, they are very easy to distinguish from other animals. Body length - from 50 to 65 centimeters, the tail can also reach about 50 cm. Weight ranges from about 4 to 6 kilograms. Males may weigh less than females. The panda is called red for a reason. She has a pronounced red coat color, in some places there are light yellow spots on the back and tail, and the color is darker on the paws and under the body. The head is lighter in comparison to the body, and especially the muzzle, and it also has a spotted pattern near the eyes, like raccoons. The most interesting thing is that each animal has its own unique spots. There are also small rounded ears, a pointed muzzle, paws with claws adapted for climbingtrees, and 38 teeth. They are very fluffy, which makes them look like toys.
Small pandas live, as you know, in the west and south of China, in the territories of Nepal, Bhutan and Myanmar. There are very few of them in the world, so such animals are classified as endangered.
Life expectancy is approximately 10 years, but some members of the family can live up to 15 years.
Name
When exactly these animals appeared, no one knows for sure. However, the first recorded on paper mention of red pandas was found in China and dates back to the 13th century.
And for the first time, European scientists got acquainted with this species and began to be interested in it only in the 19th century, when there were already quite a lot of colonies in Asia. It is officially believed that the species was discovered by naturalist Thomas Hardwick in 1821. The scientist suggested calling the animals "wa" because the local Chinese called red pandas that because of the sounds they made. They were also called "ho-hu", and the inhabitants of Nepal - "punya". And it was from the last name that the well-known word "panda" came from all of us.
But a naturalist from France gave another Latin name - Ailurus fulgens, which literally means a shining cat. However, the name panda, which was given by Thomas Hardwick, still stuck. These animals are also called fire cat, fire cat, bear cat.
History
The ancestor of red pandas lived in the Paleogene period. And the ancient representatives of the present specieswere found not only in China, but also in the UK, and even in North America.
For a long time, red pandas were included either in the bear or raccoon family. However, according to recent genetic studies, this species was decided to be attributed to Ailuridae (pandas), where red pandas are the only representatives, except for already extinct close genera of this family, of which there were 7 more. families.
The question immediately arises, are the giant and lesser pandas relatives? Yes, they are distantly related. Presumably, the same ancient ancestor of the Paleogene period is common to both the big and small pandas. However, if we take into account evolution, then all the same "red cats" are closer both externally and genetically to raccoons. But the big black and white "namesake" now belong to the bears (bear family). Therefore, the statement that now these two species are related, only if we proceed from the name, is still rather incorrect.
Subspecies
Red pandas are the only representatives of their family. However, there are two subspecies of them:
- Small western panda. Lives in western China.
- Stainan's lesser panda lives in southern China and northern Myanmar. Representatives of this subspecies are slightly larger and darker than their western counterparts.
Reproduction
Mating season for red pandas is in January. Usually 3-5 months pass between mating and childbirth, but the embryo develops in only 50 days. This isdue to the so-called period of diapause, when after conception the development of the fetus does not begin immediately, but a certain period passes when the embryo begins to grow.
Pandas are born blind, deaf and very small, weighing only 100 grams. Also, they do not yet have their red color. They are born rather light beige. Before giving birth, the mother prepares a place for future cubs in a hollow or crevice of a rock, having previously laid branches and leaves there. As a rule, one or two pandas are born, sometimes up to four. But by adulthood, usually only one cub survives.
Small pandas grow quite slowly. By the 20th day of life, they only open their eyes, and on the third month they begin to leave the nest, eat solid food and acquire a reddish color. And only after that they begin to walk with their mother on its territory. Sexual maturity occurs only in one and a half years of life. But even at this age, young red pandas can still stay with their mothers (even if they already have their own offspring). More or less "adults" they become only in 2-3 years.
Sometimes it happens that fathers raise cubs if the whole "family" leads a group lifestyle. But they usually don't care about their offspring.
Lifestyle
How do red pandas live? They are nocturnal, and during the day they sleep in the hollows of trees or rocks. These animals can climb trees very easily, but they walk on the ground less often and more clumsily in appearance. ATas a means of communication, they can make short sounds, soft sounds, somewhat reminiscent of birds. As a rule, they live in couples or families.
Despite the fact that red pandas are predators, they are quite peaceful, but males (especially in the wild) can zealously defend their territory from other males. And their possessions are usually very large, up to 5 km2 for males and 2.5 km2 for females.
Food
It is worth noting that despite the fact that "fire cats" belong to the order of predators, they usually eat bamboo leaves. Ordinary plants are rare in their diet as they contain cellulose which they cannot digest. Also, red pandas often eat berries, mushrooms and even bird eggs and small rodents in winter. However, the stomach and teeth of red pandas are exactly like those of predators, and not like those of herbivores.
Because of such a digestive system, another interesting feature of the organism of this animal follows - a rather slow metabolism. This is due to the fact that there is very little food (especially in winter), and you need to save energy, as well as the fact that the digestive tract is like that of a predator, and the diet is almost completely vegetable, so it is more difficult to absorb energy. Red pandas are known to absorb only a quarter of the energy they get from bamboo.
Numbers
Small red pandas are listed as "Endangered" in Redbook. They are considered an endangered species, because their number reaches only about 2500 individuals. According to unofficial data, there are more of them - up to 10,000. Because of such disappointing numbers for red pandas, all conditions are created in zoos specifically so that the number of individuals increases and the species is no longer endangered. In addition, keeping small pandas in captivity literally saves them, because there are also very few of them in the wild, the population density is low. Illegal poaching sometimes becomes a particular problem.
Red pandas are found in zoos around the world. It is known that the number of individuals kept in captivity has doubled over the past two decades, which cannot but rejoice. However, it is hardly possible to speed up this process, because, as you know, female red pandas usually have two cubs. It should be borne in mind that if all the necessary conditions are created in zoos for red pandas, then it is absolutely impossible to keep as a pet at home, because animals require special nutrition, care and much more.
Summarize
So who are these cute little panda animals? These are representatives of the panda family, distant relatives of raccoons and mustelids. Despite the interesting fact about small pandas that they belong to the order of carnivores, they are quite peaceful, and their main diet is bamboo leaves, berries, mushrooms.
Externally, individuals of red pandas are distinguished by their red color, which in places below the body can be very dark, and on the muzzle - with light spots. Their weight usually reaches 4-6 kilograms. They are nocturnal and sleep in hollows or crevices during the day.
The first mention of these animals appeared already in the 13th century, but the scientist Thomas Hardwick discovered them in Europe only in the 19th century.
Red pandas are in danger of extinction, as according to official figures there are only about 3 thousand of them. Luckily, they easily endure life in captivity in zoos, where they try their best to increase their numbers.
