A brightly colored beautiful animal, which is called a fiery cat, a red bear and a fiery fox - this is how you can describe a small, or red panda. Its appearance is very different from the popular bamboo bear. According to the latest research by scientists, she is the only representative of the panda family.
Name and origin
The history of the discovery and name of the red panda has roots going back to the 13th century, when this animal was first mentioned in ancient Chinese scrolls during the reign of the Chou dynasty. Only by the 19th century did information about him become known in Europe. The general of the English army and naturalist Thomas Hardwick succeeded in discovering and describing the red panda in 1821 in the highlands in northern India, who presented his report on it to the Linnean Society in London. According to him, the Chinese and Nepalese called the animal "punya" (poonya), but he suggested giving him a name according to the characteristic sounds that he reproduced - "wa".
Almost simultaneously with Hardwick, the description of the animal was made by the French scientist Fr. Cuvier who found himvery cute, for which he gave the name "shiny cat" (Ailurus fulgens). Gradually, the name "punya" was anglicized and transformed into "panda".
Organization of the red panda
At first, biologists attributed this animal to the raccoon family in terms of external resemblance, tooth structure, skull shape and other characteristics. The name "small" animal received after the discovery of the giant panda.
Disputes of taxonomists about the correctness of the classification of the animal continued for more than 100 years. And only when DNA studies were carried out, it turned out that the big panda belongs to the family of bears, and the small one received its own family - pandas.
Differences between big and small pandas
Many people believe that giant pandas and red pandas are related, but they are not. They got their name only for their external similarity. In fact, the bamboo bear does not belong to the panda family at all.
But the red, or red panda, is the only representative of the family of the same name, the other members of which, according to scientists, have become extinct.
Small-panda animals are included in the superfamily Musteloidea, which also includes skunks, raccoons and mustelids. They differ in predatory behavior, general forms of body structure and skull. The researchers concluded that in ancient times, red pandas were large predators and ate the meat of wild animals. The most ancient animal remains of Ailurus (Ailurus) were found in Siberia and in the state of Washington (USA), from where they probably spread toAsia.
Appearance and description
As you can see in the photo of the red panda, this animal is distinguished by a bright fiery coat color, and not solid, but decorated with various color spots for natural disguise: black paws, a red tail is decorated with yellow, white and red rings, white are located on the muzzle spots that adorn the tips of the ears. The fur is very thick, soft and long. Such colorful camouflage helps the animal to become invisible when living in trees, where he spends most of his life.
In order to make it convenient to climb trees, the panda has short strong paws and claws that can be half retracted, and fluffy fur on the soles allows you 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 to hold a bamboo branch.
The weight of an adult animal depends on its gender: males are larger, 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 a chic fluffy tail adds another 30-50 cm.
The description of the red panda makes it clear why she was given names that praise her brilliant and bright color, which is 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 used to live in many European countriesand even in North America, however, due to climate change, they have not remained in these territories.
Modern habitat of the red panda is the Himalayan mountain system, passing through the countries of Asia: the west of India, Nepal, the southern regions of Burma and China. There are dense high-stemmed forests of coniferous trees, oak, chestnuts and maples, where bamboo thickets are located in the lower tier, the average height is 2-4 km above the sea.
Depending on the 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 of China). The latter are larger animals and slightly darker in color.
Red pandas usually live alone in their own territory, which they can leave only during the mating season, which occurs from January to March. Males usually mark boundaries (trees, rocks, and other natural objects) with anal glands and those located at the tips of their legs. The plot of each female panda is 2.5 square meters. km, and males - up to 5 square meters. km.
Food 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, eat bird eggs and small insects from protein foods, and occasionally feast on chicks or mice.
Redpanda is a nocturnal animal, because it does not tolerate hot days. The optimal conditions for them are + 17 … + 25 ºС. Most of the time, the "shiny cats" sit on bamboo trees (up to 13 hours a day) and slowly chew on young bamboo shoots, holding them with their front paws, which is very similar to the posture of human consumption.
During the day, pandas sit in dense treetops or inside a hollow, curling up on a branch and covering their muzzle with a fluffy tail or paw. In extreme heat, they stretch in length 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 up to any height, moving along the branches in a zigzag.
Reproduction
Erust in female red pandas occurs once a year, and lasts no more than a day, which reduces the likelihood of meeting the "betrothed". The bearing of babies lasts quite a long time (90-150 days), which is associated with the slow metabolism of their body. The actual development of the fetus lasts about 50 days, and before that the embryo is in the latent period.
Shortly before giving birth, which falls between May and June, the mother panda builds a nest in a hollow or in rock crevices and covers it with grass, twigs and leaves. 1-4 blind puppies are born in the litter, having a beige color, weighing no more than 130 g.
After the birth, the mother carefully licks the babies and feeds them with milk. For the first week, she barely leaves.nests, and then begins to conduct hunting trips for food. Due to diseases and predators, only 1 puppy out of the entire litter usually survives to adulthood.
After 3 weeks, the red panda cubs open their eyes, and after a few more 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 with the whole family. At the age of 1.5 years, the cubs become sexually mature, but they become capable of reproduction only at 2-3 years.
A rare species and its conservation
According to the statistics of scientists, now there are no more than 10 thousand red pandas left in the world. The reason for their extinction and death is poachers who hunt for a beautiful fluffy skin of animals. Locals use red fur to make hats and clothes. So, in one of the provinces of China, a newlywed's headdress made of wool of a “brilliant cat” is considered a talisman that promises a happy family life.
The decline in the panda population is due to the massive deforestation of bamboo forests, which also suffer from trampling by livestock. "Fire foxes" often get sick and are attacked by predators. It is in connection with this that the red panda is included in the Red Book as an animal that is disappearing and in need of protection and protection. Protected areas have been created in some habitats to preserve their population.
Interesting facts
In China, the locals call the red panda the fire fox. This name and image was used by the artists to create the Firefox logo and name for the Mozilla desktop software company.
The red panda is the symbol of the International Tea Festival held in Darjeeling, India.
Unlike their big relative, red pandas are gourmets, consuming only the youngest and most tender bamboo shoots. In winter, they dilute their diet with berries, mushrooms and protein foods to make up for the missing nutrients.
It has long been customary for the people of India and Nepal to keep these animals as pets, and they buy them on the black market.
The red panda is also a hero of children's cartoons, for example, in the Kung Fu Panda film, her image inspired artists to create little master Shifu.
Life in captivity
Modern zoos around the world (in some cities in China and Sweden, as well as in Warsaw (Poland), Dublin (Ireland), Berlin (Germany) and others) contain more than 800 red pandas. In Russia, 1 couple lives in Moscow, one animal each in St. Petersburg and Novosibirsk.
Keeping them in captivity is not at all difficult, because thanks to their love for trees, they do not even need spacious enclosures. Most often they are settled in pens fenced with a metal mesh or plexiglass, placing inside tall trees, placers of bouldersand logs.
The nature of the animals is quite peaceful, so they are kept by several individuals in each enclosure (usually 1 male and 2 females). They can also be settled together with other larger and more peaceful animals, such as deer. Red pandas in captivity breed freely: more than half of zoo animals were born in the same conditions.
"Shiny Foxes" in Moscow
The red pandas were brought to the Moscow Zoo in 2009 from Madrid, the age of the pair of animals was rather big - 10 years. They were settled on the Island of Animals, where they settled in well: they slept on branches during the day, and at dusk they went downstairs 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 ladders and logs, but not very much the house. The basis of Zane's diet is mixed fodder from chopped fruits and green bamboo shoots.
In 2015, she was finally lucky to find a mate: a male was brought from a Polish zoo and placed in her enclosure. Since January 2018, the website of the Moscow Zoo has made it possible to observe online the life of some animals in enclosures, including the fire fox family.
Keeping pandas at home
Although locals in India and China often keep such animals as pets, but in the climate of Russia, those who want to do"brilliant fox" with their pet may face legal problems and domestic 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 a private house for a small panda is not at all easy. The animal will need an aviary, preferably high, and special structures that allow climbing branches or logs.
But the biggest problem is to provide the animal with normal nutrition, because it is unlikely to find bamboo shoots every day in Russia. Therefore, many animals die due to poor nutrition and gastric diseases.
Conclusion
Red, or lesser 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, which in zoos attracts many children and adults with its appearance and behavior. And videos on the Internet showing giant and lesser pandas collect more than one million likes.
