Notes
Red Panda at National Zoo
http://nationalzoo.si.edu/SCBI/EndangeredSpecies/RedPandas/default.cfm
Red pandas live in the shadow of the giant pandas , but they actually were the first ones to be called pandas. In the past red pandas have been classified with the bear family (which includes the giant pandas.
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wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_panda
The red panda has been classified as Vulnerable by IUCN because its population is estimated at fewer than 10,000 mature individuals
The red panda is endemic to the temperate forests of the Himalayas, and ranges from the foothills of western Nepal to China in the east.[8] Its easternmost limit is the Qinling Mountains of the Shaanxi Province in China. It is found in southern Tibet, Sikkim, Assam and Bhutan, in the northern mountains of Myanmar, and in southwestern China in the Hengduan Mountains of Sichuan and Gongshan Mountains in Yunnan.
Head and body of red pandas are 56 to 63 cm (22 to 25 in) long, and their tail about 37 to 47 cm (15 to 19 in). Males weigh 3.7 to 6.2 kg (8.2 to 14 lb) and females 4.2 to 6.0 kg (9.3 to 13 lb).[5] They have long, soft reddish-brown fur on the upper parts, blackish fur on the lower parts, and a light face with tear markings and robust cranial–dental features.
Red pandas are excellent climbers, and forage largely in trees. They eat mostly bamboo, and may eat small mammals, birds, eggs, blossoms, and berries. In captivity, they were observed to eat birds, blossoms, Acer and Morus leaves, bark and the fruits of Acer, Fagus and Morus.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.[citation needed]
The red panda was recognized as the state animal of Sikkim in the early 1990s,[81] and was the mascot of the Darjeeling Tea Festival.[45]In southwest China, red pandas are hunted for their fur, especially for the highly-valued bushy tails from which hats are produced. In these areas, the fur is often used for local culturalceremonies, and in weddings the bridegroom traditionally carries the hide. The “good-luck charm” red panda-tail hats are also used by local newlyweds.[16] This practice may be quite old, as the red panda seems to be depicted in a 13th century Chinese pen and ink scroll showing a hunting scene. There is little or no mention of the red panda in the culture and folklore of Nepal.[45]
The primary threats to red pandas are direct harvest from the wild, live or dead, competition with domestic livestock resulting in habitat degradation, and deforestation resulting in habitat loss or fragmentation. The relative importance of these factors is different in each region, and is not well understood.[8] 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.[2] 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. Fewer than 40 animals in 4 separate groups share resources with humans in Nepal’s Langtang National Park, where only 6% of 1,710 square kilometres (660 sq mi) is preferred red panda habitat. Although direct competition for food with domestic livestock is not significant, livestock can depress bamboo growth by trampling.[22]
The red panda’s local names differ from place to place. The Lepcha people call it sak nam. In Nepal, the species is called bhalu biralo (bear-cat) and habre. The Sherpa people of Nepal and Sikkim call it ye niglva ponva and wah donka.[63] The word wậː is Sunuwari meaning bear; in Tamang language, a small, red bear is called tāwām.[64] In the Kanchenjunga region of eastern Nepal, the Limbus know red pandas as Kaala, which literally means dark because of their underside pelage; villagers of Tibetan origin call them Hoptongar.[65]
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http://www.india-wildlife-tours.com/wild-animals-in-india/indian-wildlife-red-panda.html
Status: The loss of habitat as well as human population pressure on wildlife reserves in India is a matter of concern for Red Panda populations in India. The fragmentation of their habitat due to human encroachment, deforestation for agricultural reasons, firewood collection and logging for timber and the effect of domestic livestock species on the bamboo forests has led to the decline of Red Panda populations.
Behavior: Red Pandas are excellent tree climbers and spend most of their time, up to 13 hours a day, foraging for bamboo. The rest of the time is spent sleeping on the branches or in hollows of trees. They are largely solitary animals. Red Panda Cubs stay with their mothers till about a year old. A littler of usually 2 cubs is born to a Red Panda mother in a hollow tree or rock shelter. Red Pandas have a life span of 8 – 17 years in captivity. Red pandas mark their territory with secretions from their scent glands and communicate with a range of sounds and gestures including tail arching and whistling.
Range: Red Pandas are found in the sub Himalayan states of North East India – Sikkim, West Bengal and Arunachal Pradesh. The Red Panda’s range extends across Nepal, Bhutan, China, Laos and Myanmar. It is found in areas within an altitude of 1500 to 4000 m.
Habitat: Red Pandas prefer temperate bamboo forests, in an altitude range of 1500 to 4000 m. The dense bamboo forests that they prefer are severely under threat due to deforestation and Red Pandas are also seen in coniferous, oak and rhododendron forests. However they require bamboo to feed on and prefer not to move too far from their source of food.
hughmonster 