Also called little panda, as opposed to the giant panda, panda éclatant, in reference to its scientific name Ailurus fulgens (which comes from the Greek Ailuros which means "tail-balance" and designates a cat, and from the Latin fulgens which means bright), or renard de feu (firefox in English), which is the translation of the Chinese term, the red panda was initially classified in the Procyonidae family, due to its morphological resemblance to raccoons. Later, it moved to the Ursidae family, like its distant cousin the giant panda.
Family and subspecies
But scientific studies have highlighted its particularity and a family was then dedicated to it, that of the Ailuridae, ranked with Mustelidae (weasels), Procyonidae (raccoons) and Mephtidae (skunks) in the superfamily Musteloidea, which belongs to the order of Carnivores.
There are two subspecies of red pandas: the small panda of India (A. fulgens fulgens) and the small panda of Styan (A. fulgens styani). The second, slightly larger and darker than the first, is found only in northern Myanmar and in some provinces of China (from the Hengduan Mountains to Sichuan, as well as east of the Nujiang River of Yunnan Province). The small panda from India can be seen in Nepal, Bhutan, north-eastern India (West-Bengal, Sikkim, Arunachal, Pradesh) and in part of China. It is the national emblem of Sikkim.
Appearance
The rend panda measures 50 to 60cm long, without the tail (which itself is 30 to 50 cm), and less than 30 cm high at the withers. It has reddish-brown fur on its back, black on its belly and legs, and white inside its ears, cheeks, muzzle and eyebrows. Its tail, ringed with red and beige, serves as a balance when climbing. It is a remarkable climber capable of descending a tree head first, thanks to its powerful semi-retractable claws and its hind legs, which have the ability to pivot through nearly 90°. It has the particularity of having hair all the way to the tips of its legs and between its pads, which allows it to withstand winter climates well.
Despite its thick fur, the red panda does not weigh much, between 3 and 6 kilogramsIts most developed senses are sight and smell. Finally, just like its cousin the giant panda, the red panda has a sixth toe on its front paws. This is not an opposable thumb like in primates, but a modified wrist bone that acts as a false thumb and allows pandas to grasp bamboo branches more easily. lives on average 14 years (8 to 10 years in the wild, up to 18 years in captivity).
Behavior and Lifestyle
Red pandas are solitary and mostly nocturnal. Male and female home ranges overlap, but they rarely see each other. Red pandas conserve energy and only cover a quarter of their home range per month. They mark their territory in several ways, including urinating and depositing secretions from their anal glands and pads along the boundaries of their territory. They also have "communal latrines" that mark their boundaries, allowing them to share information, such as whether or not females are in heat. They also communicate through a variety of sounds (grunts, hisses, etc.) and gestures (head nodding, tail wagging, etc.).
Breeding
During the breeding season, from January to March, male and female mate. Then each one resumes his activities on his side, the female raising alone her 2 cubs (rarely 3 or 4) after 135 days of gestation on average. The cubs are born between May and July, measuring only 6 cm and weighing just over 100 g.
They already have a small fur but keep their eyes closed for up to 18 days. They will not come out of the den until after 3 months, and will be weaned at 5 months. They will stay with their mother for about a year, in all, while reaching their adult size, and will be sexually mature around 18-20 months.
Habitat
Red pandas live in the temperate forests of fir, deciduous trees and other rhododendrons in the foothills of the Himalayas (between 1000 and 4800m above sea level). The temperature in this region is cool but there is little annual variation. They are particularly fond of bamboo undergrowth, which provide them with most of their food. However, these undergrowths only form narrow strips throughout their distribution area, which greatly limits their territory.
Origin of the name
The term panda is an anglicization of the word « poonya » which means "bamboo eater." Indeed, the diet of red pandas consists of 95% bamboo, a fact that is at least unusual among Carnivores, which apparently comes from an ancient adaptation of the animal, since scientists have found fossils of similar species in Europe and North America dating from the Miocene (25 to 5 million years ago) and the Pliocene (5 to 2 million years ago), suggesting that the animal once had a much wider distribution area, corresponding to the amount of bamboo growing on the planet in response to different climate changes.
Fortunately for the species, bamboo continues to thrive in South Asia. The remaining 5% of its diet is fruits, berries, roots, bark, mushrooms, lichen, insects and other small animals, which he finds in the summer period.
Diet
The red panda's dietary specialization has a big impact on its daily life. Indeed, bamboo is very rich in fibers that are indigestible by our little carnivore, which has neither the teeth nor the adapted digestive system. As a result, it only extracts a quarter of the nutrients it needs from bamboo. And since bamboo is its only food source in winter, the red panda can lose up to 15% of its weight during this period. As a result, it has adapted its behavior to meet its energy needs. For example, the red panda can spend up to 13 hours a day nibbling on young bamboo shoots and leaves. It also has a very low metabolism, which can slow down when temperatures drop. Finally, its thick fur allows it to retain its body heat well, especially since it is not very large, and when it sleeps, it generally curls up, bringing its bushy tail over its nose.
Red panda in the world
The exact size of the current red panda population in the wild is unknown, but it is estimated that there are still less than 10,000 individuals and that this population is decreasing. The species is also classified Endangered in the IUCN Red List (International Union for Conservation of Nature), and in CITES Annex 1 (International Convention on Trade in Endangered Species). Apart from its natural predator, the clouded leopard, this population decline is mainly due to the reduction of its habitat, for forestry for example, but also for poaching, in tradition, a red panda hair hat was offered to the future groom to bring him luck, or even to the inbreeding, because due to the fragmentation of their habitat, red panda populations are isolated from each other.
Several countries have established protected areas, like China, whose giant panda sanctuaries benefit many other species, such as the red panda, but protection measures have yet to be developed. Many Nepalese rely on the red panda habitat for survival because they currently have no other viable economic alternatives.
Associations like the « Red Panda Network » are working on site with local authorities to try to create a new system in which the conservation of red panda habitat would benefit surrounding communities.
Furthermore, zoos around the world have mobilized to preserve the species by participating in breeding programs, with the aim of obtaining a large captive population with great genetic diversity so that one day they can be reintroduced into their natural environment.
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