The Red Panda

Did you know that a specific type of animal is in its own certain group? If you heard of the Red Panda, you would be amazed. The Red Panda is a small bear-like creature with reddish-orange fur and a black underbelly. It is slightly larger than a domestic cat, with a bear-like body and russet fur. According to https://nationalzoo.si.edu/animals, “Adult Red Pandas typically weigh between 8 and 17 pounds (3.6 and 7.7 kilograms) and are 22 to 24.6 inches (56 to 62.5 centimeters) long, plus a tail of 14.6 to 18.6 inches (37 to 47.2 centimeters)”. The Red Panda eats bamboo with its specially made digestive system, natural plants, and occasionally insects. Probably the most interesting fact is about how the white markings help it blend in and can also help a lost cub find its mother.

Isn’t it amazing that Red Pandas are such good climbers? The Red Pandas live in the Eastern Himalayas, parts of Nepal, India, China, etc. and have to be fit for their high rocky habitat. “Red pandas are solitary except during the breeding season. In human care, most breeding pairs live together year-round.”

( https://www.worldwildlife.org/species/red-panda ). Red Pandas live with their mother for 90 days, and then they venture out on their own. Red Pandas are very unique, and are actually now in their own group, Ailuridae. They used to be considered to belong in the raccoon family, (Procyonidae) but then in the bear family (Ursidae). However, they then got their own group with agreements of DNA.