Introduction

Initially, when classifying them, there was significant controversy. Some thought they were related to raccoons, others said they were related to bears. But they are currently classified in their own family, Ailuridae. The extinct relatives may have spent most of their time on the ground, making them open to predators. Red Pandas live in trees and only come down if needed. Ailuridae is split into two subfamilies: the Simocyoninae and the Ailurinae. The Simocyonines were hypercarnivores, unlike the Red Panda, which is classified as a carnivore but primarily eats bamboo. Ailurinaes have generalized diets; they eat both plants and meat. Red Pandas can eat animal matter on occasion, but they prefer bamboo. The Red Panda is a "living fossil" because they is the only remaining species of the Ailuridae family. Possible factors in their extinction could be climate change or increased competition between other carnivorans.

(Red Pandazine, 2015)

They are great climbers, and they use the trees for shelter. Red Pandas have flexible ankles that allow the fibula to rotate about the axis, which enables them to climb down trees headfirst. They are classified as carnivores, but they mainly eat bamboo. Like Giant Pandas, they have a psedothumb. It’s a modified wrist bone that allows them to hold bamboo when eating. They have a series of vocalizations, including squalls, twitter, huff-quacks, hiss, grunts, or squeals. Since they are crepuscular, they are active during dusk or dawn. They will spend most of the day sleeping to conserve energy. They are solitary animals except during mating season. Red Pandas mark territory with anal glands and scent glands on their foot pads. A specialized adaptation under their tongue allows them to collect liquid and move it to a gland in the mouth. 

(Benshal, 2025)