The
Red Panda,
Ailurus fulgens ("shining cat," from a Latinized
form of the Greek αίλουρος,
ailouros, "cat," and the participial form of
the Latin
fulgere, "to shine")
[1]
is a mostly herbivorous mammal, slightly larger than a domestic cat (55 cm
long).
The Red Panda has semi-retractile claws and, like the Giant Panda, has a
"false thumb" which is really an extension of the wrist bone. Thick fur on the
soles of the feet offers protection from cold and hides scent glands. The Red
Panda is native to the Himalayas in India and Nepal and southern China.
This
taxonomic classification of both the Red Panda and Giant Panda has been under
debate for many decades, as both species share characteristics of both bears and
raccoons. However, they are only very distantly related by remote common
ancestry from the Early Tertiary Period. Its common ancestor can be traced back
to tens of millions of years ago with a wide distribution across Eurasia.
Fossils of the Red Panda have been unearthed from China in the east to Britain
in the west (Hu, 1990), and most recently a handful of fossils (Pristinailurus
bristoli, Miocene,[2][3]
considered to be a new genus and species of the Red Panda)[4]
have also been discovered in North America.
There are two extant subspecies of Red Panda: the Western Red Panda (Ailurus
fulgens fulgens) that lives in the western part of its range, and the
somewhat larger Styans Red Panda (Ailurus fulgens styani) that lives in
the east-northeastern part of its range. The Western Red Panda has lighter
pelage, especially in the face, while the Styans Red Panda has more dramatic
facial markings. The effective population size in the Sichuan population is
larger and more stable than that in the Yunnan population, implying a southward
expansion from Sichuan to Yunnan.[5]
The Red Panda is classified as an endangered species. There is an estimated
population of less than 2,500 mature individuals and this number continues to
decline due to severely fragmented populations.[6]
Common names
The Red Panda is also known as the Wah because of its distinctive cry. This
name was given to it by Thomas Hardwicke, when he introduced it to Europeans in
1821. It is called a Cat Bear because it was thought to be related to a small
bear and washes itself like a cat by licking its entire body. Other names
include Bear Cat, Cloud Bear, Bright Panda, Common Panda, Fire Cat, Fire Fox,
Red Fox, Fox Bear, Himalayan Raccoon, Lesser Panda, Nigalya Ponya, Panda Chico,
Panda Éclatant, Panda Rojo, Petit Panda, Poonya, Crimson Ngo, Red Cat, Sankam,
Small Panda, Thokya, Wah, Wokdonka, Woker, and Vetri, and Ye.
Phylogenetics
Recent molecular-systematic DNA research places the Red Panda into its own
independent family Ailuridae. Ailuridae are in turn part of a trichotomy within
the broad superfamily Musteloidea (Flynn et al., 2001) that also includes the
Mephitidae (skunks) and the Procyonidae (raccoons) + Mustelidae (weasels).
Unlike the Giant Panda, it is not a bear (Ursidae).
There are two extant subspecies of Red Panda: the Western Red Panda (Ailurus
fulgens fulgens) that lives in the western part of its range, and the
somewhat larger Styan's Red Panda (Ailurus fulgens styani) that lives in
the east-northeastern part of its range. The Western Red Panda has lighter
pelage, especially in the face, while the Styan's Red Panda has more dramatic
facial markings. The effective population size in the Sichuan population is
larger and more stable than that in the Yunnan population, implying a southward
expansion from Sichuan to Yunnan
The taxonomic classification of both the Red Panda and Giant Panda has been
under debate for many decades, as both species share characteristics of both
bears and raccoons. However, they are only very distantly related by remote
common ancestry from the Early Tertiary Period. Its common ancestor can be
traced back to tens of millions of years ago with a wide distribution across
Eurasia. Fossils of the Red Panda have been unearthed from China in the east to
Britain (Parailurus anglicus) in the west (Hu, 1990,Ro), and most recently a
handful of fossils (Pristinailurus bristoli, Miocene considered to be a
new genus and species of the Red Panda) have also been discovered in North
America.
Fossil Ailuridae
In addition to Ailurus, the family Ailuridae includes eight extict genera,
most of which are assigned to two subfamilies, Ailurinae and Simocyoninae. The
following classification is based on McKenna and Bell (1997), Wallace and Wang
(2004), Peigne et al. (2005), and Salesa et al. (2006).
- Family Ailuridae
-
- ?Genus Amphictis (†)
- Genus Protursus (†)
- Subfamily Ailurinae
- Genus Ailurus
- Genus Magerictis (†)
- Genus Parailurus (†)
- Genus Pristinailurus (†)
- Subfamily Simocyoninae (†)
- Genus Actiocyon (†)
- Genus Alopecocyon (†)
- Genus Simocyon (†)
Distribution
Red Pandas are native to south-eastern Asia, along a crescent formed by the
Himalaya Mountains in Nepal, southern Tibet China, Bhutan, and northeast India,
then east into the highlands of Myanmar (Burma), the Gongshan Mountains of
Yunnan China, and the Hengduan Mountains of Sichuan China. The latter area is
thought to have been a refuge for Red Pandas, as well as many other animals,
during the last (Pleistocene) period of glaciation. The gorge of the Brahmaputra
River, as it loops around the eastern end of the Himalayas, is considered a
natural division between the two subspecies, although some suggest the A. f.
fulgens range extends more eastwardly into Yunnan China. Red pandas used to
have a broader distribution farther northeast into China and southwest into
India.
Red Pandas inhabit climates of moderate temperature (10-25 °C) and prefers
forested mountainous areas at elevations of 1,800-4,800 m, particularly
temperate deciduous-coniferous forests with an understory of rhododendron and,
of course, bamboo. They share habitat with another bamboo specialist, the Giant
Panda, in China (Wolong Preserve). Red Pandas are cavity nesters, using rock
dens and old hollow trees. They often spend the day drooped over a branch high
in the trees, feeding more actively at dawn and dusk. There are also several
captive red panda populations living in zoos around the world. The North
American captive population is maintained under the Species Survival Plan (SSP),
and contained 182 animals as of October 2001.
Characteristics
The Red Panda is quite long: 79-120cm (including the tail length of 30 to 60
cm). Males weigh 4.5 to 6.2 kg: females 3.7 to 4.5 kg. Their average lifespan is
nine to ten years but can reach a maximum of fourteen.
The Red Panda is specialized as a bamboo feeder (robust cranial-dental
features, ~ 'thumb' adapted for grasping), with long and soft reddish-brown fur
on upper parts, blackish fur on lower parts, light face with tear markings, and
a light-ringed tail. The light face has white badges similar to those of a
raccoon, but each individual can have distinctive markings. Its roundish head
has medium-sized upright ears, a black nose, and very dark eyes: almost pitch
black. It has a bushy tail with six alternating yellowish red transverse ochre
rings. The legs are black, short and bear-like with thick soles serving as
thermal insulation on snow-covered or ice surfaces; and curved, sharp
semi-retractable claws. The strong paws stand inward to facilitate substantial
movement on narrow tree branches. Like the Giant Pandas (Ailuropoda
melanoleuca), it has a “false thumb” that really is an extension of the bone
of the wrist, permitting them to seize fruit. Their multi-coloured reddish fur
provides excellent camouflage against its habitat of mats of moss and lichens
that cover the trees.
Behavior
Red Pandas are nocturnal and live in the slopes of the south of the Himalayas
and the mountainous forests of the southwest of China, at altitudes of up to
4,800 meters, and generally do not venture below 1,800 meters. They are
sedentary during the day resting in the branches of trees and in tree hollows
and increase their activity only in the late in the afternoon and/or early
evening hours. They are very heat sensitive with an optimal “well-being”
temperature between 17 and 25°C., and cannot tolerate temperatures over 25 °C at
all. As a result, Red Pandas sleep during the hot noontime in the shady crowns
of treetops, often lying stretched out on forked branches or rolled up in tree
caves with their tail covering their face.
Red Pandas are very skilful and acrobatic animals that live predominantly in
trees. They live in territories, frequently as loners, and only rarely live in
pairs or in groups of families. They are very quiet except for some twittering
and whistling communication sounds. They search for food at night, running along
the ground or through the trees with speed and agility and, after finding food,
use their front paws to place the food into their mouths. Red pandas drink by
plunging their paw into the water and licking it. Predators of Red Pandas are
snow leopards (Uncia uncia), martens (Mustelidae) and humans. The species has
also faced a great deal of human-induced habitat destruction.
Red Pandas begin their daily activity with a ritual washing of their fur by
licking their front paws and massaging their back, stomach and sides. They also
scrub their back and belly along the sides of trees or a rock. They then patrol
their territory, marking it with a strong musk-smelling secretion from their
anal gland and with their urine.
If a Red Panda feels threatened or senses danger, it will often try to
scamper up into an inaccessible rock column or a tree. If they can no longer
flee, they stand up on their hind legs, which makes them appear somewhat more
daunting and allows them the possibility of using the razor-sharp claws on their
front paws, which can inflict substantial wounds. Red Pandas are friendly, but
are not helpless, and will resist if they feel threatened.
Diet
The Red Panda eats mostly bamboo. Like the Giant Panda, it cannot digest
cellulose, so it must consume a large volume of bamboo to survive. Its diet
consists of about two-thirds bamboo, but they also eat berries, fruit,
mushrooms, roots, acorns, lichen, grasses, and they are known to supplement
their diet with young birds, eggs, small rodents, and insects on occasion. In
captivity, however, they will readily eat meat. Red Pandas are excellent
climbers and forage largely in trees. The Red Panda does little more than eat
and sleep due to its low-calorie diet.
Bamboo shoots are more easily digested than leaves and exhibited the highest
digestibility in the summer and autumn, intermediate in the spring, and low in
the winter. These variations correlate with the nutrient contents in the bamboo.
The Red Panda poorly processes bamboo, especially the cellulose and cell wall
components. This implies that microbial digestion plays only a minor role in its
digestive strategy. The transit of bamboo through the red panda gut is very
rapid (~2–4 hours). In order to survive on this poor-quality diet, the Red Panda
has to select high-quality sections of the bamboo plant such as the tender
leaves and shoots in large quantities (over 1.5 kg of fresh leaves and 4 kg of
fresh shoots daily) that pass through the digestive tract fairly rapidly so as
to maximize nutrient intake (Wei et al., 1999).
Reproduction
The Red Panda is a solitary animal, usually seeking a partner only for mating
from the end of December to the middle of February. After a gestation period of
112 to 158 days the female gives birth to one to four blind cubs weighing
110-130 g. This occurs between the end of May to the beginning of July. A few
days before the birth the female begins to collect material, such as brushwood,
grass and sheets, to use for the nest. The nest is normally located in a hollow
tree or a rock column.
After the birth the mother cleans the cubs and in this way can immediately
recognize each by knowing its smell. After one week the mother leaves the nest
to clean herself. The cubs start to open their eyes about 18 days later, but not
fully until 30 to 40 days. The eyes are first grey, and after six weeks slowly
start to turn dark in colour, becoming fully darkened in about 70 days. The new
litter remains at the nest for twelve weeks. After they leave the nest they will
remain with their mother, weaning around 6-8 months of age.
The cubs will stay with their mother until the next cubs are born the
following summer. The males only very rarely help with the raising of the new
generation, and only if they live in pairs or in small groups. Red Pandas start
to become sexually mature at about 18 months of age and are fully mature at 2-3
years. Their average lifespan is 8 - 10 years but can reach a maximum of 15
years.
The Padmaja Naidu Himalayan Zoological Park at Darjeeling has been successful
in conservation breeding of Red Pandas.
[9]
The Valley Zoo in Edmonton has a successful breeding program and has had two
pairs of Red Pandas born there, one pair in 2007 and another pair in 2008.
[10]
Endangerment and Protection
Red Pandas are classified as endangered. No reliable numbers exist for the
total population but it is very threatened due to the fragmentation of its
natural habitats, their small numbers, and their food specialization needs. In
southwest China the Red Panda is hunted for its fur and especially for its
highly-valued bushy tail from which hats are produced. In the areas of China,
where the Red Panda lives, their fur is often used for local cultural ceremonies
and in weddings the bridegroom traditionally carries the hide. The 'good-luck
charm' hats are used by Chinese newlyweds.
This, and the continuous clearing of the forests, has significantly reduced
the population. It is now protected in all countries in which it lives, and the
hunting of Red Pandas is illegal everywhere. Nevertheless, poaching continues
and they are often illegally hunted and sold to zoos for dumping prices. The
IUCN has mandated that small Pandas are a “threatened species“ since 1996,
however it is now listed as endangered. It is very difficult to estimate the
total population, yet one can assume that they cannot bear much more of a
habitat change and that they are in danger of extinction due to the
disappearance of the forests and the furtive hunting for its highly-valued tail
and fur.
Major Indications of Endangerment
Major threat indications as listed by the SREL DNA Lab, University of
Georgia:
- A 40% decrease in Red Panda population reported in China over the last 50
years, and those in western/Himalayan area are considered to be in worse shape
- Red Pandas have a naturally low birth rate (usually single or twin births
per year) and a high death rate in the wild.
- Natural population subdivision from topography and ecology has been
worsened by human encroachment, leading to severe fragmentation of the remaining
wild population. For example, 40 animals in 4 groups share resources of a
preserve in Nepal with 30,000 humans (only 6% of its 1710 km2 is preferred red
panda habitat).
- Small groups of animals, with little opportunity for exchange between them,
face the risk of inbreeding, decreased genetic diversity, and even extinction.
- Habitat loss: deforestation, grazing, farming, e.g., government-encouraged
cheese production for tourists in Nepal contributed to fuel wood consumption for
the factory, overgrazing by chauri (cattle-yak hybrid) impacting bamboo growth,
and intrusion by herders and dogs (often attacking cubs).
- Agricultural terracing on former Red Panda habitat in Nepal.
- Poaching: 'good-luck charm' hats for Chinese newlyweds, other fur clothing,
illegal pet trade.
In culture
The Chinese name of the Red Panda is 小熊貓; (pinyin: xiǎo xióng māo), meaning
'small panda' or, more analytically, 'small bear-cat', in which 'bear-cat' is
the Chinese name for the panda. The Chinese name of the Red Panda is based on
that of the Giant Panda, unlike English where the Giant Panda has been named
after the Red Panda. The Red Panda is also sometimes known as hǔo hú (火狐), which
literally translates as "fire fox", a name which can designate either the red
fox or the Red Panda.
The term fire-fox, as used to describe the Red Panda, has been propagated by
its use as the logo for the web browser Mozilla Firefox. The old Chinese
designation of Red Panda as “fire fox “refers to the Red Panda’s fur color.
In the Indian province of Sikkim the Red Panda is the state animal and it is
also the mascot of the Darjeeling international festivals.
