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Bamboo constitutes about 95% of the red panda's diet. Unlike giant pandas that feed on nearly every above-ground portion of bamboo (including the culm, or woody stem), red pandas feed selectively on the most nutritious leaf tips and, when available, tender shoots.
- Red Pandas Have Pseudo-Thumbs. Like giant panda bears, red pandas have a pseudo-thumb, which is basically an extended wrist bone that can function as a thumb but isn’t a true appendage.
- They Are Not Closely Related to Giant Pandas. Despite sharing a name, red pandas aren’t in the same family as giant pandas. Red pandas were initially described as members of the raccoon family (Procyonidae) due to their similar heads and tails.
- Red Pandas Were Recently Separated Into Two Species. While the red panda was originally thought to be one species made up of two subspecies, new genetic studies have found that there are actually two distinct species of the red panda: the Himalayan red panda and the Chinese red panda.
- They Primarily Eat Bamboo. Red pandas feed selectively on the leaf tips and shoots of the bamboo plant — they prefer short and robust bamboo shoots over tall ones.
In fact, red pandas digest only about 24 percent of the bamboo they eat. Red pandas need to eat 20 to 30 percent of their body weight each day—about 2 to 4 pounds (1 to 2 kilograms) of bamboo shoots and leaves. In one study, female red pandas were found to eat approximately 20,000 bamboo leaves in a single day.
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- Red pandas inhabit the eastern Himalayas and southwestern China's dense bamboo forests. Nestled high above sea level, red pandas call the regions of the eastern Himalayas and southwestern China home.
- Also called lesser pandas, Red Pandas certainly aren’t less important. Red pandas are often called lesser pandas, red bear-cats, or red cat-bears. The name "lesser panda" stems from the Nepali word "nigalya ponya," meaning "eater of bamboo."
- Surprisingly, they're closer relatives to raccoons, skunks, and weasels than bears. Contrary to their misleading name, red pandas are not closely related to the giant pandas of China.
- Their "false thumb," an extended wrist bone, helps them grip bamboo, their staple food. Red pandas have developed a remarkable adaptation to help them thrive in their unique environment.
4 days ago · The red panda has soft thick fur—rich reddish brown above and black underneath. The face is white, with a stripe of red-brown from each eye to the corners of the mouth, and the bushy tail is faintly ringed. The head and body length of the red panda is 50–65 cm (20–26 inches) and the tail 30–50 cm (12–20 inches) long, and the weight ...
- The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
What threats do red pandas face? Red panda habitat is in decline. The loss of nesting trees and bamboo in the Eastern Himalayas—the location of almost 50% of the red panda’s habitat—is causing a decline in red panda populations across much of their range. WWF works with local communities to reduce human impact on the species’ habitat.
Mar 11, 2022 · Because they retained the digestive system of a carnivore, a red panda has to eat 20 to 30 percent of their body weight in bamboo each day. Pandas will occasionally opt for foods like fruits ...
