Information[]
Main article:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_panda.
The red panda (Ailurus fulgens), and the giant panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca)'s classification has caused continued controversy since they was first described in 1825 and 1920's. Today they are placed with the raccoons, but in their own separate subfamily, the Ailurinae. Recent research suggests red pandas are actually two species, the Himalayan red panda (Ailurus fulgens fulgens), and the Chinese red panda (Ailurus fulgens stianyi). The lustrous coat is a rich reddish brown color on the back and black on the legs; longer coarse guard hairs cover the dense woolly undercoat, which provides warmth. The coat provides effective camouflage amongst the trees where branches are often swathed in reddish-brown moss. The face is rounded and predominantly white with reddish brown ‘tear marks’ running from the corner of each eye to the mouth. The long bushy tail is marked with 12 alternating red and buff rings and the soles of the feet are covered with thick white hair to provide warmth. Red pandas posses a modified wrist bone that acts as a sixth digit or thumb.
Vocalizations[]
Red pandas have a wide range of vocalizations, the most peculiar of which is a ‘quack-snort.
Diet[]
Like the closely related giant panda, the red panda’s diet is largely made up of bamboo, although it also eats roots, fruit, eggs and small lizards.
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