Every once in a while, you’d see a viral video of an adorable animal that
you’ve never heard about before. For many people, this includes Asia’s red panda.
Scientifically, they may be known as the lesser panda, but these animals prove that they’re just
as adorable as their bigger counterparts. Despite being just the size of your regular
housecat, red pandas might surprise you from how clever they can be.
Here are 30 Red Panda Facts that may or may not steal your heart.
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1. Red pandas aren’t related to pandas at all. Before, scientists had a hard time tracing the
red panda’s lineage, even associating them with racoons and giant pandas.
However, scientists have confirmed that red pandas belong to the unique Ailuridae family.
This also means that they aren’t related to giant pandas in any way.
Don’t let the name fool you!
2. Red pandas eat a variety of food.
Mainly omnivorous, red pandas don’t get too picky with food.
In the wild, they would forage for bamboo, fruits, and succulents. However, they can also hunt for
insects, eggs, and small mammals or birds.
3. Wild red pandas only live in Asia.
As of today, wild red pandas only live naturally in remote mountain territories in Asia. You could
find most red pandas on mountains above 4,000 feet in Nepal, Bhutan, India, Myanmar, and China.
4. Red panda fossils have been found in North America.
While living red pandas are native to Asia, archaeologists have also recovered red panda
bones from North America dating back to 5 million years ago.
5. The Smithsonian's National Zoo in the U.S. has red pandas.
You’d never encounter a wild red panda in the US,
but you could pay a visit to the Smithsonian’s instead.
Along the Smithsonian’s Asia Trail, red pandas eat bamboo, fruits, and biscuits all day long.
6. The red panda and the giant panda have something in common.
They may not belong to the same animal family, but the red panda and the giant panda still share
something aside from their name. Both animals have a “false thumb” or an extension of their
wrist bone. This extra appendage helps them maneuver and climb around trees safely.
7. Master Shifu is a red panda. One of the most popular characters in the
animated movie Kung Fu Panda is Master Shifu. Many thought that Master Shifu was a raccoon,
but the people behind the camera actually revealed that his character was inspired by the red panda.
No wonder those scientists had trouble telling the two apart all those years ago.
8. Mozilla Firefox browser's logo is actually a red panda.
The name might have you thinking otherwise, but Mozilla Firefox’s logo is a red panda.
At first, the company wanted to name their browser “Firebird,”
but it had already been taken at the time.
9. The red panda is a nocturnal animal.
Normally, red pandas stay active from dusk to dawn. Most of the day, it will rest in trees to
conserve its energy, since its low-calorie diet doesn’t allow it much activity.
10. Red pandas are the last Ailuridae. In 1825, French Naturalist Georges Cuvier
classified the Ailuridae as part of the raccoon family. Today, the red panda is
the only living representative of Ailuridae since all its relatives have gone extinct.
11. Red pandas are not suitable as household pets.
Even though they’re adorable, red pandas aren’t cut out to be household pets.
Like most exotic animals, they’d flourish better in the wild. However, some people still keep them
as pets in countries such as India and Nepal.
12. Red pandas are most active during winter.
Red pandas love to play in the snow during the winter season,
which easily makes it their favorite time of the year. Living in high altitudes, red pandas
can withstand cold temperatures up to -30°C.
13. Red pandas can use their tails as "blankets."
In extremely cold weather, red pandas can use their long and bushy tail to wrap around its body.
They also use these tails to balance as they cross and scale tree branches.
14. On average, red pandas have 38 teeth. Compared to the size of its head, red pandas
have big mouths. While humans have 32 teeth, red pandas have 38.
15. Fully-grown red pandas can weigh up to 6 kg.
The red panda’s average body length is around 64 cm. Meanwhile, their tail can measure up to 49 cm.
Without its tail, red pandas usually only grow as big as a typical housecat.
16. Red pandas prefer to live in mountainous forests.
Naturally, red pandas live in mountainous places with trees and shrubs that seasonally shed leaves.
Because of their long winters, regular precipitation, and abundant bamboo,
red pandas also especially love conifer forests.
17. The snow leopard is its main predator.
In the wild, red pandas have to be wary of snow leopards and weasel-like carnivores called
martens. Red panda cubs are also vulnerable to birds of prey if abandoned by their parents.
18. The red panda's name came from its color.
As you’d expect, the name “red panda” mainly comes from the color of its fur. The red panda also has
marks on its face, with red ‘tear tracks’ running from their eyes to the corner of its mouth.
19. A red panda’s 'tear tracks' have a purpose.
According to research, the red ‘tear tracks’ from the red panda’s eyes help keep bright
sunlight out of their eyes. These tear tracks reflect the sun, providing them with better
vision on especially sunny days.
20. Red pandas usually stay quiet.
In general, red pandas are quiet, solitary creatures. However, red pandas can also squeal,
chirp, and huff in the right circumstances.
21. Male red pandas are territorial.
Male red pandas would mark their territory using a strong odor from their scent glands.
Much like the skunk’s strategy, red pandas also use it to repel predators.
22. The red panda was the first panda. Though you might think otherwise, red pandas
actually took on the name before giant pandas did. Red pandas got their name in 1825, which
was 48 years ahead of the giant panda. Contrary to popular belief, the giant panda only got its name
due to its similarities with the red panda.
23. Red pandas groom themselves like cats.
Aside from their size, red pandas also share grooming habits with cats.
Usually, this process involves licking their paws and rubbing their body parts.
24. Red pandas can't jump very high. Their habitats might make you think
that red pandas often jump around, but this is actually not the case. Instead,
red pandas rely on their excellent climbing abilities to maneuver around trees.
25. Red pandas can reproduce as early as 18 months of age.
Generally, red pandas reach sexual maturity at 18 months old. In 2 to 3 years, they fully mature,
mating with more than one partner in mid-January to early March.
26. Female red panda prepares the nest before giving birth.
A few days before giving birth, a mother red panda would collect grass,
leaves, moss, and tree branches for her nest. Usually, red panda moms would arrange them in
a tree stump or a hollow tree.
27. Red pandas bear up to 4 cubs.
Female red pandas typically give birth in mid-June to late July in litters of one to four cubs. Each
cub can weigh about 110 to 130 g at birth.
28. Female red pandas become dedicated moms.
Unlike some animal species, red pandas are caring mothers. Right after giving birth,
the mother cleans her newly born cubs. By doing so, she can identify each cub by its smell.
During the first week, the mother will spend around 60% to 90% of her time in the nest
with the cubs, only leaving the nest every few hours to feed and clean the cubs.
29. The red panda has other names. Aside from being the “lesser panda,” red
pandas are also known across cultures as the “red cat-bear,” “red bear-cat,” and the “firefox.”
30. Mozilla has adopted two red pandas.
In 2010, Mozilla adopted two 6-month old female red pandas from the Knoxville Zoo in Tennessee.
Branding them as “the cutest Mozillians,” the company adopted these animals not
just for their namesake, but to raise awareness of their decreasing numbers.
The internet may have brought your attention to these creatures,
but red pandas are more than just cute animals on your feeds.
With less than 10,000 individuals left in the wild, urbanization and human activity
greatly threatens these endangered animals. That said, it’s important that we protect red pandas
so we can still see a future with them. If you enjoyed our video, don’t forget to like,
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