Red Panda: The animal from the Disney movie really exists and is in danger of extinction

Find out everything there is to know about Ailurus fulgens, the red panda or lesser panda that has become very popular thanks to the Disney film "RED". This cute mammal with beautiful russet fur is a distant relative of the giant panda and is also in danger of extinction



The red panda or lesser panda, scientific name Ailurus fulgens is a small carnivorous mammal that in recent times has been acclaimed by adults and children thanks to the Disney film RED, starring Mei. The only living representative of the Ailuridae family, this little panda populates the forests of East Asia where it prefers to spend its life alone, in the immense wooded areas of its vast habitat. (



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Red panda at risk of extinction

The red panda has been included in the IUNC list of species at risk of extinction due to hunting, but also the destruction of its habitat which is decimating its populations. According to the WWF, there are fewer than 10.000 red pandas in the world. To learn more, read also: SOS Red Panda: very few examples remain all over the world. And the fault is ours

Red panda habitat

Red Panda: The animal from the Disney movie really exists and is in danger of extinction

@IUCN

The red panda is an animate native to Asia, its habitat extends between India, Nepal, Bhutan, China and Myanmar and in the temperate forests of the Himalayas. This animal lives in the forests, but also in the mountains between 2000 and 4000 meters above sea level.

The red panda specimens live among the trees where they shelter from predators, being very skilled climbers, and where they warm up in the sun in winter. Their territory is also marked by glands located between the pads of the paws that release an odorous substance. The red pandas identify the area precisely through smells, but also through the tongue and in this they are unique in their kind for being carnivores.

Characteristics of the red panda

The red panda is a small mammal with a weight of around 5kg for an adult. A red panda is about 50-60 cm long, without considering the tail which on average measures 28 to 58 cm. There are two distinct species of this mammal: Ailurus fulgens fulgens and Ailurus fulgens styani. 

As the name implies, this panda is a wonderful rust brown color, while the ears are white. Also on the muzzle this burnished color fades into white, with two small rust spots under the eyes that resemble two tears. The paws of the red panda, on the other hand, have a more intense color that gradually becomes lighter towards the back. The tail of this panda is very particular since it is first and foremost very long and thick and has darker concentric circles up to the tip. In some places the red panda is very reminiscent of a raccoon.



The red panda is a great sleeper. It is estimated that a specimen spends just over half of the day, 55%, sleeping, while it is decidedly more active at night when it usually gets food. The red panda is a solitary animal that can live up to 23 years, although the average life span is 12-14 years.

What does the red panda eat?

La red panda diet it is predominantly vegetarian and almost 95% is based on bamboo. Of these, however, it eats the leaves and shoots, unlike the giant panda which also feeds on the stem. However, with this distant relative he shares the so-called "false thumb" which allows him to grasp the branches. Its teeth are however very strong.

This animal is, however, always a carnivorous and it seldom feeds on insects, larvae, and very occasionally on birds and other small mammals.

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The red panda breeds from January to March in the northern hemisphere, while from June to August in the southern hemisphere. The gestation in this species can last up to 150 days, but, coinciding the birth period with the beginning of spring in the northern hemisphere, the female recovers all the energy by feeding on the shoots and the more tender leaves of the bamboo.

Each litter consists of 2, maximum 4 puppies that are born between May and July in the northern hemisphere and are already covered with soft fur to be able to protect themselves from the cold. When born, they weigh about 100 g. The den where the female gives birth is carefully chosen and covered with moss, leaves and other soft materials to comfortably accommodate the little ones.

Curiosities about the red panda

The red panda became famous thanks to the film RED, but in reality it is not the first time that this animal appears in the cinema. Kung Fu Panda master Shifu is also a red panda, as is Bolin's animal in The Legend of Kora.



In 2018 Netflix created Aggretsuko, a TV series in 10 episodes of 15 minutes signed by Sanrio whose protagonist, Retsuko, was just a red panda (Read also: Aggretsuko: the series that teaches today's kids not to give up)

Its name in Chinese means "fire fox" and, not surprisingly, the red panda is inspired by the Mozilla Firefox browser icon where fire fox is the literary translation of fire fox.

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Sul red panda you might also be interested in:

  • You may not know, but you can also have a 3D red panda to play with at home thanks to Google's AR
  • Kora, the red panda who escaped from the zoo to enjoy freedom

About pandas:

  • Panda, all you need to know about this adorable WWF creature
  • Giant panda: carnivore, omnivore or vegetarian?
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