Aren't red pandas so adorable? With their little furry faces, irresistable antics, and cute waddles. How much do you know about the red panda? Read more to find out why we chose the red panda for our mascot.
The red panda is a small mammal found in the Himalayas and Southwestern China. There are less than 10,000 red pandas today. Isn't that sad? Unfortunately, that means they are on the endangered list.
We chose the Red Panda Network to make donations to work towards changing that status. If you would like to see where our donations are going, you can find more information on the Red Panda Network website. Sometimes, donating may feel like we're not doing much, but every bit we can do to help the red panda is a step in the right direction.
What do red pandas eat?
Red pandas have a diet similar to giant pandas. They mainly eat leaves and bamboo. Which is a beneficial diet when you spend most of the day in the trees. Occasionally, they do like to eat fruits, insects, bird eggs, and sometimes even small lizards. Does that suprise you?
Fun Fact:
Red pandas are much smaller than the giant panda. Even though they share panda in their name, they are not closely related. Red pandas are related to raccoons.
Are red pandas really smelly?
The males have scent glands on their feet to mark their territory. The smell is quite pungent to other pandas but humans can't smell it. So, yes, red pandas are quite smelly. Just not to us. Thank goodness for that.
What species of animal is the red panda related to?
The red panda is closely related to the raccoon, the weasel, and the skunk.
Fun Fact:
They are considered the lesser panda, because of their unique markup, they don't fit into any category.
The scientific name Ailurus Fulgens was created just for the red panda. Other species have since joined. Goes to show, being different does makes you special. Special enough to have a whole class of creatures named after you.
Fun Facts About The Red Panda:
1. They don't have thumbs. An extended wrist bone has developed over time for eating and climbing trees. This makes sense knowing they spend most of the day in the trees and they eat bamboo.
2. The red panda was given the name "panda" 50 years before their black and white counterparts.
3. They are also called "red bear cat" and "red cat bear". They sure do look cuddly and soft. Don't take their sweet look fool you. They can be aggressive.
4. They are amazing tree climbers and can descend trees head first. Now that's interesting!
5. Red pandas are about the size of a large domestic cat. You shouldn't try to keep a red panda for a pet. They are territorial and they prefer a life of solitude, they like to be by themselves. Unless it's time to mate.
We find red pandas so cute, and fluffy. They also have some interesting facts about them. If we work together we can bring the number back up and they can be off the endangered species list.
