International Red Panda Day

1. Red pandas are small mammals (about the size of a pet cat) that are found living in temperate forests up in the Himalayas, in countries such as China and India in Asia. 

2. There are two species of red panda, the Himalayan red panda and the Chinese red panda. 

3. Red pandas are not a small bear and not related to giant pandas! They are a unique species all on their own. The most similar creatures to them are racoons, otters, weasels and skunks.

4. Red pandas have red fur, darker fur on their tummies and legs, a white face and ears and a long ringed tail. Their different fur colourings help them camouflage in their habitat. The white markings on their face effectively glow in the dark at night, helping female red pandas keep track of their cubs at night. The red line from their eyes to the corners of their mouth help keep the sun out of their eyes, a bit like sunglasses.

5. Red pandas have an enlarged wrist bone (that looks a lot like another thumb!) They use this to climb trees and grab their food.

6. Red pandas are excellent climbers, and spend a lot of time up in the trees. They are helped by their enlarged wrist bone and also their long tail which helps them balance.

7. Red pandas do have one major similarity to giant pandas, their diet is mainly made up of bamboo. They eat lots, but will also eat other plants, fruit, insects, eggs and sometimes small birds or animals.

8. Red pandas live on their own and don’t enjoy living in groups. Cubs stay with their mothers for about a year before going off on their own.

9. Red pandas are nocturnal, spending most of the day sleeping up in the high branches of trees and then being awake for most of the night searching for food.

10. When frightened red pandas stand on their back legs and raise their front paws up in the air! The reason they do this is to look bigger and more intimidating, but to humans it just looks really cute and quite funny!