The first written mention of this animal belong to the XIII century.They have been found in China sources.Europeans learned about it only after six centuries.It was a credit to the English naturalist, General Thomas Hardwick.Animal named Alurus fulqens, which means "shining cat".
ancestors of today's red pandas were very widespread.Their remains are in Eastern Europe, in North America.Probably, the animals were adapted to a particular climate.With its change in their natural habitat greatly reduced.
appearances
small animal red panda (red panda - his middle name) has an elongated body.The length of his body - no more than 64 cm, and the tail can reach a length of 48 cm. The females weigh an average of 5 kg, males - 6 kg.The head is broad, with a sharp short muzzle and small neat ears, rounded shape.Feet strong, but short, with poluvtyazhnymi claws.Thanks to them, red panda easily climb trees and is just as easy with them down.
back is covered with small red panda or walnut color hair, lower torso darker shade of brown or even black.Paws glossy black, bushy red tail with narrow rings, covered with very light hair head edges of the ears and a cute little face white, his eyes framed image as a mask.This red panda is very similar to a raccoon.Interestingly, in each individual that drawing is completely unique.This wonderful camouflage helps an animal spends most of its life in the trees, which are covered with lichens and mosses.
Subspecies
Today, a small red panda is divided into two groups.First - Western panda.It lives in western Nepal, Bhutan.The second panda subspecies distributed in the southern China and northern Myanmar.
Lesser panda Stayana much larger and much darker than its cousin from the western territories.
Under natural conditions, red panda today is found only in some areas of China (Sichuan and Yunnan), Bhutan, Nepal, northern Burma.It is also quite rare, but the animal can be found in the north of India.
Habitat
Probably, many wondered where he lives, this red-haired baby.Panda prefers to live in the coniferous forests.Most often, they choose fir.The main food of red pandas is bamboo.
Lifestyle
significant, and probably most of the red panda life carries on the trees.Here it feels very comfortable.On land animal down just to feed themselves.More active red panda evening.During the day it is arranged in a hollow tree and sweet sleep.
During their stay on the tree a long tail helps her keep balance.On the ground, a panda holding it right, so it does not touch the ground.
each adult panda, regardless of whether it is male or female, has its own territory, and considerable.In males, it reaches 5 square kilometers, the females - half.They labeled her special marks, and thus immediately understand the animals who live with him in the neighborhood.
Adult pandas live alone together in the family during the breeding season.It comes in January.
Progeny
baby panda born in the period from 90 to 145 days after conception.However, the "real" pregnancy lasts 50 days.This can be explained by the fact that the fetus begins to actively develop only after a certain time after mating.
Before most childbirth the female builds a nest in a rock crevice or hollow tree.Typically, red panda gives birth to 1-2 cubs.Sometimes kids can be more, but survives only one of them.
Develop Young pretty slow.Up to five months of age, they are fed only mother's milk.
beginning their fur has a light gray color.Red tint starts to appear after the age of three months.Kids can stay close to their mother until 1 year, until such time until new young.Usually at this time young individuals have themselves become sexually mature and begin an independent life.
number
Today small panda is included in the Red Data Book with the status "jeopardizes".Type is considered endangered.According to various data, the number of these animals ranged from 2,500 to 10,000 individuals in the world.In nature, the density of pandas stay small, also it is easy to destroy the settlements - for example, when logging.The animals ruthlessly exterminated by poachers, which, naturally, does not contribute to an increase in population.Over the past 50 years the number of pandas in small areas adjacent to the Himalayas, was reduced by 40%.
enemies
Fortunately, they have a little panda.Basically it is a man and the snow leopard.From their four-legged enemy furry animals can climb a tree and thus escape, and escape from a man much more difficult.Hunters (and poachers) attracts beautiful fur of these animals, which are made from the hat.
red panda at the Moscow Zoo
These animals actively breed in captivity.In zoos for them are all necessary conditions for active development.This red-haired baby (Panda) is well tamed.Today there are about 350 animals in 85 zoos in the world.In nature panda lives of about 8-10 years, in zoos as animal life expectancy is 15 years.
In some areas of Nepal and India red panda found in homes as a pet.However, I must say that this is totally unacceptable.Even at the zoo, under the supervision of experts, contain animal is difficult, and in the home is almost impossible, because of the unusual diet.Improper feeding pandas die from intestinal diseases.
in the Moscow zoo, in the pavilion "Cats tropics", there was a charming red panda, which is named Zane."Fire cat" extraordinarily good.She arrived from Dublin, spent six months in quarantine.Now she is happy his view of visitors.
able to see the panda in the movement increased in the afternoon, in the evening - it is the evening or night life.You may be lucky and you hear her singing, like the chirping of birds.
Zane persistently avoids cameras and camera flashes.In a spacious aviary she sits facing away from prying eyes, and hiding his cunning muzzle in a fluffy red tail.
Today, many lovers of exotic animals seek to ensure that the red panda, the price of which ranges from three to five thousand rubles, became their pet.However, it should again be said that these animals are able to live at home, so you doom the animal to inevitable destruction.
Small red panda - a rare animal, scantily.Until now, scientists did not cease debate about what species of animal should be attributed.
