Red panda[1]
Conservation status
Vulnerable (IUCN 3.1)[2]
Scientific classification
Kingdom: | Animalia
Phylum: | Chordata
Class: | Mammalia
Order: | Carnivora
Suborder: | Caniformia
Infraorder: | Arctoidea
Superfamily: | Musteloidea
Family: | Ailuridae
Genus: | Ailurus F. Cuvier, 1825
Species: | A. fulgens
Binomial name
Ailurus fulgens F. Cuvier, 1825
Subspecies
A. f. fulgens A. f. styani[3]
Red panda range

The red panda (Ailurus fulgens, lit. "shining cat"), is a small arboreal mammal native to the eastern Himalayas and southwestern China[2] and related to raccoons, skunks and weasels. It is the only extant species of the genus Ailurus and the family Ailuridae. Slightly larger than a domestic cat, it has reddish-brown fur, a long, shaggy tail, and a waddling gait due to its shorter front legs. It feeds mainly on bamboo, but is omnivorous and may also eat eggs, birds, insects, and small mammals. It is a solitary animal, mainly active from dusk to dawn, and is largely sedentary during the day.

The red panda has been classified as Vulnerable by IUCN because its population is estimated at fewer than 10,000 mature individuals. Although red pandas are protected by national laws in their range countries, their numbers in the wild continue to decline mainly due to habitat loss and fragmentation, poaching, and inbreeding depression.[2]

The red panda has been previously classified in the families Procyonidae (raccoons) and Ursidae (bears), but recent research has placed it in its own family Ailuridae, in superfamily Musteloidea along with Mustelidae and Procyonidae.[4] Two subspecies are recognized.

## Physical characteristics[edit]

Red panda descending head first
Red panda skull

The head and body length of red pandas measures 50 to 64 cm (20 to 25 in), and their tail is 28 to 59 cm (11 to 23 in). Males weigh 3.7 to 6.2 kg (8.2 to 14 lb) and females 3 to 6.0 kg (6.6 to 13 lb).[5][6][7] They have long, soft reddish-brown fur on the upper parts, blackish fur on the lower parts, and a light face with tear markings and robust cranial-dental features. The light face has white badges similar to those of a raccoon, but each individual can have distinctive markings. Their roundish head has medium-sized upright ears, a black nose, and very dark eyes: almost pitch black. Their long bushy tail with six alternating yellowish red transverse ochre rings provides balance and excellent camouflage against its habitat of moss- and lichen-covered trees. The legs are black and short with thick fur on the soles of the paws. This fur serves as thermal insulation on snow-covered or ice surfaces and conceals scent glands which are also present on the anus.[8]

The red panda is specialized as a bamboo feeder with strong, curved and sharp semi-retractile claws [5] standing inward for grasping of narrow tree branches, leaves and fruit. Like the giant panda, it has a ?false thumb? that is an extension of the wrist bone. When descending a tree headfirst, the red panda rotates its ankle to control its descent, one of the few climbing species to do so.[9]

## Distribution and habitat[edit]

Red panda sleeping

The red panda is endemic to the temperate forests of the Himalayas, and ranges from the foothills of western Nepal to China in the east.[10] Its easternmost limit is the Qinling Mountains of the Shaanxi Province in China. Its range includes southern Tibet, Sikkim and Assam in India, Bhutan, the northern mountains of Burma, and in southwestern China, in the Hengduan Mountains of Sichuan and the Gongshan Mountains in Yunnan. It may also live in southwest Tibet and northern Arunachal Pradesh, but this has not been documented. Locations with the highest density of red pandas include an area in the Himalayas that has been proposed as having been a refuge for a variety of endemic species in the Pleistocene. The distribution range of the red panda should be considered disjunct, rather than continuous.[5] A disjunct population inhabits the Meghalaya Plateau of northeastern India.[11]

During a survey in the 1970s, signs of red pandas were found in Nepal's Dhorpatan Hunting Reserve.[12] Their presence was confirmed in spring 2007 when four red pandas were sighted at elevations ranging from 3,220 to 3,610 m (10,560 to 11,840 ft).[13] The species' westernmost limit is in Rara National Park located farther west of the Dhorpatan Hunting Reserve.[14] Their presence was confirmed in 2008.[15]

The red panda lives between 2,200 and 4,800 meters (7,200 and 15,700 ft) altitude, inhabiting areas of moderate temperature between 10 and 25 °C (50 and 77 °F) with little annual change. It prefers mountainous mixed deciduous and conifer forests, especially with old trees and dense understories of bamboo.[5][10]

The effective population size of the Sichuan population is larger and more stable than that of the Yunnan population, implying a southward expansion from Sichuan to Yunnan.[16]

The red panda has become extirpated from the Chinese provinces of Guizhou, Gansu, Shaanxi and Qinghai.[17]

### Distribution of subspecies[edit]

Distribution of the red panda is disjointed, with two extant subspecies:

- Western red panda A. f. fulgens (Cuvier, 1825) lives in the western part of its range, in Nepal, Assam, Sikkim and Bhutan
- Styan's red panda A. f. styani lives in the east-northeastern part of its range, in southern China and northern Burma.[18]

Ailurus fulgens styani has been described by Thomas in 1902 based on one skull from a specimen collected in Szechwan.[19] Pocock distinguished A. f. styani from A. f. fulgens by its longer winter coat and more abundant blackness in the pelage, bigger skull, more strongly curved forehead, and more robust teeth. His description is based on skulls and skins collected in Szechwan, Myitkyina close to the border of Yunnan, and Upper Burma.[8]

The Styan's red panda is supposedly larger and darker in color than its Western conspecific, but with considerable variation in both subspecies, and some individuals may be brown or yellowish brown rather than red.[10]

The Brahmaputra River is often considered the natural division between the two subspecies, where it makes a curve around the eastern end of the Himalayas, although some authors suggest A. f. fulgens extends farther eastward, into China.

## Biology and behavior[edit]

### Behavior[edit]

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Sounds of red panda twittering

The red panda is territorial; it is solitary except during mating season. The species is generally quiet except for some twittering, tweeting, and whistling communication sounds. It has been reported to be both nocturnal and crepuscular, sleeping on tree branches or in tree hollows during the day and increasing its activity in the late afternoon and early evening hours. It sleeps stretched out on a branch with legs dangling when it is hot, and curled up with its tail over the face when it is cold.[5] This panda is very heat sensitive, with an optimal ?well-being? temperature between 17 and 25 °C (63 and 77 °F), and cannot tolerate temperatures over 25 ?C[Convert: Unknown unit].

Red panda standing

Shortly after waking, red pandas clean their fur like a cat, licking their front paws and then rubbing their backs, stomachs and sides. They also rub their backs and bellies along the sides of trees or rocks. Then they patrol their territories, marking with urine and a weak musk-smelling secretion from their anal glands. They search for food running along the ground or through the trees. Red pandas may alternately use their forepaws to bring food to their mouths or place food directly into their mouths.[5]

Predators of the red panda include the snow leopard, martens (Mustelidae), and humans. If they feel threatened or sense danger, they may try to escape by climbing a rock column or tree. If they can no longer flee, they stand on their hind legs to make themselves appear larger and use the sharp claws on their front paws to defend themselves. The red panda Futa became a visitor attraction in Japan for his ability to stand upright for ten seconds at a time.

### Diet[edit]

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Red panda gnawing

Red pandas are excellent climbers, and forage largely in trees. They eat mostly bamboo, and may eat small mammals, birds, eggs, blossoms, and berries. In captivity, they were observed to eat birds, blossoms, maple and mulberry leaves, and bark and fruits of maple, beech and mulberry.[5]

Like the giant panda, they cannot digest cellulose, so they must consume a large volume of bamboo to survive. Their diets consist of about two-thirds bamboo, but they also eat mushrooms, roots, acorns, lichen, and grasses. Occasionally, they supplement their diets with fish and insects. They do little more than eat and sleep due to their low-calorie diets.[citation needed]

Bamboo shoots are more easily digested than leaves, exhibiting the highest digestibility in summer and autumn, intermediate digestibility in the spring, and lowest digestibility in the winter. These variations correlate with the nutrient contents in the bamboo. Red pandas process bamboo poorly, especially the cellulose and cell wall components. This implies microbial digestion plays only a minor role in their digestive strategy. To survive on this poor-quality diet, they have to eat the high-quality sections of the bamboo plant, such as the tender leaves and shoots, in large quantities, over 1.5 kg (3.3 lb) of fresh leaves and 4 kg (8.8 lb) of fresh shoots daily. This food passes through the digestive tract fairly rapidly (about 2?4 hr) so as to maximize nutrient intake.[20] Red pandas can taste artificial sweeteners, such as aspartame, the only known nonprimate known to do so.[21]

### Reproduction[edit]

Red panda cubs playing

Red pandas are able to reproduce at around 18 months of age, and are fully mature at two to three years. Adults rarely interact in the wild except to mate. Both sexes may mate with more than one partner during the mating season from mid-January to early March.[22] A few days before birth, females begin to collect material, such as brushwood, grass, and leaves, to build a nest, which is normally located in a hollow tree or a rock crevice. After a gestation period of 112 to 158 days, the female gives birth in mid-June to late July to one to four blind and deaf cubs weighing 110 to 130 g (3.9 to 4.6 oz) each.[5]

After birth, the mother cleans the cubs and can then recognize each by its smell. At first, she spends 60% to 90% of her time with the cubs. After the first week, the mother starts spending more time outside the nest, returning every few hours to nurse and groom the cubs. She moves the young frequently among several nests, all of which she keeps clean. The cubs start to open their eyes at about 18 days of age. By about 90 days, they have achieved full adult fur and coloring, and begin to venture out of the nest. They also start eating solid foods at this point, weaning at around six to eight months of age. The cubs stay with their mother until the next litter is born in the following summer. Males rarely help raise the young, and only if they live in pairs or in small groups.[5]

The average lifespan is between eight and 10 years, but individuals have been known to reach 15 years.

## Threats[edit]

A red panda in the Parco Natura Viva, Bussolengo near Verona, Italy

The primary threats to red pandas are direct harvest from the wild, live or dead, competition with domestic livestock resulting in habitat degradation, and deforestation resulting in habitat loss or fragmentation. The relative importance of these factors is different in each region, and is not well understood.[10] For instance, in India, the biggest threat seems to be habitat loss followed by poaching, while in China, the biggest threat seems to be hunting and poaching.[2] A 40% decrease in red panda populations has been reported in China over the last 50 years, and populations in western Himalayan areas are considered to be lower.[17]

Deforestation can inhibit the spread of red pandas and exacerbate the natural population subdivision by topography and ecology, leading to severe fragmentation of the remaining wild population. Fewer than 40 animals in four separate groups share resources with humans in Nepal's Langtang National Park, where only 6% of 1,710 square kilometres (660 sq mi) is preferred red panda habitat. Although direct competition for food with domestic livestock is not significant, livestock can depress bamboo growth by trampling.[23]

Small groups of animals with little opportunity for exchange between them face the risk of inbreeding, decreased genetic diversity, and even extinction. In addition, clearcutting for firewood or agriculture, including hillside terracing, removes old trees that provide maternal dens and decreases the ability of some species of bamboo to regenerate.[10]

In Southwest China, red pandas are hunted for their fur, especially for the highly valued bushy tails from which hats are produced. In these areas, the fur is often used for local cultural ceremonies, and in weddings, the bridegroom traditionally carries the hide. The "good-luck charm" red panda-tail hats are also used by local newlyweds.[17]

In the past, red pandas were captured and sold to zoos. Glatston reported he personally had handled 350 red pandas in 17 years.[24]

Thanks to CITES, this number has decreased substantially in recent years, but poaching continues, and red pandas are often sold to private collectors at exorbitant prices. In some parts of Nepal and India, red pandas are kept as pets.[25]

The red panda has a naturally low birth rate (usually single or twin births per year), and a high death rate in the wild.

## Conservation[edit]

The red panda has been confused with other animals
Red panda in Gangtok Zoo, Sikkim

The red panda is listed in CITES Appendix I.[26] The species has been classified as vulnerable in the IUCN Red List since 2008 because the global population is estimated at about 10,000 individuals, with a decreasing population trend; only about half of the total area of potential habitat of 142,000 km2 (55,000 sq mi) is actually being used by the species. Due to their shy and secretive nature, and their largely nocturnal habits, observation of red pandas is difficult. Therefore, population figures in the wild are determined by population density estimates and not direct counts.[2]

Worldwide population estimates range from fewer than 2,500 individuals[22] to between 16,000 and 20,000 individuals.[11] In 1999, the total population in China was estimated at between 3,000 and 7,000 individuals.[17] In 2001, the wild population in India was estimated at between 5,000 and 6,000 individuals.[11] Estimates for Nepal indicate only a few hundred individuals.[27] There are no records from Bhutan or Burma.

Reliable population numbers are hard to find, partly because other animals have been mistaken for the red panda. For instance, one report from Burma stated that red pandas were still fairly common in some areas, and was accompanied by a photograph of a "red panda" as proof. The photograph in question depicted a species of civet.[28]

The red panda is protected in all range countries, and hunting is illegal.[2] Beyond this, conservation efforts are highly variable between countries:

- China has 35 protected areas covering about 42.4% of red panda habitat.[2]
- India has 20 protected areas with known or possible red panda populations in Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh and West Bengal such as Khangchendzonga National Park, Namdapha National Park and Singalila National Park, and a coordinated conservation policy for the red panda.[2]
- In Nepal, known populations occur in Langtang National Park, Sagarmatha National Park, Makalu Barun National Park, Rara National Park, Annapurna Conservation Area, Kanchenjunga Conservation Area, and in Dhorpatan Hunting Reserve.[29]
- Bhutan has five protected areas that support red panda populations.[2]
- Burma has 26 protected areas, of which at least one hosts red panda populations.[2]

### In situ initiatives[edit]

A community-managed forest in Ilam District of eastern Nepal is home to 15 red pandas which generate household income through tourism activities, including home stays. Villagers in the high-altitude areas of Arunachal Pradesh have formed the Pangchen Red Panda Conservation Alliance comprising five villages with a community-conserved forest area of 200 km2 (77 sq mi) at an altitude of 2,500 m (8,200 ft) to over 4,000 m (13,000 ft).[30]

### In captivity[edit]

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A red panda moves around its enclosure at the National Zoo in Washington, DC

The red panda is quite adaptable to living in captivity, and is common in zoos worldwide. By 1992, more than 300 births had occurred in captivity, and more than 300 individuals lived in 85 institutions worldwide.[31] By 2001, there were 182 individuals in North American zoos alone.[32] As of 2006, the international studbook listed more than 800 individuals in zoos and parks around the world. Of these, 511 individuals of subspecies A. f. fulgens were kept in 173 institutions[33] and 306 individuals of subspecies A. f. styani were kept in 81 institutions.[34]

The International Studbook is currently managed at the Rotterdam Zoo in the Netherlands. In cooperation with the International Red Panda Management Group, they coordinate the Species Survival Plan in North America, the European Endangered Species Programme in Europe and other captive-breeding programs in Australia, India, Japan and China.[34][35] In 2009, Sarah Glass, curator of red pandas and special exhibits at the Knoxville Zoo in Knoxville, Tennessee, was appointed as coordinator for the North American Red Panda Species Survival Plan. The Knoxville Zoo has the largest number of captive red panda births in the Western Hemisphere (101 as of August 2011). Only the Rotterdam Zoo in the Netherlands has had more captive births worldwide.[33][34]

The Padmaja Naidu Himalayan Zoological Park in Darjeeling, India successfully released four captive-bred red pandas to the wild in August and November 2003.[35]

## Domestication[edit]

A red panda in a gingko tree

Because the red panda is considered a very attractive animal, and is not much larger than a house cat, it would seem to be ideal for a pet. Despite this and reports of Indira Gandhi keeping red pandas as pets when she was a child, widespread adoption of these animals as pets has not been reported.[36] Due to its listing in CITES Appendix I, obtaining a red panda as a pet would now be quite difficult. Interestingly, due to the red panda's high levels of captive breeding and recent successful efforts of domestication by selective breeding of the Siberian fox, domestication could be possible. Their low tolerances for high-temperature areas may render red pandas unsuitable as pets in some areas, or special care would be needed to keep them happy. Though interest by the general public of the availability of this animal as a pet is growing, apparently no person or group is attempting to domesticate the red panda through any process, including selective breeding. Domestication may also be a viable method of successful conservation, though some argue it should not be the only form.[37]

## Phylogenetics[edit]

Main article: Ailuridae

The taxonomic classification of the red panda has been controversial since it was discovered. French zoologist Fr?d?ric Cuvier initially described the red panda in 1825, and classified it as a close relative of the raccoon (Procyonidae), though he gave it the genus name Ailurus, "cat", based on superficial similarities with domestic cats. The specific epithet is the Latin adjective fulgens, "shining".[38] At various times, it has been placed in Procyonidae, Ursidae, with Ailuropoda in Ailuridae, and in its own family, Ailuridae. This uncertainty comes from difficulty in determining whether certain characteristics of Ailurus are phylogenetically conservative or are derived and convergent with species of similar ecological habits.[5]

A red panda gnawing on an exfoliated bamboo bush

Evidence based on the fossil record, serology, karyology, behavior, anatomy, and reproduction reflect closer affinities with Procyonidae than Ursidae. However, ecological and foraging specializations and distinct geographical distribution in relation to modern procyonids support classification in the separate family Ailuridae.[1][5][39]

Recent molecular systematic DNA research also places the red panda into its own family, Ailuridae, which is in turn part of the broad superfamily Musteloidea that also includes the skunk, raccoon, and weasel families.[4][39][40]

> It is not a bear, nor closely related to the giant panda, nor a raccoon, nor a lineage of uncertain affinities. Rather it is a basal lineage of musteloid, with a long history of independence from its closest relatives (skunks, raccoons, and otters/weasels/badgers).

> —Flynn et al., Whence the Red Panda,[4] p197

The name Ailurus fulgens refulgens is sometimes incorrectly used for A. f. styani. This stems from a lapsus made by Henri Milne-Edwards in his 1874 paper "Recherches pour servir ? l'histoire naturelle des mammif?res comprenant des consid?rations sur la classification de ces animaux",[41] making A. f. refulgens a nomen nudum.[8][18] The most recent edition of Mammal Species of the World still shows the subspecies as A. f. refulgens.[1] This has been corrected in more recent works, including A guide to the Mammals of China[42] and Handbook of the Mammals of the World, Volume 1: Carnivores.[3]

### Evolutionary history[edit]

The red panda is considered a living fossil and only distantly related to the giant panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca). Their common ancestor can be traced back to the Early Tertiary period tens of millions of years ago, with a wide distribution across Eurasia. Fossils of the red panda Parailurus anglicus have been unearthed from China in the east to Britain in the west.[43]

In 1977, a single tooth of the extinct panda Parailurus was discovered in the Pliocene Ringold Formation of Washington. This first North American record is almost identical to European specimens and indicates the immigration of this species from Asia.[44] In 2004, a tooth from a red panda species never before recorded in North America was discovered at the Gray Fossil Site in Tennessee. The tooth dates from 4.5?7 million years ago. This species, described as Pristinailurus bristoli, indicates a second, more primitive ailurine lineage inhabited North America during the Miocene. Cladistic analysis suggests Parailurus and Ailurus are sister taxa.[43][45] Additional fossils of Pristinailurus bristoli were discovered at the Gray Fossil site in 2010 and in 2012.[46][47] The frequency with which panda fossils are being found at Gray Fossil Site suggests the species played a large role in the overall ecosystem of the area.

The discovery in Spain of the postcranial remains of Simocyon batalleri, a Miocene relative to the red panda, supports a sister-group relationship between red pandas and giant pandas. The discovery suggests the red panda's "false thumb" was an adaptation to arboreal locomotion?? independent of the giant panda's adaptation to manipulate bamboo?? one of the most dramatic cases of convergent evolution among vertebrates.[48]

## Taxonomic history[edit]

Red panda at Munich Zoo, Germany

The first known written record of the red panda occurs in a 13th-century Chinese scroll depicting a hunting scene between hunters and the red panda.[31][36]

Major General Thomas Hardwicke?s 1821 presentation of an article titled "Description of a new Genus of the Class Mammalia, from the Himalaya Chain of Hills Between Nepaul and the Snowy Mountains" at the Linnean Society in London is usually regarded as the moment the red panda became a bona fide species in Western science. Hardwicke proposed the name "wha" and explained: "It is frequently discovered by its loud cry or call, resembling the word ?Wha?, often repeating the same : hence is derived one of the local names by which it is known. It is also called Chitwa." Hardwicke's paper was not published until 1827, by which time Fr?d?ric Cuvier had published his description and a figure. Hardwicke's originally proposed taxonomic name was removed from the 1827 publication of his paper with his permission, and naming credit is now given to Cuvier.[49]

Fr?d?ric Cuvier had received the specimen he described from his brother's stepson, Alfred Duvaucel, who had sent it "from the mountains north of India".[50] He was the first to use both the binomial Ailurus fulgens and the vernacular name "panda" in reference to the species in his description published in 1825 in Histoire Naturelle des Mammif?res.[51][52] Ailurus is adopted from the ancient Greek word ???????? (ailouros), meaning "cat".[53] The specific epithet fulgens is Latin for "shining, bright".[54] Panda is the French name for the Roman goddess of peace and travelers, who was called upon before starting a difficult journey.[55] Whether this is the origin of the French vernacular name panda remains uncertain. In later publications, the name is claimed to be adopted from a Himalayan language.

In 1847, Hodgson described a red panda under the name Ailurus ochraceus, of which Pocock concluded it represents the same type as Ailurus fulgens, since the description of the two agree very closely. He subordinated both types to the Himalayan red panda subspecies Ailurus fulgens fulgens.[8]

## Local names[edit]

Red Panda in Padmaja Naidu Himalayan Zoo, Darjeeling, India

The red panda's local names differ from place to place. The Lepcha people call it sak nam. In Nepal, the species is called bhalu biralo (bear-cat) and habre. The Sherpa people of Nepal and Sikkim call it ye niglva ponva and wah donka.[56] The word w?? is Sunuwari meaning bear; in Tamang language, a small, red bear is called t?w?m.[57] In the Kanchenjunga region of eastern Nepal, the Limbus know red pandas as kaala, which literally means dark because of their underside pelage; villagers of Tibetan origin call them hoptongar.[58]

Additionally, Pocock lists the vernacular names ye and nig?lya ponya (Nepal); thokya and thongwa (Limbu); oakdonga or wakdonka and woker (Bhotia); saknam sunam (Lepcha).[8] Nig?lya may originate from the Nepali word ?????? ni??lo or n?g?lo meaning a particular kind of small bamboo, namely Arundinaria intermedia, but also refers to a kind of small leopard, or cat-bear.[59] The word p?nya may originate from the Nepali word ????? paj? meaning claw, or ????? pa?j? meaning paw of an animal.[60] Nig?lya p?nya may translate to bamboo claw or paw.

Nig?lya p?nya, nyala ponga,[citation needed] and poonya[citation needed] are said to mean eater of bamboo.[citation needed] The name panda could originate from panj?.[61]

In English, the red panda is also called lesser panda, though due to the pejorative implications of this name, "red" is generally preferred.[citation needed] Many other languages use red panda, or variations of shining/gold or lesser/small in their names for this species. For instance, ??????? ????? in Bulgarian, panda roux in French, and panda rojo in Spanish all mean red panda. Since at least as far back as 1855, one of its French names has been panda ?clatant (shining panda).[62] In Finnish, it is called kultapanda (gold panda). Variations of lesser panda occur in French petit panda (small panda), in Spanish panda menor (lesser panda), in Dutch kleine panda (small panda), in Russian ?????? ?????? (malaya panda, "small panda"), in Korean ???? (aeki panda, "baby panda"), in Japanese ress? panda (???????, transliteration of English "lesser panda"?).

Other names attributed to this species include fire cat, bright panda and common panda.[31]

In Chinese language, the red panda is called ??? (xi?oxi?ngm?o, lesser or small panda),[63] and ???/??? (h?ngxi?ngm?o, red panda).[64]

  Note: The giant panda is called ??/?? (xi?ngm?o) or ???/??? (d?xi?ngm?o), in which ? literally means "giant" or "big" and ??/?? literally means "bear cat".[65]

The English name firefox, from which the Firefox web browser gets its name, is a calque (literal part-by-part translation) of the Chinese word ?? (hu?h?), another Chinese name for the red panda.[66][67][68][69][70][71][72] Conversely, in Chinese the word ?? is now used more commonly to refer to the Firefox browser.[73][74][75]

## Cultural depictions[edit]

The red panda was recognized as the state animal of Sikkim, India in the early 1990s,[76] and was the mascot of the Darjeeling Tea Festival.[36]

In southwest China, red pandas are hunted for their fur, especially for the highly valued bushy tails from which hats are produced. In these areas, the fur is often used for local cultural ceremonies. In weddings, the bridegroom traditionally carries the hide. The "good-luck charm" red panda-tail hats are also used by local newlyweds.[17] This practice may be quite old, as the red panda seems to be depicted in a 13th-century Chinese pen-and-ink scroll showing a hunting scene. Little or no mention of the red panda is made in the culture and folklore of Nepal.[36]

An anthropomorphic red panda was featured as Master Shifu, the Kung Fu teacher, in the 2008 film Kung Fu Panda and its 2011 sequel Kung Fu Panda 2. Some of the comments about this film indicate the lack of awareness about the red panda in the United States when the first film was released. Although most of the reviewers got the species correct, some nevertheless mistook it for a tiny wolf,[77] a rodent,[78] and a lemur.[79] In an interview, Dustin Hoffman also indicated he did not know much about the animal when he first agreed to voice the character.[80][81] The red panda Futa inspired the character of Pabu, an animal companion in the animated U.S. TV series The Legend of Korra.[82]

In 2005, Babu, a male red panda at Birmingham Nature Centre in Birmingham, England, escaped[83] and briefly became a media celebrity,[83][84] before being recaptured. He was subsequently voted "Brummie of the Year", the first animal to receive this honor.[83][84]

## Footnotes[edit]

1. ^ a b c Wozencraft, W. C. (2005). "Order Carnivora". In Wilson, D. E.; Reeder, D. M. Mammal Species of the World (3rd ed.). Johns Hopkins University Press. pp. 532–628. ISBN 978-0-8018-8221-0. OCLC 62265494.
2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Wang, X., Choudhry, A., Yonzon, P., Wozencraft, C., Than Z. (2008). "Ailurus fulgens". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2010.4. International Union for Conservation of Nature. Retrieved 26 June 2010.
3. ^ a b Don E. Wilson, Russell A. Mittermeier, ed. (2009). Handbook of the Mammals of the World, Volume 1: Carnivores. Lynx Edicions. p. 503. ISBN 978-84-96553-49-1.
4. ^ a b c Flynn, J. J.; Nedbal, M. A.; Dragoo, J. W.; Honeycutt, R. L. (2000). "Whence the Red Panda?". Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 17 (2): 190?199. doi:10.1006/mpev.2000.0819. PMID 11083933. Retrieved 2009-09-23.
5. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Roberts, M. S.; Gittleman, J. L. (1984). "Ailurus fulgens". Mammalian Species (222): 1?8.
6. ^ [1]
7. ^ Burnie D and Wilson DE (Eds.), Animal: The Definitive Visual Guide to the World's Wildlife. DK Adult (2005), ISBN 0789477645
8. ^ a b c d e Pocock, R.I. (1941). Fauna of British India, including Ceylon and Burma. Mammalia. ? Volume 2.. Taylor and Francis, Ltd., London. pp. 250?264.
9. ^ Fisher, R. E.; Adrian, B.; Clay, E.; Hicks, M. (2008). "The phylogeny of the red panda (Ailurus fulgens): evidence from the hindlimb". Journal of Anatomy 213 (5): 607?28. doi:10.1111/j.1469-7580.2008.00987.x. PMC 2667555. PMID 19014366.
10. ^ a b c d e Glatston 1994:20
11. ^ a b c Choudhury, A. (2001). "An overview of the status and conservation of the red panda Ailurus fulgens in India, with reference to its global status". Oryx (Flora Fauna International) 35 (3): 250?259. doi:10.1046/j.1365-3008.2001.00181.x.
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## References[edit]

- Glatston, Angela (2007a). Red Panda International Studbook -Ailurus fulgens fulgens held in zoos in 2006. Rotterdam Zoo. Retrieved 2009-09-13.
- Glatston, Angela (2007b). Red Panda International Studbook -Ailurus fulgens styani held in zoos in 2006. Rotterdam Zoo. Retrieved 2009-09-13.
- ITIS (USDA Integrated Taxonomic Information System). "Ailurus fulgens (Taxonomical Serial No.: 621846)". Retrieved 2009-10-24.
- IUCN/SSC Mustelid, Viverrid, and Procyonid Specialist Group (1994). A. R. Glatston, ed. The Red Panda, Olingos, Coatis, Raccoons, and Their Relatives. Gland, Switzerland: IUCN. ISBN 2-8317-0046-9. Retrieved 2010-01-09.

## Further reading[edit]

- Slattery, J. Pecon; O'Brien, S. J. (1995). "Molecular phylogeny of the red panda (Ailurus fulgens)". The Journal of Heredity (Oxford University Press) 86 (6): 413?22. PMID 8568209.
- Mace, G.M. and Balmford, A. (2000). ?Patterns and processes in contemporary mammalian extinction.? In Priorities for the Conservation of Mammalian Diversity. Has the Panda had its day?, A. Entwhistle and N. Dunstone (eds). Cambridge University Press, Cambridge. pp.?27?52.
- Miyashiro (2006-08-25). "Background information on the question: "Do Pandas Really Exist?"". New Mexico Tech. Retrieved 2010-01-09.
- Naish, Darren (2008-04-03). "Nigayla-ponya, firefox, true panda: its life and times". Tetrapod Zoology. Retrieved 2010-01-09.

## External links[edit]

| Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Ailurus fulgens (category)

| Wikispecies has information related to: Ailurus fulgens

- Red Panda Network, USA ? The world's only non-profit organization dedicated to red panda conservation.
- Red Panda Network, Nepal
- ARKive: Red panda
- Animal Diversity Web Ailurus fulgens. Retrieved on 2009-11-26.
- Animal Info: Red Panda
- Birmingham Nature Centre ? UK breeding program. Retrieved on 2009-11-26.

Extant Carnivora species
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Mammalia Infraclass: Eutheria Superorder: Laurasiatheria
Suborder Feliformia
Nandiniidae |
Nandinia | African palm civet (N. binotata)
Herpestidae (Mongooses) |
Atilax | Marsh mongoose (A. paludinosus)
Bdeogale | Bushy-tailed mongoose (B. crassicauda) Jackson's mongoose (B. jacksoni) Black-footed mongoose (B. nigripes)
Crossarchus | Alexander's kusimanse (C. alexandri) Angolan kusimanse (C. ansorgei) Common kusimanse (C. obscurus) Flat-headed kusimanse (C. platycephalus)
Cynictis | Yellow mongoose (C. penicillata)
Dologale | Pousargues's mongoose (D. dybowskii)
Galerella | Angolan slender mongoose (G. flavescens) Somalian slender mongoose (G. ochracea) Cape gray mongoose (G. pulverulenta) Slender mongoose (G. sanguinea)
Helogale | Ethiopian dwarf mongoose (H. hirtula) Common dwarf mongoose (H. parvula)
Herpestes | Short-tailed mongoose (H. brachyurus) Indian gray mongoose (H. edwardsii) Indian brown mongoose (H. fuscus) Egyptian mongoose (H. ichneumon) Small Asian mongoose (H. javanicus) Long-nosed mongoose (H. naso) Collared mongoose (H. semitorquatus) Ruddy mongoose (H. smithii) Crab-eating mongoose (H. urva) Stripe-necked mongoose (H. vitticollis)
Ichneumia | White-tailed mongoose (I. albicauda)
Liberiictus | Liberian mongoose (L. kuhni)
Mungos | Gambian mongoose (M. gambianus) Banded mongoose (M. mungo)
Paracynictis | Selous' mongoose (P. selousi)
Rhynchogale | Meller's mongoose (R. melleri)
Suricata | Meerkat (S. suricatta)
Hyaenidae (Hyenas) |
Crocuta | Spotted hyena (C. crocuta)
Hyaena | Brown hyena (H. brunnea) Striped hyena (H. hyaena)
Proteles | Aardwolf (P. cristatus)
Felidae | Large family listed below
Viverridae | Large family listed below
Eupleridae | Small family listed below
Family Felidae
Felinae |
Acinonyx | Cheetah (A. jubatus)
Caracal | Caracal (C. caracal)
Felis | Chinese mountain cat (F. bieti) Domestic cat (F. catus) Jungle cat (F. chaus) Pallas's cat (F. manul) Sand cat (F. margarita) Black-footed cat (F. nigripes) Wildcat (F. silvestris)
Leopardus | Pantanal cat (L. braccatus) Colocolo (L. colocolo) Geoffroy's cat (L. geoffroyi) Kodkod (L. guigna) Andean mountain cat (L. jacobitus) Pampas cat (L. pajeros) Ocelot (L. pardalis) Oncilla (L. tigrinus) Margay (L. wiedii)
Leptailurus | Serval (L. serval)
Lynx | Canadian lynx (L. canadensis) Eurasian lynx (L. lynx) Iberian lynx (L. pardinus) Bobcat (L. rufus)
Pardofelis | Marbled cat (P. marmorata) Bay cat (P. badia) Asian golden cat (P. temminckii)
Prionailurus | Leopard cat (P. bengalensis) Iriomote cat (P. iriomotensis) Flat-headed cat (P. planiceps) Rusty-spotted cat (P. rubiginosus) Fishing cat (P. viverrinus)
Profelis | African golden cat (P. aurata)
Puma | Cougar (P. concolor) Jaguarundi (P. yagouaroundi)
Pantherinae |
Panthera | Lion (P. leo) Jaguar (P. onca) Leopard (P. pardus) Tiger (P. tigris)
Uncia | Snow leopard (U. uncia)
Neofelis | Clouded leopard (N. nebulosa) Sunda clouded leopard (N. diardi)
Family Viverridae (includes Civets)
Paradoxurinae |
Arctictis | Binturong (A. binturong)
Arctogalidia | Small-toothed palm civet (A. trivirgata)
Macrogalidia | Sulawesi palm civet (M. musschenbroekii)
Paguma | Masked palm civet (P. larvata)
Paradoxurus | Golden wet-zone palm civet (P. aureus) Asian palm civet (P. hermaphroditus) Jerdon's palm civet (P. jerdoni) Golden palm civet (P. zeylonensis)
Hemigalinae |
Chrotogale | Owston's palm civet (C. owstoni)
Cynogale | Otter civet (C. bennettii)
Diplogale | Hose's palm civet (D. hosei)
Hemigalus | Banded palm civet (H. derbyanus)
Prionodontinae (Asiatic linsangs) |
Prionodon | Banded linsang (P. linsang) Spotted linsang (P. pardicolor)
Viverrinae |
Civettictis | African civet (C. civetta)
Genetta (Genets) | Abyssinian genet (G. abyssinica) Angolan genet (G. angolensis) Bourlon's genet (G. bourloni) Crested servaline genet (G. cristata) Common genet (G. genetta) Johnston's genet (G. johnstoni) Rusty-spotted genet (G. maculata) Pardine genet (G. pardina) Aquatic genet (G. piscivora) King genet (G. poensis) Servaline genet (G. servalina) Haussa genet (G. thierryi) Cape genet (G. tigrina) Giant gorest genet (G. victoriae)
Poiana | African linsang (P. richardsonii) Leighton's linsang (P. leightoni)
Viverra | Malabar large-spotted civet (V. civettina) Large-spotted civet (V. megaspila) Malayan civet (V. tangalunga) Large Indian civet (V. zibetha)
Viverricula | Small Indian civet (V. indica)
Family Eupleridae
Euplerinae |
Cryptoprocta | Fossa (C. ferox)
Eupleres | Falanouc (E. goudotii)
Fossa | Malagasy civet (F. fossana)
Galidiinae |
Galidia | Ring-tailed mongoose (G. elegans)
Galidictis | Broad-striped Malagasy mongoose (G. fasciata) Grandidier's mongoose (G. grandidieri)
Mungotictis | Narrow-striped mongoose (M. decemlineata)
Salanoia | Brown-tailed mongoose (S. concolor) Durrell's vontsira (S. durrelli)
Suborder Caniformia (cont. below)
Ursidae (Bears) |
Ailuropoda | Giant panda (A. melanoleuca)
Helarctos | Sun bear (H. malayanus)
Melursus | Sloth bear (M. ursinus)
Tremarctos | Spectacled bear (T. ornatus)
Ursus | American black bear (U. americanus) Brown bear (U. arctos) Polar bear (U. maritimus) Asian black bear (U. thibetanus)
Mephitidae (Skunks) |
Conepatus (Hog-nosed skunks) | Molina's hog-nosed skunk (C. chinga) Humboldt's hog-nosed skunk (C. humboldtii) American hog-nosed skunk (C. leuconotus) Striped hog-nosed skunk (C. semistriatus)
Mephitis | Hooded skunk (M. macroura) Striped skunk (M. mephitis)
Mydaus | Sunda stink badger (M. javanensis) Palawan stink badger (M. marchei)
Spilogale (Spotted skunks) | Southern spotted skunk (S. angustifrons) Western spotted skunk (S. gracilis) Eastern spotted skunk (S. putorius) Pygmy spotted skunk (S. pygmaea)
Procyonidae |
Bassaricyon (Olingos) | Eastern lowland olingo (B. alleni) Northern olingo (B. gabbii) Western lowland olingo (B. medius) Olinguito (B. neblina)
Bassariscus | Ring-tailed cat (B. astutus) Cacomistle (B. sumichrasti)
Nasua (Coatis inclusive) | White-nosed coati (N. narica) South American coati (N. nasua)
Nasuella (Coatis inclusive) | Western mountain coati (N. olivacea) Eastern mountain coati (N. meridensis)
Potos | Kinkajou (P. flavus)
Procyon | Crab-eating raccoon (P. cancrivorus) Raccoon (P. lotor) Cozumel raccoon (P. pygmaeus)
Ailuridae |
Ailurus | Red panda (A. fulgens)
Suborder Caniformia (cont. above)
Otariidae (Eared seals) (includes fur seals and sea lions) (Pinniped inclusive) |
Arctocephalus | South American fur seal (A. australis) Australasian fur seal (A. forsteri) Galápagos fur seal (A. galapagoensis) Antarctic fur seal (A. gazella) Juan Fernández fur seal (A. philippii) Brown fur seal (A. pusillus) Guadalupe fur seal (A. townsendi) Subantarctic fur seal (A. tropicalis)
Callorhinus | Northern fur seal (C. ursinus)
Eumetopias | Steller sea lion (E. jubatus)
Neophoca | Australian sea lion (N. cinerea)
Otaria | South American sea lion (O. flavescens)
Phocarctos | New Zealand sea lion (P. hookeri)
Zalophus | California sea lion (Z. californianus) Galápagos sea lion (Z. wollebaeki)
Odobenidae (Pinniped inclusive) |
Odobenus | Walrus (O. rosmarus)
Phocidae (Earless seals) (Pinniped inclusive) |
Cystophora | Hooded seal (C. cristata)
Erignathus | Bearded seal (E. barbatus)
Halichoerus | Gray seal (H. grypus)
Histriophoca | Ribbon seal (H. fasciata)
Hydrurga | Leopard seal (H. leptonyx)
Leptonychotes | Weddell seal (L. weddellii)
Lobodon | Crabeater seal (L. carcinophagus)
Mirounga (Elephant seals) | Northern elephant seal (M. angustirostris) Southern elephant seal (M. leonina)
Monachus | Mediterranean monk seal (M. monachus) Hawaiian monk seal (M. schauinslandi)
Ommatophoca | Ross seal (O. rossi)
Pagophilus | Harp seal (P. groenlandicus)
Phoca | Spotted seal (P. largha) Harbor seal (P. vitulina)
Pusa | Caspian seal (P. caspica) Ringed seal (P. hispida) Baikal seal (P. sibirica)
Canidae | Large family listed below
Mustelidae | Large family listed below
Family Canidae
Atelocynus | Short-eared dog (A. microtis)
Canis | Side-striped jackal (C. adustus) Golden jackal (C. aureus) Coyote (C. latrans) Gray wolf (C. lupus) Arctic Wolf (C. lupus arctos) Dog (C. lupus familiaris) Black-backed jackal (C. mesomelas) Red wolf (C. rufus) Ethiopian wolf (C. simensis)
Cerdocyon | Crab-eating fox (C. thous)
Chrysocyon | Maned wolf (C. brachyurus)
Cuon | Dhole (C. alpinus)
Lycalopex | Culpeo (L. culpaeus) Darwin's fox (L. fulvipes) South American gray fox (L. griseus) Pampas fox (L. gymnocercus) Sechuran fox (L. sechurae) Hoary fox (L. vetulus)
Lycaon | African wild dog (L. pictus)
Nyctereutes | Raccoon dog (N. procyonoides)
Otocyon | Bat-eared fox (O. megalotis)
Speothos | Bush dog (S. venaticus)
Urocyon | Gray fox (U. cinereoargenteus) Island fox (U. littoralis)
Vulpes | Bengal fox (V. bengalensis) Blanford's fox (V. cana) Cape fox (V. chama) Corsac fox (V. corsac) Tibetan sand fox (V. ferrilata) Arctic fox (V. lagopus) Kit fox (V. macrotis) Pale fox (V. pallida) Rüppell's fox (V. rueppelli) Swift fox (V. velox) Red fox (V. vulpes) Fennec fox (V. zerda)
Family Mustelidae
Lutrinae (Otters) |
Aonyx | African clawless otter (A. capensis) Oriental small-clawed otter (A. cinerea)
Enhydra | Sea otter (E. lutris)
Hydrictis | Spotted-necked otter (H. maculicollis)
Lontra | North American river otter (L. canadensis) Marine otter (L. felina) Neotropical otter (L. longicaudis) Southern river otter (L. provocax)
Lutra | European otter (L. lutra) Hairy-nosed otter (L. sumatrana)
Lutrogale | Smooth-coated otter (L. perspicillata)
Pteronura | Giant otter (P. brasiliensis)
Mustelinae (including badgers) |
Arctonyx | Hog badger (A. collaris)
Eira | Tayra (E. barbara)
Galictis | Lesser grison (G. cuja) Greater grison (G. vittata)
Gulo | Wolverine (G. gulo)
Ictonyx | Saharan striped polecat (I. libyca) Striped polecat (I. striatus)
Lyncodon | Patagonian weasel (L. patagonicus)
Martes (Martens) | American marten (M. americana) Yellow-throated marten (M. flavigula) Beech marten (M. foina) Nilgiri marten (M. gwatkinsii) European pine marten (M. martes) Japanese marten (M. melampus) Fisher (M. pennanti) Sable (M. zibellina)
Meles | Japanese badger (M. anakuma) Asian badger (M. leucurus) European badger (M. meles)
Mellivora | Honey badger (M. capensis)
Melogale (Ferret-badgers) | Bornean ferret-badger (M. everetti) Chinese ferret-badger (M. moschata) Javan ferret-badger (M. orientalis) Burmese ferret-badger (M. personata)
Mustela (Weasels and Ferrets) | Amazon weasel (M. africana) Mountain weasel (M. altaica) Stoat (M. erminea) Steppe polecat (M. eversmannii) Colombian weasel (M. felipei) Long-tailed weasel (M. frenata) Japanese weasel (M. itatsi) Yellow-bellied weasel (M. kathiah) European mink (M. lutreola) Indonesian mountain weasel (M. lutreolina) Black-footed ferret (M. nigripes) Least weasel (M. nivalis) Malayan weasel (M. nudipes) European polecat (M. putorius) Siberian weasel (M. sibirica) Back-striped weasel (M. strigidorsa) Egyptian weasel (M. subpalmata)
Neovison | American mink (N. vison)
Poecilogale | African striped weasel (P. albinucha)
Taxidea | American badger (T. taxus)
Vormela | Marbled polecat (V. peregusna)