The most amazing mammals from the Pandum family. It was not easy to classify this animal. The animal has signs of a marten, a predatory bear and a raccoon. In size, the beast is no more than a large cat, for which the nickname “Fly Bear” received. Make small pandas from 4 to 6 kilograms. Elongated body with a pointed muzzle. Small and rounded ears on the head. The eyes of a bright black color. The body of the animal of red color flowing into black on the bottom of the body. Red head with white spots resembling a raccoon color.
Cute face and toy view of this beast is popular all over the world. Due to her fur, Malaya Panda acquired the nickname “Red Panda”. And in China this representative is called the “Fiery Fox”. The legs of the animal are short with rather sharp claws. Like the type of large pands, this fiery fox was awarded an additional finger that helps to deftly cope with bamboo stems. The gait is clubfoot, moves on one paw relying and periodically sways his head around. These movements resemble a bear gait.
For the first time they learned about this animal in China in the eighth century. And European scientists opened Malaya Panda only in the 21st century.
Where Malaya Panda lives
Where to meet this miracle zver? Panda originated in the southeast of the Himalayan mountains at an altitude of almost 4000 meters. The habitat of the small panda is extremely scarce. You can find them in the provinces of Yunnan and Sichuan China, in the north of Burma and northeast of India. Ancestors of this species could be found in the territories of Eastern Europe and North America. Suggest that a change in climatic conditions has led to the disappearance of this type. Red pandas do not tolerate dry hot climate. They settled in territories with a temperature of no higher than 25 degrees.
What eats
This cute cat bear belongs to the category of predators, but, despite this, it feeds exclusively with plant foods. Like large pandas, small red foxes prefer bamboo. The stems of this plant make up 90% of the animals diet. Extremely rarely switch to mushrooms or berries, and even less often they enjoy rodent carcasses. As a rule, the variety in the diet of small pandas appears with the transition to the winter period, which is due to an increased need for nutrients. The whole life of this animal comes down to the process of eating bamboo and rest. Malaya panda takes 13 hours a day for food.
The wedding season
The marriage season in small pands begins in January. The period of pregnancy in the female ranges from 45 to 90 days. And the development of the fetus itself lasts only 50 days and begins a long time after mating. This phenomenon is usually characterized by embryonic range. Being pregnant, the female begins to prepare a nest of various branches and leaves. He tries to build a nest in a quiet place, usually these are crevices of rocks and various hollows of trees. Red panda gives birth to one or two cubs. Kids are born completely blind and deaf. They weigh no more than 100 grams.
Cubs of red panda
The female is busy with her kids for 3 months. During this period, small pandas are able to eat on their own and get out of the nest. Separated from the mother only with the advent of a new litter. Due to the inhibited period of ripening, the pandas are forced to live in packs. Truly adults can be called pands aged 2 to 3 years.
Behavior and lifestyle
These red pandas are engaged in active activity with the onset of twilight. Most of their time animals spend on trees. There they are hidden in the event of a danger. But for the extraction of food, they are forced to descend to the ground. The animal starts with its day with cleaning wool. Hot weather tolerates in the shade on the branches of trees. Can hide in hollows if the air temperature becomes lower.
Small pandas communicate with sounds resembling bird chirping.
This type of panda prefers a lonely lifestyle. Avoids close contacts with other representatives of the fauna. Starts its territory using a special liquid located on the paws of the paws.
Life expectancy
The average life span does not exceed 10 years. Sometimes longlivers are found at the age of 15 years. Thanks to their calm character, pandas comfortably tolerate existence in captivity. If there is a constant access to the food source, small pandas can live in zoos under 18 years old. The reason for their early death is people and predatory animals.
The status of the species
The owner of chic fur is always forced to be at risk. Local residents haunt animals with the aim of using their fur for the manufacture of accessories. And the traditions of Yunnan province consider the fur of a red animal as a amulet of family life. No wonder cute animals were included in the Red Book as a species, which is threatened. Despite the small number of enemies in the predatory nature, the number of individuals of small pandas is no more than 10 thousand.
Widespread deforestation threatens the development of the population of small pandas. In the Himalayas, their number decreased by more than a third.
To save the species from potential extinction, a large number of zoos take animals for maintenance. And some representatives were so tamed that they can be found as pets.
