# Red Panda

*Ailurus fulgens*

Red pandas have a modified wrist bone that acts like a sixth digit or 'false thumb,' allowing them to grasp bamboo stalks with incredible precision.

- **Taxonomy:** Animalia › Chordata › Mammalia › Carnivora › Ailuridae › Ailurus
- **IUCN Red List status:** Endangered
- **Population trend:** decreasing
- **Biome:** forest
- **Habitat:** High-altitude temperate forests with a dense bamboo understory, typically between 2,200 and 4,800 meters.
- **Diet:** Primarily bamboo shoots and leaves, supplemented by berries, blossoms, bird eggs, and occasionally small rodents.
- **Range:** Himalayas, Nepal, India, Bhutan, China, Myanmar
- **Size:** 50-65 cm in body length with a 30-50 cm tail; weight ranges from 3 to 6 kg.
- **Lifespan:** 8 to 12 years in the wild, up to 15 years in captivity.
- **Active:** crepuscular
- **Threats:** Habitat fragmentation, deforestation for livestock grazing, and illegal poaching for the pet and fur trade.
- **Safe to approach?:** Harmless and shy. Maintain a safe distance and do not attempt to touch or feed. If bitten or scratched, wash the wound thoroughly and seek medical advice for potential infection.

## About

The red panda ( Ailurus fulgens ), also called the lesser panda , the red bear-cat , and the red cat-bear , is a mammal native to the eastern Himalayas and southwestern China. It has reddish-brown fur, a long, shaggy tail, and a waddling gait due to its shorter front legs; it is roughly the size of a domestic cat, though with a longer body and somewhat heavier. It is arboreal, feeds mainly on bamboo, but also eats eggs, birds, and...

## Sources

- Plate: https://gaia-dex.com/species/15118214-8f4a-4881-afb6-30465d3cd80a
- iNaturalist: https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/41653
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ailurus fulgens
- Conservation status: IUCN Red List category, as recorded by Gaia-Dex
- Photo: https://inaturalist-open-data.s3.amazonaws.com/photos/110641176/medium.jpg (Dave Pape, no known copyright restrictions (public domain), PD, via iNaturalist)

Habitat, diet, size and similar notes are AI-written summaries; check them against the linked sources before relying on them.