TABLE OF CONTENTS - National Zoo

RED PANDA
(Ailurus fulgens)
Herbivore
Description: The red or lesser panda is much smaller than the more famous giant
panda and more closely resembles a raccoon in size and appearance. Although their
relationship has been debated for 150 years, red pandas are now known to be
related to raccoons while giant pandas belong to the bear family. The red panda has
a bright orange-red woolly coat with black legs, and black underside and a long,
ringed tail. It has a white face with orange-red “tear-tracks” on its cheeks. Although
the red panda is a capable climber, it seems to do most feeding on the ground.
Teeth: The lesser panda has three pairs of incisors and one pair of canines in both
jaws. The number of premolars varies from 3-4 pairs in both jaws, oftentimes the
upper first premolar is missing, and the lower one is also either small or missing.
There are two pairs of molars in the upper jaw and 2-4 pairs in the lower jaw, leaving
a total of 36-40 teeth. The last upper molar is relatively large and rounded. The
molars and premolars are extremely well-adapted to crushing bamboo, the lesser
panda’s principal food.
Diet: Red pandas feed almost exclusively on bamboo. During the short growing
season, they may also feed on fruit, berries or seeds. They occasionally eat small
animals and, rarely raid domestic crops. Their diet comprises bamboo, grasses,
acorns, roots, berries, and lichens, although it will also sometimes eat eggs or young
birds.
Range: One subspecies lives in southwestern China and northern Burma, and the
other is found in the Himalayas of India and Nepal.
Habitat: Red pandas live at an altitude between 1,000 to 3,000 meters (3,000 to
12,000 ft) in forests with dense bamboo growth.
Social Organization: Red pandas are largely nocturnal in habit. Except for the brief
relationship between mother and young, they lead solitary lives. The female has one
to three cubs, which reach maturity at one and a half years of age. Females require
tree hollows or other naturally occurring shelters for raising their young. During
daylight hours, they can be found sleeping in trees.
Conservation Status: Habitat destruction is the main threat to the red panda. China
and Nepal have rapidly growing human populations and their need for timber, fuel
and grazing land causes widespread losses of forested land that supports bamboo
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