Red Panda Facts: The Original Panda With a Thumb That Isn't a Thumb
It has the panda name, the bamboo diet and the round face — but the red panda is not a bear at all. This rust-coloured tree-dweller was the first animal ever called a panda, decades before the giant panda got the name. Here is what makes it one of the most unusual climbers on Earth.
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The First Panda Ever Named
European science described the red panda in 1825 — almost 50 years before the giant panda was named in 1869. The word panda is thought to come from a Nepali word meaning bamboo eater, and it belonged to this little animal first. Genetically, red pandas sit in their own family, most closely related to raccoons, skunks and weasels.
A Thumb That Isn't a Thumb
Red pandas grip bamboo with a special wrist bone that sticks out like a thumb — a false thumb. Giant pandas evolved the same trick independently, one of the most famous cases of two unrelated animals arriving at the same solution. The red panda's version also helps it climb headfirst down trees, rotating its ankles to grip the trunk.
A Bamboo Diet With a Sweet Tooth
About 95 percent of a red panda's diet is bamboo leaves and shoots, but it has a famous weakness: red pandas in studies consistently chose sweetened water over plain water, and they are unusually good at tasting artificial sweeteners for a meat-eater's descendant. In the wild they round out the menu with berries, blossoms, eggs and the occasional small animal.
Built for Cold Mountain Forests
Red pandas live in the temperate forests of the Himalayas and southwestern China, where their thick rust-red coat blends with moss-covered trees and keeps them warm. A long, bushy, ringed tail works as both a blanket and a balance pole. Sadly, fewer than 10,000 remain in the wild, and the species is listed as endangered.
Quick Summary
The red panda (Ailurus fulgens) is a raccoon-relative from the mountain forests of Asia — the first animal ever named a panda, a bamboo specialist with a wrist bone that works as a thumb, and one of the best climbers in the animal kingdom.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is a red panda a bear?
No. Despite the name and the bamboo diet, the red panda is not closely related to the giant panda. Its closest relatives are raccoons, skunks and weasels, and it sits in its own scientific family, Ailuridae.
What do red pandas eat?
Mostly bamboo — leaves and fresh shoots make up about 95 percent of the diet. They also eat berries, fruit, blossoms and eggs when they find them.
Why are red pandas endangered?
Their forest home is being cut down and fragmented, and they are sometimes hunted or caught in traps set for other animals. Fewer than 10,000 adults are thought to remain in the wild.
Can red pandas climb down trees headfirst?
Yes. Like squirrels, red pandas can rotate their ankles, letting them climb down a trunk headfirst with their claws gripping the bark.