Red Panda
The red panda (Ailurus fulgens) is a small, russet, tree-living mammal of the Himalayan forests, with a ringed bushy tail. Despite sharing the name, it is not closely related to the giant panda. It is listed as Endangered.
The red panda (Ailurus fulgens) is a small, russet, tree-living mammal of the Himalayan forests, with a ringed bushy tail. Despite sharing the name, it is not closely related to the giant panda. It is listed as Endangered.
🧬 Field Guide Specimen: Open Red Panda in the CRV Science Field Guide to log the specimen, see its place among the Evolutionary lineages in the Cladogram Explorer, and test your recall in the Red List conservation game.
A Bamboo Specialist With a False Thumb
Like the giant panda, the red panda eats mostly bamboo and has an enlarged wrist bone that acts like a thumb. These resemblances evolved independently, an example of convergent evolution. See Giant Panda.
A Family of One
The red panda is the sole living member of the family Ailuridae, related to raccoons, weasels and skunks. Genetic work in 2020 suggested there are two species, a Himalayan and a Chinese red panda.
Threats
Deforestation, illegal hunting and the pet trade have caused sharp declines.
Red Panda at a Glance
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Scientific name | Ailurus fulgens |
| Kingdom | Animalia |
| Phylum | Chordata |
| Class | Mammalia |
| Order | Carnivora |
| Suborder | Caniformia |
| Family | Ailuridae |
| Field Guide group | Evolutionary Oddities (Unique & Disputed Lineages) |
| Diagnostic feature (Field Guide) | Arboreal Himalayan mammal with reddish-chestnut fur, a ringed bushy tail, furred soles, and an enlarged wrist bone (radial sesamoid) acting as a 'false thumb' to grip bamboo stems. |
| IUCN Red List status | Endangered (EN), assessed 2015 |
| Family | Ailuridae |
See Also
- Giant Panda — a distant bamboo-eating bear
- Snow Leopard — another Himalayan mammal