It's 2022 already. Is there anyone who still can't tell the difference between "giant panda", "red panda" and "little giant panda"?

If someone asks you, "What are the names of giant panda's babies?" the correct answer should be, "Little giant panda."

Why can’t we say “red panda”?

Because there is another animal with this name.

Above: Giant panda

Below: Red Panda

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The red panda is currently only distributed in the Himalaya-Hengduan Mountains region, including China, Myanmar, Bhutan, India and Nepal. It is a flagship species of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau.

Let’s talk about it today.

The red panda, like the giant panda, is a highly specialized carnivorous animal that mainly eats vegetarian food. It has similarities with the giant panda in some characteristics, but it also has its own unique charm and appearance.

The red panda is about 80 to 120 centimeters long and weighs only about 5 kilograms on average. Its tail is about 30 to 50 centimeters long, as thick and long as a wolf's tail, and the tail hair is studded with 9 reddish-brown and yellow-white rings, so it has a peculiar common name - "Nine-section Wolf".

Compared to the "black and white version" of the giant panda, the red panda is an absolute "color version". Its face is short and nearly round, and it is small and cute compared to its relatively sturdy body. The white patches on its cheeks, nose and forehead and the long beard make it even more playful. A wide brown-red band extending from the eyes down separates the white around the nose from the white on the cheeks. The ears are large and high, with white edges, which look alert and clever, always capturing information about the surrounding environment. The dark brown eyes are small and round, sometimes bright and sometimes sleepy.

Seeing this cute and fierce red panda, I find it hard not to love it.

The two species of red pandas (the Himalayan red panda and the Chinese red panda) live at slightly different altitudes: the Himalayan red panda is slightly higher, between 2,000 and 3,600 meters, while the Chinese red panda lives between 1,400 and 3,400 meters, but they are basically in the alpine and subalpine zones.

Himalayan red panda (top) and Chinese red panda (bottom)

Image source: Science Popularization China

The red panda is a mountain animal that prefers warm and humid environments and is relatively cold-resistant. It lives in mountain evergreen broad-leaved forests, mixed evergreen and deciduous forests, mixed coniferous and broad-leaved forests, and coniferous forest belts, and is strictly selective about its microbial environment.

Generally speaking, red pandas particularly like to move around in typical habitats with steep slopes, moderate tree density, good bamboo growth, proximity to water sources and rhododendron trees.

The red panda's forelimbs have a "false thumb" on the palm that is specialized from a wrist bone, just like the giant panda. It functions like a real thumb and can grasp bamboo branches and pick bamboo leaves deftly, and can also hold food to eat, appearing very gentle.

Unlike giant pandas, which have the "bad habit" of eating a lot and excreting a lot and defecating anywhere, red pandas are very clean and always go to a fixed, secluded place to defecate.

Since the red panda mainly feeds on bamboo, although the number of premolars has not decreased, the carnivorous teeth unique to carnivores have almost lost their cutting function. The two pairs of upper and lower molars are short and wide, with bright and rough grinding surfaces to adapt to grinding hard bamboo fibers. In addition, it also has strong chewing muscles and corresponding bone structure, which increases its chewing power.

Image source: Science Popularization China

The red panda's sense of smell, hearing and vision are not very good, and its gentle temperament and poor self-defense ability make it very vulnerable to natural enemies such as leopards, clouded leopards, jackals and yellow-throated martens. When in danger, it often screams "oh oh" loudly and then escapes into the dense forest to hide. It will bite the opponent fiercely when it is in extreme danger, or stand up and pounce with its front paws.

It moves slowly and clumsily on the ground and does not run very fast, but its ability to climb trees is very strong. It can climb up to very high and thin branches in a short time, often making it impossible for some wild beasts that can climb trees to do anything to it.

There is a secretory gland near the red panda's anus, and it often uses this part to rub against protruding objects such as tree trunks and rocks, leaving a special smell to attract the opposite sex or convey information.

From June to July every year, the season in the mountainous environment is late spring compared to the plains. The temperature and humidity are suitable, and food is abundant, which is suitable for the red pandas living at high altitudes to reproduce.

Today, red pandas have received widespread attention from around the world, and their protection is being carried out in an orderly manner. I believe that one day in the future, red pandas will be able to run freely in the vast nature and live freely in a peaceful and suitable environment.

Further reading

The Cultural Status of the Red Panda

The red panda is a very unique and fascinating species.

In India, the red panda is the representative animal of Sikkim. Its image not only appears on the emblem of the Sikkim State Forest and Environment Department, but is also used to promote the first International Tea Festival held in Darjeeling.

Image source: Science Popularization China

Many countries have issued red panda-themed stamps, such as China, Nepal and other countries where red pandas are distributed, as well as Japan, the Czech Republic, New Zealand, etc.

Image source: Science Popularization China

In the well-known animated film "Kung Fu Panda", the prototype of the master of the protagonist giant panda Po is the red panda.

The American environmental protection company Call2recycle also used the red panda as the protagonist of its promotional advertisement.

Image source: Science Popularization China

In addition, the Görlitz Zoo in Germany not only built a huge artificial natural habitat for red pandas, but also launched red panda commemorative coins, which shows the international community's love for red pandas.

Image source: Science Popularization China

END

Can you name them?

Source: Beijing Association for Science and Technology, China Science Daily, Science Press

Producer: Ma Lian Editor: Wu Nan

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