Critter Class
Red Panda
Led by: MVK
August 19, 2011
MVK:
Our topic for today is furry, lives in the Himalayas and southwestern China. It is one of the cutest
animals I have ever seen.
MVK:
Here is a link to what we are going to learn about.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y6GaPkkGZGw
MVK:
It is slightly larger than a cat. It is active mostly from dusk to dawn and mostly sedentary during
the day.
MVK:
It eats mainly bamboo, but is omnivorous and may eat eggs, birds, insects and small mammals.
MVK:
Looks like it doesn't it. The front legs are much shorter so they tend to waddle!
Comment:
i was right - it used to be classified as being in the same family as racoons or bears (it does look
like a cross between them), but is now in a class of its own
Comment:
AND it's related to ferrets!
MVK:
It was so cute when it stood up on its hind legs like - I found you!!!!!!
Comment:
i'm a quick googler... http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/red-panda/
MVK:
They are endangered or vulnurable with approximatley only 10,000 mature red pandas.
MVK:
up to 20 pounds about the size of a cat really.
Comment:
So how big do they get??? were they adults in the video??? soooooooooooo cute
MVK:
From Wikipedia Red pandas are able to reproduce from around 18 months of age, and are fully
mature at 2–3 years. Adults rarely interact in the wild except to mate. Both sexes may
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mate with more than one partner during the mating season from mid-January to early
March.[21] A few days before birth, females begin to collect material, such as
brushwood, grass, and leaves, to build a nest, which is normally located in a hollow tree
or a rock crevice. After a gestation period of 112 to 158 days, the female gives birth in
mid-June to late July to about one to four blind and deaf cubs weighing 110 to 130 grams
(3.9 to 4.6 oz) each.[5]
MVK:
After birth, the mother cleans the cubs and can then recognize each by their smell. At first, she
spends 60% to 90% of her time with the cubs. After the first week, the mother starts
spending more time outside the nest, returning every few hours to nurse and groom the
cubs. She moves the young frequently among several nests, all of which she keeps clean.
The cubs start to open their eyes at about 18 days of age. By about 90 days, they have
achieved full adult fur and coloring, and begin to venture out of the nest. They also start
eating solid foods at this point, weaning at around 6–8 months of age. The cubs stay with
their mother until the next litter is born in the following summer. Males rarely help raise
the young, and only if they live in pairs or in small groups.[5]
MVK:
Jakermo Red Pandas!!!!
MVK:
They live 8-10 years but some reach 15.
Comment:
AE, yes. from wiki The red panda has been previously classified in the families Procyonidae
(raccoons) and Ursidae (bears), but recent research has placed it in its own family
Ailuridae, in superfamily Musteloidea along with Mustelidae and Procyonidae.[
(Mustelidae are weasels)
MVK:
They are solitary animals except during mating season. They are fairly quiet except for some
twittering or whistling noises.
MVK:
Shortly after waking, red pandas clean their fur like a cat, licking their front paws and then
rubbing their back, stomach and sides. They also rub their back and belly along the sides
of trees or rocks. Then they patrol their territory, marking it with urine and a weak musksmelling secretion from their anal gland. They search for food running along the ground
or through the trees. They use their front paws to place the food into the mouth, and drink
by plunging a paw into the water and then licking the paw.
Comment:
The link Kali sent says "Currently, red pandas are considered members of their own unique
family—the Ailuridae." I have never heard of that family...also says they are an
endangered species...
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Comment:
why are the endangered? What is the cause?
MVK:
Deforestation
Comment:
I think we have a pair of red pandas at the Norfolk Zoo.
MVK:
I believe there are Monica - although I haven't been to the zoo in over 35 years - and it is only
about 2 miles from me.
Comment:
That huge long ringed tail is magnificent. almost the full size of the animal itself.
Comment:
how many babies can they have at one time?
MVK:
1-4
MVK:
They weigh under 5 ounces at birth.
Comment:
So they eat foods different from a regular panda????
MVK:
Like the Giant Panda, they cannot digest cellulose, so they must consume a large volume of
bamboo to survive. Their diet consists of about two-thirds bamboo, but they also eat
mushrooms, roots, acorns, lichen, and grasses. Occasionally, they supplement their diet
with fish and insects. They do little more than eat and sleep due to their low-calorie
diet.[citation needed]
Comment:
would they be known as a "miniture" panda???
MVK:
No only very very distantly related to pandas in evolution.
Comment
were those pandas on thelink full g rown?
MVK:
They looked a little young - maybe almost adults.
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Comment:
Hi MVK! I hate to ask, but are they threatened by poachers?
MVK:
The primary threats to red pandas are direct harvest from the wild, live or dead, competition with
domestic livestock resulting in habitat degradation, and deforestation resulting in habitat
loss or fragmentation. The relative importance of these factors is different in each region,
and is not well understood.[8] For instance, in India the biggest threat seems to be habitat
loss followed by poaching, while in China the biggest threat seems to be hunting and
poaching.[2] A 40% decrease in red panda populations has been reported in China over
the last 50 years, and populations in western Himalayan areas are considered to be lower.
Per Wikipedia
Comment:
The video said they were losing their habitat. What is their habitat like.
Comment:
If you go to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_panda scroll down a little and they have an audio
clip of a red panda twittering. It's sounds like someone laughing hysterically!
MVK:
and - I really doubt the WCV has ever had one.
MVK:
Because the red panda is considered a very attractive or cute animal, and is not much larger than
a house cat, it would seem to be ideal for a pet. Despite this, and despite reports that
Indira Gandhi kept red pandas as pets when she was a child, there does not seem to have
ever been widespread adoption of these animals as pets. .
Comment:
Is their origin from Japan?
MVK:
The first known written record of the red panda occurs in a 13th-century Chinese scroll depicting
a hunting scene between hunters and the red panda.
Comment:
What do they eat MVK?
MVK:
Bamboo, other vegetation, eggs, birds, and small mammals but mainly vegetation.
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Comment:
Never heard of a Red Panda before. What fascinating little creatures! What predators do they
have to watch out for?
MVK:
grannie - it seems man is their biggest predator - deforestation and poaching. In China they kill
them for their fur.
MVK:
I think they also have a pretty mean bite!
Comment:
We have red pandas at our zoo here in Syracuse. The Rosamond Gifford Zoo
MVK:
Red Pandas also do not do well in hot weather.
Comment:
You know in China they do keep them as pets, but I think under special circumstances. Not sure
what they are.... (heart)
Comment:
Are they territorial, how large is thier terr.??Thanks
MVK:
Yes they are and mark their territory daily.
MVK: Predators of the red panda include the snow leopard, martens (Mustelidae), and people. If
they feel threatened or sense danger, they may try to escape by climbing a rock column or
tree. If they can no longer flee, they stand on their hind legs to make themselves appear
larger and use the sharp claws on their front paws to defend themselves.
Comment:
We have a pair at the Oglebay Zoo in Wheeling, WV. They are adorable.
Comment:
What do they eat?
MVK:
Bamboo, vegetation, eggs, birds and small mammals - but primarily vegetation
Comment:
that long ringed tail is something else.
Comment:
since they are blind and deaf at birth, those first days must be very perilous for the babies.
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MVK:
Kittens are also blind and deaf at birth, and it sounds like they are about the same size too.
Comment:
i'm taking a guess here, because i haven't found anything to document their classification, but i
think that because of their size, body shape and the fact that they do produce a "musk", is
why they're classed with weasels (and ferrets) which also produce a musk
MVK:
Kali - there is lots of info on the Wikipedia site - about their Taxonomy and Evolution.
Comment:
Ok, now you set me straight.......they are found in China. Got my country of origin mixed up.
Comment:
they should protect them in China, saw on tv last nite that China has HUGE rats that they arent
doing anything about but these little guys are hunted...doesnt make sense
Comment:
Thanks for introducing me to the Red Panda, MVK...Until they were mentioned last night, I
knew nothing about them, and reading about them after a trip to the dentist where I saw
an extended family of racoons playing between the woods and the parking lot - I took
them right to heart. Great week of classes...LOVED it...and thank you. (ps - look at
Sloths! they may not proliferate in VA but they have the best smiles!) Good night.
Comment:
are they afraid of people
MVK:
I sure hope so!!!! They are wild animals and not too many wild animals are fond of humans - and
that's the way it should be. Run the humans are coming!!!
Comment:
Didn't I read that they can't stand the heat? They must be in the AC in Dallas.
MVK:
The zoo here too 33 - they must keep them cool.
Comment:
Sooo cute. How old are they when they go out on their own?
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MVK:
Nana - they stay with their mother until the next mating season. So at approximately 1 year of
age. Good for you Nana. Thank you.
Comment:
They look quite playful. Do they stay with Mom a long time?
Comment:
Deforestation is evidient in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan....every time I drive through there
is less & less woods. I HATE it!!!!
Comment:
Hio MVK, I was reading back, and yes the Virgina Zoo in Norfok does have 2 red pandas.
Comment:
Even their twittering sound is the CUTEST!!
Comment:
Monica @ 8:14 - Sadly, the female Red Panda at the Norfolk Zoo died in March of this year. I
did a quick Google search but did not find anything that indicated cause of death. I was
there earlier this summer and the male was still in his enclosure.
Comment:
http://www.pluspets.net/red-panda-unusual-cute/
Comment:
for Dot in Cooperstown- we have Red Pandas at the Syracuse Zoo - they had babies a short while
ago.
Comment:
They look so cute when they stand upright on their hind legs.Savetheredpanda.com has a picture
of one that looks like it is being hand-fed a grape.
Comment:
Red panda cubs! Soooo cute!! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mkCAbxNnBLU
Comment:
Hi MVK, it is beyond me how anyone can kill a sweet adorable creature like that for fur. How
barbaric.
Comment:
Hey MVK, Missy and Oscar are the red pandas at the Virginia Zoo here in Norfolk!!!! Missy just
arrived this year I think!!! Love this subject!!!
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Comment:
MVK - I was a little tardy to class - I have a note - Does the Red Panda live in trees? Where do
the go for safety?
MVK:
Yes on tree branches and in tree hollows.
Comment:
Red Panda's were the reason I eveentually started to watch eagles. Firefox browser had them on a
cam from the Knoxville Zoo from the time they were tiny, until they went to the zoo in
Garden City, KS and Cincinnati Zoo. I wish I could still watch them. It was a wonderful
cam! So very sweet and fun!
Comment:
What is a "musk"??
MVK:
Musk oil is secreted by a gland in some animals. The oils are used to attract mates and to mark
territories. Some perfumes also have musk in them - said to attract the opposite sex. If
you have ever smelled a ferret - you will know what musk smells like. Then of course
there is the musk ox - totally different creature.
Comment:
yes they are
Comment:
@kali-TX - I think classification looks primarily at teeth.
Comment:
MVK: Though they drink using their paws, do they like water to bathe in? They sure liked the
snow.!
MVK:
My resources did not say they swim - but since they clean by using their paws like a cat - I
would be surprised if they like water very much.
Comment:
I believe baboo stands competely die off after a certain length of time, would the pandas be able
to find a substitute?
MVK:
Their diet consists of 75% bamboo and they need it to survive as their body does not make
cellulose.
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MVK:
Also - they are the only non-primate that can taste artificial sweetener like aspartame.
Comment:
how are their nest built or what ever they have the babies in
MVK:
sticks, grass, straw, leaves in tree hollows or rock crevices
Comment:
Bamboo die off. just found this http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21768608/ns/world_newsworld_environment/t/china-pandas-threatened-bamboo-die-off/
Comment:
Hello MVK - Classes are fabulous - better than TV on most stations. My question: Earlier you
mentioned birds as a food source. What type would that be? Thanks.
MVK:
I have no idea Mary Jane - bird eggs and birds and small mammals is all it says.
Comment:
From the Virginia Zoo (in Norfolk) website: Oscar took up residence at the Virginia Zoo in the
spring of 2008 and can frequently be spotted exploring the trees and logs in his exhibit.
Missy joined Oscar in 2011. Red pandas, which resemble raccoons, are about 42 inches
long with a long, bushy tail. Their soft, dense fur covers their entire body – even the soles
of their feet. Red pandas use their long, bushy tails to help them balance when they are in
the trees. They also cover themselves with their tails to keep warm in the winter. Red
pandas live in the cool temperate bamboo forests in Sichuan and Yunnan Provinces in
China, the Himalayas and in Myanmar. They share part of their range with giant pandas.
Red pandas eat bamboo leaves, berries, blossoms, and bird eggs. Red pandas are
endangered due to habitat loss. There are fewer than 2,500 adult red pandas in the wild.
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Comment:
The link for the red panda site did not work. The correct link is:
http://www.Savetheredpanda.com
MVK:
Kyle - tonight was Red Panda night. They grow up to 20 pounds, are territorial and eat bamboo
and vegetation, eggs, birds and small mammals. Though very very cute and cuddly
looking - I think they have very sharp teeth and claws.
MVK:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y6GaPkkGZGw Red Panda videos
Comment:
Columbus Zoo in Ohio has both a red panda and manatees (but not in the same enclosure LOL).
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