Editing Red panda

{{Short description|Species of mammal in Asia}}
{{Other uses|Red Panda (disambiguation){{!}}Red Panda}}
{{Featured article}}
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{{Use British English|date=February 2022}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2016}}
{{Speciesbox
| name = Red panda
| fossil_range = {{fossil range|Pleistocene|Present}}
| image = Red Panda (24986761703).jpg
| status = EN
| status_system = IUCN3.1
| status_ref = <ref name="iucn">{{cite iucn |title=''Ailurus fulgens'' |author=Glatston, A. |author2=Wei, F. |author3=Than Zaw<!--author name is listed this way in the source; no last/first name separation is provided--> |author4=Sherpa, A. |name-list-style=amp |page=e.T714A110023718 |date=2015 |errata=2017 |access-date=15 January 2022}}</ref>
| status2 = CITES_A1 
| status2_system = CITES 
| status2_ref = <ref name="iucn"/>
| genus = Ailurus
| parent_authority = [[Frédéric Cuvier|F. Cuvier]], 1825
| species = fulgens
| authority = F. Cuvier, 1825
| subdivision_ranks  = Subspecies
| subdivision =
''A. f. fulgens'' {{small|F. Cuvier, 1825}}<br/>
''A. f. styani'' {{small|[[Oldfield Thomas|Thomas]], 1902}}<ref name="thomas_1902">{{Cite journal |author=Thomas, O. |year=1902 |title=On the Panda of Sze-chuen |journal=Annals and Magazine of Natural History |series=7 |volume=X |issue=57 |pages=251–252 |doi=10.1080/00222930208678667 |url=https://archive.org/stream/s7annalsmagazine10londuoft#page/251/mode/1up}}</ref>
| range_map = RedPanda distribution.png
| range_map_alt = Map showing the range of the red panda, a narrow band along the Himalayas and southwest China, in red 
| range_map_caption = Range of the red panda
}}

The '''red panda''' ('''''Ailurus fulgens'''''), also known as the '''lesser panda''', is a small [[mammal]] native to the [[eastern Himalayas]] and [[southwestern China]]. It has dense reddish-brown fur with a black belly and legs, white-lined ears, a mostly white muzzle and a ringed tail. Its head-to-body length is {{cvt|51|-|63.5|cm}} with a {{cvt|28|-|48.5|cm}} tail, and it weighs between {{cvt|3.2|and|15|kg}}. It is well adapted to climbing due to its flexible joints and curved semi-retractile claws.

The red panda was formally [[Species description|described]] in 1825. The two currently recognised subspecies, the Himalayan and the Chinese red panda, [[Genetic divergence|genetically diverged]] about 250,000 years ago. The red panda's place on the [[Phylogenetic tree|evolutionary tree]] has been debated, but modern genetic evidence places it in close affinity with [[Procyonidae|raccoon]]s, [[Mustelidae|weasel]]s, and [[Mephitidae|skunk]]s. It is not closely related to the [[giant panda]], which is a [[bear]], though both possess elongated wrist bones or "[[Sesamoid bone#Other animals|false thumbs]]" used for grasping [[bamboo]]. The evolutionary [[Lineage (evolution)|lineage]] of the red panda ([[Ailuridae]]) stretches back around {{mya|25|18}}, as indicated by extinct fossil relatives found in Eurasia and North America.

The red panda inhabits [[coniferous forests]] as well as [[temperate broadleaf and mixed forests]], favouring steep slopes with dense bamboo cover close to water sources. It is solitary and largely [[arboreal]]. It feeds mainly on [[bamboo shoot]]s and leaves, but also on fruits and blossoms. Red pandas mate in early spring, with the females giving birth to litters of up to four cubs in summer. It is threatened by [[poaching]] as well as [[habitat destruction|destruction]] and [[habitat fragmentation|fragmentation]] of habitat due to [[deforestation]]. The species has been listed as [[endangered species|Endangered]] on the [[IUCN Red List]] since 2015. It is protected in all [[Range state|range countries]].

[[Community-based conservation]] programmes have been initiated in [[Nepal]], [[Bhutan]] and [[Northeast India|northeastern India]]; in China, it benefits from [[nature conservation]] projects. Regional [[captive breeding]] programmes for the red panda have been established in zoos around the world. It is featured in animated movies, video games, comic books and as the namesake of companies and music bands.

==Etymology==
The origin of the name ''panda'' is uncertain, but one of the most likely theories is that it derived from the [[Nepali language|Nepali]] word "ponya".<ref name=Introduction2022>{{cite book |author=Glatston, A. R. |year=2021 |chapter=Introduction |title=Red Panda: Biology and Conservation of the First Panda |editor=Glatston, A. R. |pages=xix–xxix |edition=Second |publisher=Academic Press |place=London |isbn=978-0-12-823753-3}}</ref> The word {{lang|ne|पञ्जा}} ''{{transliteration|ne|pajā}}'' or {{lang|ne|पौँजा}} ''{{transliteration|ne|pañjā}}'' means "ball of the foot" and "claws".<ref>{{cite book |author=Turner, R. L. |year=1931 |title=A Comparative and Etymological Dictionary of the Nepali Language |publisher=K. Paul, Trench, Trübner |location=London |chapter=पञ्जा pañjā |page=359 |chapter-url=https://dsal.uchicago.edu/cgi-bin/app/turnernepali_query.py?qs=%E0%A4%AA%E0%A4%9E%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%9C%E0%A4%BE&searchhws=yes&matchtype=exact |access-date=27 January 2022 |archive-date=27 January 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220127063121/https://dsal.uchicago.edu/cgi-bin/app/turnernepali_query.py?qs=%E0%A4%AA%E0%A4%9E%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%9C%E0%A4%BE&searchhws=yes |url-status=live}}</ref> The Nepali words "nigalya ponya" has been translated as "bamboo-footed" and is thought to be the red panda's Nepali name; in English, it was simply called ''panda'', and was the only animal known under this name for more than 40 years; it became known as the ''red panda'' or ''lesser panda'' to distinguish it from the [[giant panda]], which was formally described and named in 1869.<ref name=Introduction2022/>

The genus name ''Ailurus'' is adopted from the [[Ancient Greek]] word {{linktext|αἴλουρος|lang=grc}} ''{{transliteration|grc|ailouros}}'' meaning 'cat'.<ref>{{cite book |author=Liddell, H. G. |author2=Scott, R. |name-list-style=amp |title=A Greek-English Lexicon |edition=Revised and augmented |publisher=Clarendon Press |location=Oxford |year=1940 |chapter-url=https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/morph?l=ailouros&la=greek |chapter=αἴλουρος |access-date=21 February 2021 |archive-date=27 February 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210227015130/http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/morph?l=ailouros&la=greek |url-status=live }}</ref> The [[specific epithet]] ''fulgens'' is [[Latin]] for 'shining, bright'.<ref name=Introduction2022/><ref>{{cite book |author=Lewis, C. T. A. |author2=Short, C. |name-list-style=amp |title=Latin Dictionary |location=Oxford |year=1879 |edition=Revised, enlarged, and in great part rewritten |publisher=Clarendon Press |chapter-url=https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/resolveform?type=begin&lookup=fulgens&lang=la |chapter=fulgens |access-date=21 February 2021 |archive-date=28 February 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210228130039/http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/resolveform?type=begin&lookup=fulgens&lang=la |url-status=live}}</ref>

== Taxonomy ==
[[File:Anh48 0368 1.jpg|thumb|Watercolour painting of a red panda commissioned by [[Thomas Hardwicke]] {{circa|1820}}<ref name=Lowther2021>{{cite journal |author=Lowther, D. A. |year= 2021 |title= The first painting of the Red Panda (''Ailurus fulgens'') in Europe? Natural history and artistic patronage in early nineteenth-century India |journal= Archives of Natural History |volume= 48 |issue=2 |pages=368–376 |doi=10.3366/anh.2021.0728|s2cid= 244938631}}</ref>|alt=Watercolour of a red panda on branch with three separate depictions of the paws at the top]]
The red panda was [[Species description|described]] and named in 1825 by [[Frederic Cuvier]], who gave it its current [[scientific name]] ''Ailurus fulgens''. Cuvier's description was based on [[zoological specimen]]s, including skin, paws, jawbones and teeth "from the mountains north of India", as well as an account by [[Alfred Duvaucel]].<ref>{{cite book |author=Cuvier, F. |year=1825 |chapter=Panda |page=LII 1–3 |chapter-url=https://archive.org/details/HistoirenaturelVGeof/page/LII |editor1=Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire, E. |editor2=Cuvier, F. |title=Histoire naturelle des mammifères, avec des figures originales, coloriées, dessinées d'après des animaux vivans: publié sous l'autorité de l'administration du Muséum d'Histoire naturelle |volume=5 |publisher=A. Belin |location=Paris |language=fr}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |author=Cuvier, G. |year=1829 |title=Le règne animal distribué d'après son organisation |volume=1 |publisher=Chez Déterville|location= Paris |chapter=''Le Panda éclatant'' |page=138 |chapter-url=https://archive.org/stream/lergneanimaldi01regn#page/138/mode/2up |language=fr}}</ref> The red panda was described earlier by [[Thomas Hardwicke]] in 1821, but his paper was only published in 1827.<ref name="Introduction2022" /><ref>{{cite journal |author=Hardwicke, T. |year=1827 |title=Description of a new genus of the class Mammalia, from the Himalaya chain of hills between Nepal and the Snowy Mountains |journal=The Transactions of the Linnean Society of London |volume=XV |pages=161–165 |url=https://archive.org/stream/transactionsofli15182627linn#page/160/mode/2up}}</ref> In 1902, [[Oldfield Thomas]] described a skull of a male red panda specimen under the name ''Ailurus fulgens styani'' in honour of [[Frederick William Styan]] who had collected this specimen in [[Sichuan]].<ref name="thomas_1902"/>

===Subspecies and species===
The modern red panda is the [[monotypic taxon|only recognised species]] in the genus ''Ailurus''. It is traditionally divided into two [[subspecies]]: the Himalayan red panda (''A. f. fulgens'') and the Chinese red panda (''A. f. styani''). The Himalayan subspecies has a straighter profile, a lighter coloured forehead and [[ochre]]-tipped hairs on the lower back and rump. The Chinese subspecies has a more curved forehead and sloping snout, a darker coat with a less white face and more contrast between the tail rings.<ref name="taxonomy"/>

In 2020, results of a genetic analysis of red panda samples showed that the red panda populations in the Himalayas and China were separated about 250,000 years ago. The researchers suggested that the two subspecies should be treated as distinct species. Red pandas in southeastern Tibet and northern Myanmar were found to be part of ''styani'', while those of southern Tibet were of ''fulgens'' in the strict sense.<ref name=Hu>{{Cite journal |last1=Hu|first1=Y. |last2=Thapa|first2=A. |last3=Fan |first3=H. |last4=Ma |first4=T. |last5=Wu|first5=Q. |last6=Ma|first6=S. |last7=Zhang|first7=D. |last8=Wang|first8=B. |last9=Li|first9=M. |last10=Yan|first10=L. |last11=Wei|first11=F. |name-list-style=amp |title=Genomic evidence for two phylogenetic species and long-term population bottlenecks in red pandas |year=2020 |journal=Science Advances |volume=6 |issue=9 |page=eaax5751 |doi=10.1126/sciadv.aax5751 |pmid=32133395 |pmc=7043915 |bibcode=2020SciA....6.5751H}}</ref> [[DNA sequencing]] of 132 red panda faecal samples collected in [[Northeast India]] and China also showed two distinct clusters indicating that the [[Brahmaputra River|Siang River]] constitutes the boundary between the Himalayan and Chinese red pandas.<ref name="Joshi">{{cite journal |author1=Joshi, B. D. |name-list-style=amp |author2=Dalui, S. |author3=Singh, S. K. |author4=Mukherjee, T. |author5=Chandra, K. |author6=Sharma, L. K. |author7=Thakur, M. |year=2021 |title=Siang river in Arunachal Pradesh splits Red Panda into two phylogenetic species |journal=Mammalian Biology |volume=101 |issue=1 |pages=121–124 |doi=10.1007/s42991-020-00094-y |s2cid=231811193}}</ref> They probably diverged due to [[glaciation]] events on the southern [[Tibetan Plateau]] in the [[Pleistocene]].<ref>{{cite journal |author1=Dalui, S. |name-list-style=amp |author2=Singh, S. K. |author3= Joshi, B. D. |author4=Ghosh, A. |author5=Basu, S. |author6=Khatri, H. |author7=Sharma, L. K.|author8=Chandra, K. |author9=Thakur, M. |year=2021 |title=Geological and Pleistocene glaciations explain the demography and disjunct distribution of Red Panda (''A. fulgens'') in eastern Himalayas |journal=Scientific Reports |volume=11 |issue=1 |page=65 |doi=10.1038/s41598-020-80586-6 |pmid=33420314 |pmc=7794540 |doi-access=free}}</ref>

===Phylogeny===
The placement of the red panda on the [[evolutionary tree]] has been debated. In the early 20th century, various scientists placed it in the [[Family (biology)|family]] [[Procyonidae]] with [[raccoon]]s and their allies. At the time, most prominent biologists also considered the red panda to be related to the giant panda, which would eventually be found to be a [[bear]]. A 1982 study examined the similarities and differences in the skull between the red panda and the giant panda, other bears and procyonids, and placed the species in its own family [[Ailuridae]]. The author of the study considered the red panda to be more closely related to bears.<ref name="taxonomy">{{cite book |author=Groves, C. |year=2021 |chapter=The taxonomy and phylogeny of ''Ailurus'' |title=Red Panda: Biology and Conservation of the First Panda |editor=Glatston, A. R. |pages=95–117 |edition=Second |publisher=Academic Press |place=London |isbn=978-0-12-823753-3}}</ref> A 1995 [[mitochondrial DNA]] analysis revealed that the red panda has close affinities with procyonids.<ref>{{cite journal |author1=Pecon-Slattery, J. |name-list-style=amp |author2=O'Brien, S. J. |year=1995 |title=Molecular phylogeny of the red panda (''Ailurus fulgens'') |journal=The Journal of Heredity |volume=86 |issue=6 |pages=413–422 |doi=10.1093/oxfordjournals.jhered.a111615 |pmid=8568209}}</ref> Further genetic studies in 2005, 2018 and 2021 have placed the red panda within the [[clade]] [[Musteloidea]], which also includes Procyonidae, [[Mustelidae]] ([[weasel]]s and relatives) and [[Mephitidae]] ([[skunk]]s and relatives).<ref name="Flynn2005">{{Cite journal |author1=Flynn, J. J. |author2=Finarelli, J. A. |author3=Zehr, S. |author4=Hsu, J. |author5=Nedbal, M. A. |title=Molecular phylogeny of the Carnivora (Mammalia): Assessing the impact of increased sampling on resolving enigmatic relationships |doi=10.1080/10635150590923326 |journal=Systematic Biology |volume=54 |issue=2 |pages=317–337 |year=2005 |pmid=16012099 |doi-access=free |name-list-style=amp}}</ref><ref name="Law-2018">{{Cite journal |author1=Law, C. J. |author2=Slater, G. J. |author3=Mehta, R. S. |name-list-style=amp |date=2018 |title=Lineage Diversity and Size Disparity in Musteloidea: Testing Patterns of Adaptive Radiation Using Molecular and Fossil-Based Methods|journal=Systematic Biology |volume=67|issue=1 |pages=127–144 |doi=10.1093/sysbio/syx047|pmid=28472434 |doi-access=free}}</ref><ref name=Hassanin>{{cite journal|author1=Hassanin, A.|author2=Veron, G.|author3=Ropiquet, A.|author4=van Vuuren, B. J.|author5=Lécu, A.|author6=Goodman, S. M.|author7=Haider, J.|author8=Nguyen, T. T.|year=2021|title=Evolutionary history of Carnivora (Mammalia, Laurasiatheria) inferred from mitochondrial genomes|journal=PLOS ONE |volume=16|issue=2|page=e0240770|doi=10.1371/journal.pone.0240770 |pmid=33591975 |pmc=7886153 |bibcode=2021PLoSO..1640770H |doi-access=free}}</ref>

{{Clade gallery
|main-caption = Phylogenetic relationship of the red panda based on analysis of
|header1 = Six genes from 76 Carnivora species<ref name="Flynn2005"/>
|header2 = 46 genes from 75 musteloid species<ref name="Law-2018"/>
|header3 = Mitogenomes from 220 mammal species<ref name=Hassanin/>
|align=left |width=370px |height=340px |width2=275px
|cladogram1 = {{clade |style=font-size:85%;line-height:85% |label1=[[Caniformia]]
|1={{clade
  |1 =[[Canidae]] [[File:Dogs, jackals, wolves, and foxes (Plate XI).jpg|60px|African golden wolf]]
  |label2=[[Arctoidea]]
  |2={{clade
    |1=[[Ursidae]] [[File:Recherches pour servir à l'histoire naturelle des mammifères (Pl. 50) (white background).jpg|50px|Giant panda]]
    |2={{clade
      |1=[[Pinnipedia]] [[File:Cambridge Natural History Mammalia Fig 230 white background.jpg|70px|Common seal]]
      |label2=[[Musteloidea]]
      |2={{clade
        |1=[[Ailuridae]] [[File:Ailurus fulgens - 1700-1880 - Print - Iconographia Zoologica - Special Collections University of Amsterdam -(white background).jpg|60px|Red panda]]          
        |2={{clade
          |1=[[Mephitidae]] [[File:Die Säugthiere in Abbildungen nach der Natur, mit Beschreibungen (Plate CXXI-) (white background).jpg|50px|Striped skunk]]
          |2={{clade
             |1=[[Procyonidae]] |image1=[[File:Wild animals of North America, intimate studies of big and little creatures of the mammal kingdom (Page 410) (white background).jpg|50px|Common raccoon]]
             |2=[[Mustelidae]] |image2=[[File:Fitch white background.png|60px|European polecat]]
}} }} }} }} }} }} }}
|cladogram2 = {{clade |style=font-size:85%;line-height:85%; |label1=[[Musteloidea]]
 |1={{clade
   |1=[[Mephitidae]] [[File:Die Säugthiere in Abbildungen nach der Natur, mit Beschreibungen (Plate CXXI-) (white background).jpg|50px|Striped skunk]]
   |2={{clade
    |1=[[Ailuridae]] [[File:Ailurus fulgens - 1700-1880 - Print - Iconographia Zoologica - Special Collections University of Amsterdam -(white background).jpg|60px|Red panda]]
    |2={{clade
      |1=[[Procyonidae]] |image1=[[File:Wild animals of North America, intimate studies of big and little creatures of the mammal kingdom (Page 410) (white background).jpg|50px|Common raccoon]]
      |2=[[Mustelidae]] |image2=[[File:Fitch white background.png|60px|European polecat]]
}} }} }} }}
|cladogram3 = {{clade | style=font-size:85%;line-height:85% |label1=[[Caniformia]]
 |1={{clade
   |1 =[[Canidae]] [[File:Dogs, jackals, wolves, and foxes (Plate XI).jpg|60px|African golden wolf]]
   |label2=[[Arctoidea]]
   |2={{clade
    |1=[[Ursidae]] [[File:Recherches pour servir à l'histoire naturelle des mammifères (Pl. 50) (white background).jpg|50px|Giant panda]]
    |2={{clade
      |1=[[Pinnipedia]] [[File:Cambridge Natural History Mammalia Fig 230 white background.jpg|70px|Common seal]]
      |label3=[[Musteloidea]]
      |3={{clade
        |1={{clade
          |1=[[Ailuridae]] |image1=[[File:Ailurus fulgens - 1700-1880 - Print - Iconographia Zoologica - Special Collections University of Amsterdam -(white background).jpg|60px|Red panda]]          
          |2=[[Mephitidae]] [[File:Die Säugthiere in Abbildungen nach der Natur, mit Beschreibungen (Plate CXXI-) (white background).jpg|50px|Striped skunk]]
    }}
 |2={{clade
   |1=[[Procyonidae]] |image1=[[File:Wild animals of North America, intimate studies of big and little creatures of the mammal kingdom (Page 410) (white background).jpg|50px|Common raccoon]]
   |2=[[Mustelidae]] |image2=[[File:Fitch white background.png|60px|European polecat]]
}} }} }} }} }} }} }}
{{clear}}

===Fossil record===
[[File:Simocyon batalleri head.jpg|right|thumb|Reconstructed skull and head of ''[[Simocyon]]'', a large carnivorous early relative of the modern red panda|alt=Drawing of a skull (above) and head (below) of an extinct animal]] 
The family Ailuridae appears to have evolved in Europe in either the [[Late Oligocene]] or [[Early Miocene]], about {{mya|25|18}}. The earliest member ''[[Amphictis]]'' is known from its {{cvt|10|cm|in|frac=2}} skull and may have been around the same size as the modern species. Its [[dentition]] consists of sharp premolars and [[carnassial]]s (P4 and m1) and [[Molar (tooth)|molar]]s adapted for grinding (M1, M2 and m2), suggesting that it had a generalised [[carnivorous]] diet. Its placement within Ailuridae is based on the grooves on the side of its [[Canine tooth|canine teeth]]. Other early or [[Basal (phylogenetics)|basal]] ailurids include ''[[Alopecocyon]]'' and ''[[Simocyon]]'', whose fossils have been found throughout Eurasia and North America dating from the [[Middle Miocene]], the latter of which survived into the [[Early Pliocene]].  Both have similar teeth to ''Amphictis'' and thus had a similar diet.<ref name="Salesa">{{cite book |author1=Salesa, M. J. |author2=Peigné, S. |author3=Antón, M. |author4=Morales, J. |name-list-style=amp |year=2021 |chapter=The taxonomy and phylogeny of ''Ailurus'' |title=Red Panda: Biology and Conservation of the First Panda |editor=Glatston, A. R. |pages=15–29 |edition=Second |publisher=Academic Press |place=London |isbn=978-0-12-823753-3}}</ref> The [[cougar|puma]]-sized ''Simocyon'' was likely a tree-climber and shared a "false thumb"—an extended wrist bone—with the modern species, suggesting the appendage was an adaptation to [[arboreal locomotion]] and not to feed on [[bamboo]].<ref name="Salesa"/><ref name="PNAS-Salesa-2006">{{cite journal |last1=Salesa |first1=M. J. |last2=Mauricio |first2=A. |last3=Peigné |first3=S. |last4=Morales |first4=J. |name-list-style=amp |title=Evidence of a false thumb in a fossil carnivore clarifies the evolution of pandas |journal=PNAS |year=2006 |volume=103 |pmid=16387860 |issue=2 |pmc=1326154 |pages=379–382 |doi=10.1073/pnas.0504899102 |bibcode=2006PNAS..103..379S |doi-access=free}}</ref>

Later and more [[Apomorphy and synapomorphy|advanced]] ailurids are classified in the subfamily Ailurinae and are known as the "true" red pandas. These animals were smaller and more adapted for an [[omnivorous]] or [[herbivorous]] diet. The earliest known true panda is ''[[Magerictis]]'' from the Middle Miocene of Spain and known only from one tooth, a lower second molar. The tooth shows both ancestral and new characteristics having a relatively low and simple [[Crown (tooth)|crown]] but also a lengthened crushing surface with developed [[Cusp (anatomy)|tooth cusps]] like later species.<ref name="Wallace">{{cite book |author1=Wallace, S. C. |author2=Lyon, L. |name-list-style=amp |year=2021 |chapter=Systemic revision of the Ailurinae (Mammalia: Carnivora: Ailuridae): with a new species from North America |title=Red Panda: Biology and Conservation of the First Panda |editor=Glatston, A. R. |pages=31–52|edition=Second |publisher=Academic Press |place=London |isbn=978-0-12-823753-3}}</ref> Later ailurines include ''[[Pristinailurus bristoli]]'' which lived in eastern North America from the late Miocene to the Early Pliocene<ref name="Wallace"/><ref name="Wallace2004">{{cite journal |last1=Wallace |first1=S. C. |last2=Wang |first2=X. |name-list-style=amp |date=2004 |title=Two new carnivores from an unusual late Tertiary forest biota in eastern North America |journal=Nature |issue=7008 |pages=556–559 |volume=431 |doi=10.1038/nature02819 |pmid=15457257 |bibcode=2004Natur.431..556W |s2cid=4432191|url=http://doc.rero.ch/record/13466/files/PAL_E141.pdf }}</ref> and species of the genus ''[[Parailurus]]'' which first appear in Early Pliocene Europe, spreading across Eurasia into North America.<ref name="Wallace"/><ref>{{cite journal |author=Tedford, R. H. |author2=Gustafson, E. P. |name-list-style=amp |title=First North American record of the extinct panda ''Parailurus'' |journal=Nature |issue=5595 |pages=621–623 |volume=265 |doi=10.1038/265621a0 |year=1977 |bibcode=1977Natur.265..621T |s2cid=4214900}}</ref> These animals are classified as a [[sister taxon]] to the lineage of the modern red panda. In contrast to the herbivorous modern species, these ancient pandas were likely omnivores, with highly cusped molars and sharp [[premolar]]s.<ref name="Wallace"/><ref name="Wallace2004" /><ref>{{cite journal |last1=Sotnikova |first1=M. V. |year=2008|title=A new species of lesser panda ''Parailurus'' (Mammalia, Carnivora) from the Pliocene of Transbaikalia (Russia) and some aspects of ailurine phylogeny|journal=Paleontological Journal |volume=42 |issue=1|pages=90–99|doi=10.1007/S11492-008-1015-X|bibcode=2008PalJ...42...90S |s2cid=82000411}}</ref>

The earliest fossil record of the modern genus ''Ailurus'' dates no earlier than the [[Pleistocene]] and appears to have been limited to Asia. The modern red panda's lineage became adapted for a specialised bamboo diet, having molar-like premolars and more elevated cusps.<ref name="Wallace"/> The false thumb would secondarily gain a function in feeding.<ref name="Salesa"/><ref name="PNAS-Salesa-2006"/>

===Genomics===
Analysis of 53 red panda samples from Sichuan and Yunnan showed a high level of [[genetic diversity]].<ref>{{cite journal |author1=Su, B. |author2=Fu, Y. |author3=Wang, Y. |author4=Jin, L. |author5=Chakraborty, R. |name-list-style=amp |year=2001 |title=Genetic diversity and population history of the Red Panda (''Ailurus fulgens'') as inferred from mitochondrial DNA sequence variations |journal=Molecular Biology and Evolution |volume=18 |issue=6 |pages=1070–1076 |doi=10.1093/oxfordjournals.molbev.a003878 |pmid=11371595 |doi-access=free}}</ref> The full [[genome]] of the red panda was sequenced in 2017. Researchers have compared it to the genome of the giant panda to learn the genetics of [[convergent evolution]], as both species have false thumbs and are adapted for a specialised bamboo diet despite having the digestive system of a carnivore. Both pandas show modifications to certain limb development genes ([[DYNC2H1]] and [[PCNT]]), which may play roles in the development of the thumbs.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Hu|first1=Y. |name-list-style=amp |author2=Wu, Q. |author3=Ma, S. |author4=Ma, T. |author5=Shan, L. |author6=Wang, X. |author7=Nie, Y. |author8=Ning, Z. |author9=Yan, L. |author10=Xiu, Y. |author11=Wei, F. |year=2017|title=Comparative genomics reveals convergent evolution between the bamboo-eating giant and red pandas |journal=Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences |volume=114|issue=5|pages=1081–1086 |doi=10.1073/pnas.1613870114 |pmid=28096377 |pmc=5293045 |bibcode=2017PNAS..114.1081H |doi-access=free}}</ref> In switching from a carnivorous to a herbivorous diet, both species have reactivated taste receptor genes used for detecting [[Bitter (taste)|bitterness]], though the specific genes are different.<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Shan|first1=L. |last2=Wu|first2=Q. |last3=Wange|first3=L. |last4=Zhang|first4=L. |last5=Wei|first5=F. |year=2017|title=Lineage-specific evolution of bitter taste receptor genes in the giant and red pandas implies dietary adaptation |journal=Integrative Zoology |volume=13 |issue=2 |pages=152–159 |doi=10.1111/1749-4877.12291 |pmid=29168616 |pmc=5873442 |name-list-style=amp}}</ref>

==Description==
{{Multiple image |direction=vertical|align=right
|image1=Ailurus fulgens skull at the Beaty Biodiversity Museum.jpg|caption1=Red panda skull|alt1=Red panda skull
|image2=MC Kleiner Panda.jpg|caption2=Red panda face|alt2=Red panda face}}
The red panda's [[Animal coat|coat]] is mainly red or orange-brown with a black belly and legs. The muzzle, cheeks, brows and inner ear margins are mostly white while the bushy tail has red and [[Buff (colour)|buff]] ring patterns and a dark brown tip.<ref name="Fisher">{{cite book |author=Fisher |first=Rebecca E. |title=Red Panda: Biology and Conservation of the First Panda |publisher=Academic Press |year=2021 |isbn=978-0-12-823753-3 |editor=Glatston |editor-first=Angela R. |edition=2nd |place=London |pages=81–93 |chapter=Red Panda Anatomy |doi=10.1016/B978-0-12-823753-3.00030-2 |s2cid=243824295}}</ref><ref name="roberts+gittleman"/><ref name=Wozencraft>{{cite book |editor1=Xie, Y.|editor2=Smith, A. T.|editor3= Smith, D. E.|editor4= Hoffmann, R. S.|editor5= Wozencraft, W. C.|editor6=MacKinnon, J. R. |editor7=Lunde, D.|year=2013|title=Mammals of China|author=Wozencraft, W. C.|contribution=Carnivora|page=334|publisher=Princeton University Press |isbn=978-0691154275}}</ref> The colouration appears to serve as [[camouflage]] in habitat with red [[moss]] and white [[lichen]]-covered trees. The [[guard hair]]s are longer and rougher while the dense [[Fur#Down hair|undercoat]] is fluffier with shorter hairs.<ref name="roberts+gittleman">{{cite journal |date=1984 |journal=Mammalian Species |pages=1–8 |doi=10.2307/3503840 |author1=Roberts, M. S. |author2=Gittleman, J. L. |name-list-style=amp |title=''Ailurus fulgens'' |issue=222 |jstor=3503840 |s2cid=253993605 |url=https://repository.si.edu/bitstream/handle/10088/4231/Roberts1984.pdf |access-date=1 December 2017 |archive-date=1 December 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171201234131/https://repository.si.edu/bitstream/handle/10088/4231/Roberts1984.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref> The guard hairs on the back have a circular cross-section and are {{cvt|47|–|56|mm|in}} long. It has moderately long [[whisker]]s around the mouth, lower jaw and chin. The hair on the soles of the paws allows the animal to walk in snow.<ref name="Fisher"/>

The red panda has a relatively small head, though proportionally larger than in similarly sized raccoons, with a reduced snout and triangular ears, and nearly evenly lengthed limbs.<ref name="Fisher"/><ref name="roberts+gittleman"/> It has a head-body length of {{cvt|51|–|63.5|cm}} with a {{cvt|28|–|48.5|cm}} tail. The Himalayan red panda is recorded to weigh {{cvt|3.2|–|9.4|kg}}, while the Chinese red panda weighs {{cvt|4|–|15|kg}} for females and {{cvt|4.2|–|13.4|kg}} for males.<ref name="Fisher" /> It has five curved [[Digit (anatomy)|digit]]s on each foot, each with curved semi-retractile claws that aid in climbing.<ref name="roberts+gittleman"/> The [[pelvis]] and hindlimbs have flexible joints, adaptations for an arboreal quadrupedal lifestyle.<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Makungu|first1=M.|last2=du Plessis|first2=W. M. |last3=Groenewald |first3=H. B. |last4=Barrows|first4=M. |last5=Koeppel|first5=K. N. |year=2015 |title=Morphology of the pelvis and hind limb of the Red Panda (''Ailurus fulgens'') evidenced by gross osteology, radiography and computed tomography |journal=Anatomia, Histologia, Embryologia |volume=44 |issue=6 |pages=410–421 |doi=10.1111/ahe.12152 |pmid=25308447 |hdl=2263/50447 |s2cid=13035672 |name-list-style=amp|hdl-access=free }}</ref> While not [[Prehensile tail|prehensile]], the tail helps the animal balance while climbing.<ref name="roberts+gittleman"/>

The forepaws possess a "false thumb", which is an extension of a wrist bone, the radial [[sesamoid]] found in many carnivorans. This thumb allows the animal to grip onto bamboo stalks and both the digits and wrist bones are highly flexible. The red panda shares this feature with the giant panda, which has a larger sesamoid that is more compressed at the sides. In addition, the red panda's sesamoid has a more sunken tip while the giant panda's curves in the middle. These features give the giant panda more developed dexterity.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Antón |first1=M. |last2=Salesa |first2=M. J. |last3=Pastor|first3=J. F. |last4=Peigné|first4=S. |last5=Morales|first5=J. |year=2006 |title=Implications of the functional anatomy of the hand and forearm of ''Ailurus fulgens'' (Carnivora, Ailuridae) for the evolution of the 'false-thumb' in pandas|journal=Journal of Anatomy |volume=209 |issue=6 |pages=757–764 |doi=10.1111/j.1469-7580.2006.00649.x |pmid=17118063 |pmc=2049003 |doi-access=free |name-list-style=amp}}</ref>

The red panda's skull is wide, and its lower jaw is robust.<ref name=Fisher/><ref name="roberts+gittleman"/> However, because it eats leaves and stems, which are not as tough, it has smaller chewing muscles than the giant panda. The digestive system of the red panda is only 4.2 times its body length, with a simple stomach, no noticeable divide between the [[ileum]] and [[Colon (anatomy)|colon]], and no [[caecum]].<ref name=Fisher/>

Both sexes have paired [[anal gland]]s that emit a secretion consisting of long-chain [[fatty acid]]s, [[cholesterol]], [[squalene]] and [[2-Piperidinone]]; the latter is the most odoriferous compound and is perceived by humans as having an ammoniacal or pepper-like odour.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Wood |first1=W. F. |last2=Dragoo |first2=G. A. |last3=Richard |first3=M. J. |last4=Dragoo |first4=J. W. |year=2003 |title=Long-chain fatty acids in the anal gland of the red panda, ''Ailurus fulgens'' |journal=Biochemical Systematics and Ecology |volume=31 |issue=9 |pages=1057–1060 |doi=10.1016/S0305-1978(03)00060-7|bibcode=2003BioSE..31.1057W }}</ref>

== Distribution and habitat ==
[[File:Red Panda at Neora Valley National Park West Bengal India 2012.jpg|thumb|Red panda in [[Neora Valley National Park]]|alt=Red panda in a tree]]
The red panda inhabits [[Nepal]], the states of [[Sikkim]], [[West Bengal]] and [[Arunachal Pradesh]] in India, [[Bhutan]], southern [[Tibet]], northern [[Myanmar]] and China's [[Sichuan]] and [[Yunnan]] provinces.<ref name=iucn/> The global potential habitat of the red panda has been estimated to comprise {{cvt|47100|km2}} at most; this habitat is located in the [[temperate climate]] zone of the [[Himalayas]] with a mean annual temperature range of {{cvt|18|-|24|C|F}}.<ref name=Kandel_al2015>{{cite journal |author1=Kandel, K. |name-list-style=amp |author2=Huettmann, F. |author3=Suwal, M. K. |author4=Regmi, G. R. |author5=Nijman, V. |author6=Nekaris, K. A. I. |author7=Lama, S. T. |author8= Thapa, A. |author9=Sharma, H. P. |author10=Subedi, T. R. |year=2015 |title=Rapid multi-nation distribution assessment of a charismatic conservation species using open access ensemble model GIS predictions: Red Panda (''Ailurus fulgens'') in the Hindu-Kush Himalaya region |journal=Biological Conservation |volume=181 |pages=150–161 |doi=10.1016/j.biocon.2014.10.007|bibcode=2015BCons.181..150K }}</ref> Throughout this range, it has been recorded at elevations of {{cvt|2000-4300|m}}.<ref name=Mallick2010>{{cite journal |author=Mallick, J. K. |year=2010 |title=Status of Red Panda ''Ailurus fulgens'' in Neora Valley National Park, Darjeeling District, West Bengal, India |journal=Small Carnivore Conservation |volume=43 |pages=30–36 |url=http://nebula.wsimg.com/3f41b38cdea8b81234a0398f336febcc?AccessKeyId=35E369A09ED705622D78&disposition=0&alloworigin=1 |access-date=18 March 2022 |archive-date=18 March 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220318223222/http://nebula.wsimg.com/3f41b38cdea8b81234a0398f336febcc?AccessKeyId=35E369A09ED705622D78&disposition=0&alloworigin=1 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name=Dorji_al2012>{{cite journal |author1=Dorji, S. |name-list-style=amp |author2=Rajaratnam, R. |author3=Vernes, K. |year=2012 |title=The Vulnerable Red Panda ''Ailurus fulgens'' in Bhutan: distribution, conservation, status and management recommendations |journal=Oryx |volume=46 |issue=4 |pages=536–543 |doi=10.1017/S0030605311000780 |s2cid=84332758|doi-access=free }}</ref><ref name=Thapa_al2020>{{cite journal |author1=Thapa, K. |name-list-style=amp |author2=Thapa, G. J. |author3=Bista, D. |author4=Jnawali, S. R. |author5=Acharya, K. P. |author6=Khanal, K. |author7=Kandel, R. C. |author8=Karki Thapa, M. |author9=Shrestha, S. |author10=Lama, S. T. |author11=Sapkota, N. S. |year=2020 |title=Landscape variables affecting the Himalayan Red Panda ''Ailurus fulgens'' occupancy in wet season along the mountains in Nepal |journal=PLOS ONE |volume=15 |issue=12 |page=e0243450 |doi=10.1371/journal.pone.0243450 |pmid=33306732 |pmc=7740865 |bibcode=2020PLoSO..1543450T |doi-access=free}}</ref><ref name=Dong_al2021>{{cite journal |author1=Dong, X. |name-list-style=amp |author2=Zhang, J. |author3=Gu, X. |author4=Wang, Y. |author5=Bai, W. |author6=Huang, Q. |year=2021 |title=Evaluating habitat suitability and potential dispersal corridors across the distribution landscape of the Chinese Red Panda (''Ailurus styani'') in Sichuan, China |journal=Global Ecology and Conservation |volume=28 |page=e01705 |doi=10.1016/j.gecco.2021.e01705 |doi-access=free|bibcode=2021GEcoC..2801705D }}</ref><ref name=Lin_al2021>{{cite book |title=Biology and Conservation of the First Panda |editor=Glatston, A. R. |year=2021 |publisher=Academic Press |location=London |edition=Second |isbn=9780128237540 |chapter=The conservation status of Red Panda in north-east Myanmar |author1=Lin, A. K. |author2=Lwin, N. |author3=Aung, S. S. |author4=Oo, W. N. |author5=Lum, L. Z. |author6=Grindley, M. |name-list-style=amp |pages=475–488 |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=gcwnEAAAQBAJ&pg=PA475 |access-date=24 January 2022 |archive-date=29 January 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220129185311/https://books.google.com/books?id=gcwnEAAAQBAJ&pg=PA475 |url-status=live }}</ref>
{| class="wikitable floatright mw-collapsible"
|+ {{nowrap|Habitat of the red panda}}
!Country
!Estimated size<ref name=Kandel_al2015/>
|-
|Nepal ||{{cvt|22400|km2}}
|-
|China ||{{cvt|13100|km2}}
|-
|India ||{{cvt|5700|km2}} 
|-
|Myanmar ||{{cvt|5000|km2}}
|-
| Bhutan ||{{cvt|900|km2}}
|-
|'''Total'''||{{cvt|47100|km2}}
|}
In Nepal, it lives in six protected area complexes within the [[Eastern Himalayan broadleaf forests]] ecoregion.<ref name=Thapa_al2020/> The westernmost records to date were obtained in three [[Community forestry in Nepal|community forests]] in [[Kalikot District]] in 2019.<ref>{{cite journal |author1=Shrestha, S. |author2=Lama, S. |author3=Sherpa, A. P. |author4=Ghale, D. |author5=Lama, S. T. |name-list-style=amp |year=2021 |title=The endangered Himalayan Red Panda: first photographic evidence from its westernmost distribution range |journal=Journal of Threatened Taxa |volume=13 |issue=5 |pages=18156–18163 |doi=10.11609/jott.6100.13.5.18156-18163 |doi-access=free}}</ref> [[Panchthar District|Panchthar]] and [[Ilam District]]s represent its easternmost range in the country, where its habitat in forest patches is surrounded by villages, livestock [[pasture]]s and roads.<ref name=Bista_al2021b/> The [[metapopulation]] in protected areas and [[wildlife corridor]]s in the [[Kangchenjunga]] landscape of Sikkim and northern West Bengal is partly connected through [[old-growth forest]]s outside protected areas.<ref name=Dalui_al2020>{{cite journal |author1=Dalui, S. |name-list-style=amp |author2=Khatri, H. |author3=Singh, S. K. |author4=Basu, S. |author5=Ghosh, A. |author6=Mukherjee, T. |author7=Sharma, L. K. |author8=Singh, R. |author9=Chandra, K. |author10=Thakur, M. |year=2020 |title=Fine-scale landscape genetics unveiling contemporary asymmetric movement of Red Panda (''Ailurus fulgens'') in Kangchenjunga landscape, India |journal=Scientific Reports |volume=10 |issue=1 |page=15446 |doi=10.1038/s41598-020-72427-3 |pmid=32963325 |pmc=7508845 |bibcode=2020NatSR..1015446D |doi-access=free}}</ref> Forests in this landscape are dominated by Himalayan oaks (''[[Quercus lamellosa]]'' and ''[[Quercus semecarpifolia|Q. semecarpifolia]]''), [[Betula utilis|Himalayan birch]], [[Abies densa|Himalayan fir]], [[Acer caesium|Himalayan maple]] with bamboo, ''[[Rhododendron]]'' and some [[Juniperus indica|black juniper]] shrub growing in the [[understorey]]s.<ref name=Mallick2010/><ref name=Panthi_al2012>{{cite journal |author1=Panthi, S. |name-list-style=amp |author2=Aryal, A. |author3=Raubenheimer, D. |author4=Lord, J. |author5=Adhikari, B. |year=2012 |title=Summer diet and distribution of the Red Panda (''Ailurus fulgens fulgens'') in Dhorpatan Hunting Reserve, Nepal |journal=Zoological Studies |volume=51 |issue=5 |pages=701–709 |url=https://zoolstud.sinica.edu.tw/Journals/51.5/701.pdf |access-date=18 March 2022 |archive-date=22 March 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220322012942/https://zoolstud.sinica.edu.tw/Journals/51.5/701.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |author1=Khatiwara, S. |name-list-style=amp |author2=Srivastava, T. |year=2014 |title=Red Panda ''Ailurus fulgens'' and other small carnivores in Kyongnosla Alpine Sanctuary, East Sikkim, India |journal=Small Carnivore Conservation |volume=50 |pages=35–38 |url=http://nebula.wsimg.com/0dc8fda3217eac3b2623bbe2f08efb52?AccessKeyId=35E369A09ED705622D78&disposition=0&alloworigin=1 |access-date=18 March 2022 |archive-date=13 February 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200213112531/http://nebula.wsimg.com/0dc8fda3217eac3b2623bbe2f08efb52?AccessKeyId=35E369A09ED705622D78&disposition=0&alloworigin=1 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |author1=Bashir, T. |name-list-style=amp |author2=Bhattacharya, T. |author3=Poudyal, K. |author4=Sathyakumar, S. |year=2019 |title=First camera trap record of Red Panda ''Ailurus fulgens'' (Cuvier, 1825) (Mammalia: Carnivora: Ailuridae) from Khangchendzonga, Sikkim, India |journal=Journal of Threatened Taxa |volume=11 |issue=8 |pages=14056–14061 |doi=10.11609/jott.4626.11.8.14056-14061 |doi-access=free}}</ref> Records in Bhutan, Arunachal Pradesh's [[Pangchen Valley]], [[West Kameng district|West Kameng]] and [[Shi Yomi district]]s indicate that it frequents habitats with ''[[Yushania]]'' and ''[[Thamnocalamus]]'' bamboo, medium-sized ''Rhododendron'', [[Sorbus|whitebeam]] and [[Castanopsis|chinquapin]] trees.<ref name=Dorji_al2012/><ref name=Chakraborty_al2015>{{cite journal |author1=Chakraborty, R. |name-list-style=amp |author2=Nahmo, L. T. |author3=Dutta, P. K. |author4=Srivastava, T. |author5=Mazumdar, K. |author6=Dorji, D. |year=2015 |title=Status, abundance, and habitat associations of the Red Panda (''Ailurus fulgens'') in Pangchen Valley, Arunachal Pradesh, India |journal=Mammalia |volume=79 |issue=1 |pages=25–32 |doi=10.1515/mammalia-2013-0105 |s2cid=87668179}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |author1=Megha, M. |name-list-style=amp |author2=Christi, S. |author4=Gopal, R. |author3=Kapoor, M. |author5=Solanki, R. |year=2021 |title=Photographic evidence of Red Panda ''Ailurus fulgens'' Cuvier, 1825 from West Kameng and Shi-Yomi districts of Arunachal Pradesh, India |journal=Journal of Threatened Taxa |volume=13 |issue=9 |pages=19254–19262 |doi=10.11609/jott.6666.13.9.19254-19262 |doi-access=free}}</ref> In China, it inhabits the [[Hengduan Mountains subalpine conifer forests]] and [[Qionglai-Minshan conifer forests]] in the [[Hengduan Mountains|Hengduan]], [[Qionglai Mountains|Qionglai]], [[Xiaoxiang Range|Xiaoxiang]], [[Daxiangling]] and [[Liangshan Mountain]]s in Sichuan.<ref name=Dong_al2021/> In the adjacent Yunnan province, it was recorded only in the northwestern montane part.<ref name="Wei">{{cite journal |last1=Wei |first1=F. |last2=Feng |first2=Z. |last3=Wang |first3=Z. |last4=Hu |first4=J. |name-list-style=amp |title=Current distribution, status and conservation of wild Red Pandas ''Ailurus fulgens'' in China |journal=Biological Conservation |date=1999 |volume=89 |issue=3 |pages=285–291 |doi=10.1016/S0006-3207(98)00156-6|bibcode=1999BCons..89..285W }}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |author1=Li, F. |name-list-style=amp |author2=Huang, X. Y. |author3=Zhang, X. C. |author4=Zhao, X. X. |author5=Yang, J. H. |author6=Chan, B. P. L. |year=2019 |title=Mammals of Tengchong Section of Gaoligongshan National Nature Reserve in Yunnan Province, China |journal=Journal of Threatened Taxa |volume=11 |issue=11 |pages=14402–14414 |doi=10.11609/jott.4439.11.11.14402-14414 |doi-access=free}}</ref>

The red panda prefers [[microhabitat]]s within {{cvt|70-240|m}} of water sources.<ref name=Wei_al2000>{{cite journal |author1=Wei, F. |name-list-style=amp |author2=Feng, Z. |author3=Wang, Z. |author4=Hu, J. |year=2000 |title=Habitat use and separation between the Giant Panda and the Red Panda |journal=Journal of Mammalogy |volume=81 |issue=2 |pages=448–455 |doi=10.1644/1545-1542(2000)081<0448:HUASBT>2.0.CO;2 |doi-access=free}}</ref><ref name=Dorji_al2011>{{cite journal |author1=Dorji, S. |name-list-style=amp |author2=Vernes, K. |author3=Rajaratnam, R. |year=2011 |title=Habitat correlates of the Red Panda in the temperate forests of Bhutan |journal=PLOS ONE |volume=6 |issue=10 |page=e26483 |doi=10.1371/journal.pone.0026483 |pmid=22039497 |pmc=3198399 |bibcode=2011PLoSO...626483D |doi-access=free}}</ref><ref name=Dendup2018/><ref name=Dendup_al2020>{{cite journal |author1=Dendup, P. |name-list-style=amp |author2=Humle, T. |author3=Bista, D. |author4=Penjor, U. |author5=Lham, C. |author6=Gyeltshen, J. |year=2020 |title=Habitat requirements of the Himalayan Red Panda (''Ailurus fulgens'') and threat analysis in Jigme Dorji National Park, Bhutan |journal=Ecology and Evolution |volume=10 |issue=17 |pages=9444–9453 |doi=10.1002/ece3.6632 |pmid=32953073 |pmc=7487235 |doi-access=free|bibcode=2020EcoEv..10.9444D }}</ref> Fallen logs and [[tree stump]]s are important habitat features, as they facilitate access to bamboo leaves.<ref name=Zhang_al2006>{{cite journal |author1=Zhang, Z. |name-list-style=amp |author2=Wei, F. |author3=Li, M. |author4=Hu, J. |year=2006 |title=Winter microhabitat separation between Giant and Red Pandas in ''Bashania faberi'' Bamboo forest in Fengtongzhai Nature Reserve |journal=The Journal of Wildlife Management |volume=70 |issue=1 |pages=231–235 |doi=10.2193/0022-541X(2006)70[231:WMSBGA]2.0.CO;2|s2cid=86350625 }}</ref> Red pandas have been recorded to use steep slopes of more than 20° and stumps exceeding a diameter of {{cvt|30|cm|in|0}}.<ref name=Wei_al2000/><ref name=Dendup2018>{{cite journal |author1=Dendup, P. |name-list-style=amp |author2=Lham, C. |author3=Wangchuk, J. |author4=Tshering, K. |year=2018 |title=Winter habitat preferences of Endangered Red Panda (''Ailurus fulgens'') in the Forest Research Preserve of Ugyen Wangchuck Institute for Conservation and Environmental Research, Bumthang, Bhutan |journal=Journal of the Bhutan Ecological Society |volume=3 |pages=1–13 |issn=2410-3861 |url=https://bes.org.bt/articles/winter-habitat-preferences-of-endangered-red-panda-ailurus-fulgens-in-the-forest-research-preserve-of-ugyen-wangchuck-institute-for-conservation-and-environmental-research-bumthang-bhutan-2/ |access-date=18 March 2022 |archive-date=10 May 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210510084033/https://bes.org.bt/articles/winter-habitat-preferences-of-endangered-red-panda-ailurus-fulgens-in-the-forest-research-preserve-of-ugyen-wangchuck-institute-for-conservation-and-environmental-research-bumthang-bhutan-2/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Red pandas observed in [[Phrumsengla National Park]] used foremost easterly and southerly slopes with a mean slope of 34° and a [[Canopy (biology)|canopy]] cover of 66 per cent that were overgrown with bamboo about {{cvt|23|m}} in height.<ref name=Dorji_al2011/> In [[Dafengding Nature Reserve]], it prefers steep south-facing slopes in winter and inhabits forests with bamboo {{cvt|1.5–2.5|m|ftin}} tall.<ref name=Zhou_al2013>{{cite journal |author1=Zhou, X. |name-list-style=amp |author2=Jiao, H. |author3=Dou, Y. |author4=Aryal, A. |author5=Hu, J. |author6=Hu, J. |author7=Meng, X. |year=2013 |title=The winter habitat selection of Red Panda (''Ailurus fulgens'') in the Meigu Dafengding National Nature Reserve, China |volume=105 |issue=10 |pages=1425–1429 |journal=Current Science |url=https://www.currentscience.ac.in/Volumes/105/10/1425.pdf |access-date=18 March 2022 |archive-date=22 March 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220322012946/https://www.currentscience.ac.in/Volumes/105/10/1425.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref> In [[Gaoligongshan National Nature Reserve]], it inhabits mixed coniferous forest with a dense canopy cover of more than 75 per cent, steep slopes and a density of at least {{cvt|70|/m2|/sqft|disp=preunit|bamboo plants|bamboo plants}}.<ref name=Liu_al2021>{{cite journal |author1=Liu, X. |name-list-style=amp |author2=Teng, L. |author3=Ding, Y. |author4=Liu, Z. |year=2021 |title=Habitat selection by Red Panda (''Ailurus fulgens fulgens'') in Gaoligongshan Nature Reserve, China |journal=Pakistan Journal of Zoology |volume=54 |issue=4 |doi=10.17582/journal.pjz/20190726090725 |s2cid=238963119 |url=https://researcherslinks.com/uploads/articles/1629808802PJZ_MH20190726090725-R2_Liu%20et%20al.pdf |access-date=28 January 2022 |archive-date=28 January 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220128172250/https://researcherslinks.com/uploads/articles/1629808802PJZ_MH20190726090725-R2_Liu%20et%20al.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref> In some parts of China, the red panda coexists with the giant panda. In [[Fengtongzhai National Nature Reserve|Fengtongzhai]] and [[Yele National Nature Reserve]]s, red panda microhabitat is characterised by steep slopes with lots of bamboo [[Culm (botany)|stem]]s, shrubs, fallen logs and stumps, whereas the giant panda prefers gentler slopes with taller but lesser amounts of bamboo and less habitat features overall. Such [[niche separation]] lessens competition between the two bamboo-eating species.<ref name=Wei_al2000/><ref name=Zhang_al2006/>

==Behaviour and ecology==
[[File:Tiergarten Schoenbrunn Kleiner Panda 2.jpg|thumb|Red panda sleeping in a tree|alt=A red panda lies sleeping on a high branch of a tree, with tail stretched out behind and legs dangling on each side of the branch]]
The red panda is difficult to observe in the wild,<ref name="Gebauer"/> and most studies on its behaviour have taken place in captivity.<ref>{{cite journal |name-list-style=amp |last1=Karki|first1=S. |last2=Maraseni |first2=T. |last3=Mackey|first3=B. |last4=Bista|first4=D. |last5=Lama |first5=S. T.|last6=Gautam|first6=A. P.|last7=Sherpa|first7=A. P. |last8=Koju |first8=A. P. |last9=Koju|first9=U. |last10=Shrestha|first10=A. |last11=Cadman|first11=T. |year=2021|title=Reaching over the gap: A review of trends in and status of red panda research over 193 years (1827–2020) |journal=Science of the Total Environment |volume=781 |page=146659 |doi=10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.146659 |pmid=33794452 |bibcode=2021ScTEn.78146659K |s2cid=232763016}}</ref> The red panda appears to be both [[nocturnal]] and [[crepuscular]], [[Biphasic and polyphasic sleep|sleeping in between periods of activity]] at night. It typically rests or sleeps in trees or other elevated spaces, stretched out prone on a branch with legs dangling when it is hot, and curled up with its hindlimb over the face when it is cold. It is adapted for climbing and descends to the ground head-first with the hindfeet holding on to the middle of the tree trunk. It moves quickly on the ground by trotting or bounding.<ref name="roberts+gittleman" />

===Social spacing===
Adult pandas are generally [[Solitary animal|solitary]] and [[Territory (animal)|territorial]]. Individuals mark their [[home range]] or territorial boundaries with urine, [[faeces]] and secretions from the [[anal gland|anal]] and surrounding glands. Scent-marking is usually done on the ground, with males marking more often and for longer periods.<ref name="roberts+gittleman" /> In China's [[Wolong National Nature Reserve]], the home range of a radio-collared female was {{cvt|0.94|km2}}, while that of a male was {{cvt|1.11|km2}}.<ref name="Reid1991">{{cite journal|last1=Reid|first1=D. G. |last2=Jinchu|first2=H. |last3=Yan|first3=H. |name-list-style=amp |year=1991 |title=Ecology of the Red Panda ''Ailurus fulgens'' in the Wolong Reserve, China |journal=Journal of Zoology |volume=225 |issue=3 |pages=347–364 |doi=10.1111/j.1469-7998.1991.tb03821.x}}</ref> A one-year-long monitoring study of ten red pandas in eastern Nepal showed that the four males had median home ranges of {{cvt|1.73|km2}} and the six females of {{cvt|0.94|km2}} within a forest cover of at least {{cvt|19.2|ha}}. The females travelled {{cvt|419–841|m}} per day and the males {{cvt|660–1473|m}}. In the mating season from January to March, adults travelled a mean of {{cvt|795|m}} and subadults a mean of {{cvt|861|m}}.<ref name=Bista_al2021b>{{cite journal |author1=Bista, D. |name-list-style=amp |author2=Baxter, G. S. |author3=Hudson, N. J. |author4=Lama, S. T. |author5=Weerman, J. |author6=Murray, P. J. |year=2021 |title=Movement and dispersal of a habitat specialist in human-dominated landscapes: a case study of the Red Panda |journal=Movement Ecology |volume=9 |issue=1 |page=62 |doi=10.1186/s40462-021-00297-z |pmid=34906253 |pmc=8670026 |doi-access=free|bibcode=2021MvEco...9...62B }}</ref> They all had larger home ranges in areas with low forest cover and reduced their activity in areas that were disturbed by people, livestock and dogs.<ref name=Bista_al2021>{{cite journal |author1=Bista, D. |name-list-style=amp |author2=Baxter, G. S. |author3=Hudson, N. J. |author4=Lama, S. T. |author5=Murray, P. J. |year=2021 |title=Effect of disturbances and habitat fragmentation on an arboreal habitat specialist mammal using GPS telemetry: a case of the red panda |journal=Landscape Ecology |volume=37 |issue=3 |pages=795–809 |doi=10.1007/s10980-021-01357-w |pmid=34720409 |pmc=8542365 |doi-access=free}}</ref>

===Diet and feeding===
The red panda is largely herbivorous and feeds primarily on bamboo, mainly the genera ''[[Phyllostachys]]'', ''[[Sinarundinaria]]'', ''Thamnocalamus'' and ''[[Chimonobambusa]]''.<ref>{{cite book |author1=Nijboer, J. |author2=Dierenfeld, E. S. |year=2021 |chapter=Red panda nutrition: how to feed a vegetarian carnivore |title=Red Panda: Biology and Conservation of the First Panda |editor=Glatston, A. R. |pages=225–238 |edition=Second |publisher=Academic Press |place=London |isbn=978-0-12-823753-3 |name-list-style=amp}}</ref> It also feeds on fruits, blossoms, [[acorn]]s, eggs, birds and small mammals. Bamboo leaves may be the most abundant food item year-round and the only food they can access during winter.<ref name="ecology">{{cite book |author1=Wei, F. |author2=Thapa, A. |author3=Hu, Y. |author4=Zhang, Z. |year=2021 |chapter=Red Panda ecology |title=Red Panda: Biology and Conservation of the First Panda |editor=Glatston, A. R. |pages=329–351 |edition=Second |publisher=Academic Press |place=London |isbn=978-0-12-823753-3 |name-list-style=amp}}</ref> In Wolong National Nature Reserve, leaves of the bamboo species ''[[Bashania fangiana]]'' were found in nearly 94 per cent of analysed droppings, and its [[bamboo shoot|shoots]] were found in 59 per cent of the droppings found in June.<ref name="Reid1991"/>

The diet of red pandas monitored at three sites in [[Singalila National Park]] for two years consisted of 40–83 per cent ''[[Yushania maling]]'' and 51–91.2 per cent ''[[Thamnocalamus spathiflorus]]'' bamboos{{efn|''Arundinaria maling'' and ''A. aristata'' referred to in the source have since been reclassified to distinct genera occurring in Asia.<ref>{{cite journal |author=Stapleton, C. M. A. |year=1994 |title=The bamboos of Nepal and Bhutan. Part II: ''Arundinaria'', ''Thamnocalamus'', ''Borinda'', and ''Yushania'' (Gramineae: Poaceae, Bambusoideae) |journal=Edinburgh Journal of Botany |volume=51 |issue=2 |pages=275–295 |doi=10.1017/S0960428600000883|doi-access=free }}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |author1=Triplett, J. K. |name-list-style=amp |author2=Clark, L. G. |year=2010 |title=Phylogeny of the temperate bamboos (Poaceae: Bambusoideae: Bambuseae) with an emphasis on Arundinaria and allies |journal=Systematic Botany |volume=35 |issue=1 |pages=102–120 |doi=10.1600/036364410790862678|bibcode=2010SysBo..35..102T |s2cid=85588401 }}</ref>}} supplemented by bamboo shoots, ''[[Actinidia strigosa]]'' fruits and seasonal berries.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Pradhan|first1=S. |last2=Saha |first2=G. K. |last3=Khan|first3=J. A. |year=2001|title=Ecology of the Red Panda ''Ailurus fulgens'' in the Singhalila National Park, Darjeeling, India |journal=Biological Conservation |volume=98 |issue=1 |pages=11–18 |doi=10.1016/S0006-3207(00)00079-3 |bibcode=2001BCons..98...11P |name-list-style=amp}}</ref> In this national park, red panda droppings also contained remains of [[silky rose]] and [[Rubus|bramble fruit]] species in the summer season, ''[[Actinidia callosa]]'' in the post-monsoon season, and ''[[Merrilliopanax alpinus]]'', the whitebeam species ''[[Sorbus cuspidata]]'' and [[tree rhododendron]] in both seasons. Droppings were found with 23 plant species including the [[stone oak]] species ''[[Lithocarpus pachyphyllus]]'', [[Magnolia campbellii|Campbell's magnolia]], the chinquapin species ''[[Castanopsis tribuloides]]'', Himalayan birch, ''[[Litsea sericea]]'' and the [[holly]] species ''[[Ilex fragilis]]''.<ref>{{cite journal |author1=Roka, B. |name-list-style=amp |author2=Jha, A. K. |author3=Chhetri, D. R. |year=2021 |title=A study on plant preferences of Red Panda (''Ailurus fulgens'') in the wild habitat: foundation for the conservation of the species |journal=Acta Biologica Sibirica |volume=7 |pages=425–439 |doi=10.3897/abs.7.e71816 |s2cid=244942192 |url=https://abs.pensoft.net/article/71816/download/pdf/ |access-date=29 January 2022 |archive-date=28 June 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220628075846/https://public.pensoft.net/items/?p=7TVeXpoqfNYT89tyrm3ifrTeG9Wv8P676JSQp%2FH2pj9hhtoybol4GF7LEbj3fxHT5Fo8esHsudYAYpBvYRXDagjNH%2F0WB4wgAIotii7Ae3LaW2Fr9Ax1LqaArmQ%3D&n=gxh9ddQ8acsRsM1Z%2BCizLOv1G9aD7qC545Y%3D |url-status=live |doi-access=free }}</ref> In Nepal's [[Rara National Park]], ''Thamnocalamus'' was found in all the droppings sampled, both before and after the [[monsoon]].<ref>{{cite journal |name-list-style=amp |last1=Sharma|first1=H. R.|last2=Swenson|first2=J. E. |last3=Belant |first3=J. |year=2014 |title=Seasonal food habits of the Red Panda (''Ailurus fulgens'') in Rara National Park, Nepal |journal=Hystrix |volume=25 |issue=1 |pages=47–50 |doi=10.4404/hystrix-25.1-9033}}</ref> Its summer diet in [[Dhorpatan Hunting Reserve]] also includes some lichens and [[Berberis|barberries]].<ref name=Panthi_al2012/> In Bhutan's [[Jigme Dorji National Park]], red panda faeces found in the fruiting season contained seeds of [[Hedera nepalensis|Himalayan ivy]].<ref name=Dendup_al2020/>
[[File:Endangered Red Panda.jpg|thumb|Red panda feeding|alt=Red panda holding onto a plant and eating]]
The red panda grabs food with one of its front paws and usually eats sitting down or standing. When foraging for bamboo, it grabs the plant by the stem and pulls it down towards its jaws. It bites the leaves with the side of the [[cheek teeth]] and then shears, chews and swallows. Smaller food like blossoms, berries and small leaves are eaten differently, being clipped by the incisors.<ref name="roberts+gittleman" /> Having the [[gastrointestinal tract]] of a carnivore, the red panda cannot properly digest bamboo, which passes through its gut in two to four hours. Hence, it must consume large amounts of the most nutritious plant matter. It eats over {{cvt|1.5|kg|lboz}} of fresh leaves or {{cvt|4|kg|lb|0}} of fresh shoots in a day with crude proteins and fats being the most easily digested. Digestion is highest in summer and fall but lowest in winter, and is easier for shoots than leaves.<ref name="wei_1999">{{cite journal |author=Wei, F. |author2=Feng, Z. |author3=Wang, Z. |author4=Zhou, A. |author5=Hu, J. |name-list-style=amp |title=Use of the nutrients in bamboo by the Red Panda ''Ailurus fulgens'' |journal=Journal of Zoology |volume=248 |issue=4 |pages=535–541 |doi=10.1111/j.1469-7998.1999.tb01053.x |date=1999}}</ref> The red panda's [[metabolic rate]] is comparable to other mammals of its size, despite its poor diet.<ref>{{cite journal|author1=Fei, Y.|author2=Hou, R.|author3=Spotila, J. R.|author4=Paladino, F. V.|author5=Qi, D.|author6=Zhang, Z. |name-list-style=amp |year=2017|title=Metabolic rate of the Red Panda, ''Ailurus fulgens'', a dietary bamboo specialist|journal=PLOS ONE |volume=12 |issue=3 |page=e0173274 |doi=10.1371/journal.pone.0173274 |pmid=28306740|pmc=5356995|bibcode=2017PLoSO..1273274F|doi-access=free}}</ref> The red panda digests almost a third of [[dry matter]], which is more efficient than the giant panda digesting 17 per cent.<ref name="wei_1999"/> Microbes in the gut may aid in its processing of bamboo; the [[microbiota]] community in the red panda is less diverse than in other mammals.<ref>{{cite journal |author1=Kong, F. |name-list-style=amp |author2=Zhao, J. |author3=Han, S. |author4=Zeng, B. |author5=Yang, J. |author6=Si, X. |author7=Yang, B. |author8=Yang, M. |author9=Xu, H. |author10=Li, Y. |year=2014 |title=Characterization of the gut microbiota in the red panda (''Ailurus fulgens'') |journal=PLOS ONE |volume=9 |issue=2 |page=e87885 |doi=10.1371/journal.pone.0087885 |pmid=24498390 |pmc=3912123 |bibcode=2014PLoSO...987885K |doi-access=free}}</ref>

===Communication===
[[File:Red panda twittering.ogg|thumb|Sounds of red panda twittering]]
At least seven different vocalisations have been recorded from the red panda, comprising growls, barks, squeals, hoots, bleats, grunts and twitters. Growling, barking, grunting and squealing are produced during fights and aggressive chasing. Hooting is made in response to being approached by another individual. Bleating is associated with scent-marking and sniffing. Males may bleat during mating, while females twitter.<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Qi|first1=D. |name-list-style=amp |author2=Zhou, H. |author3=Wei, W. |author4=Lei, M. |author5=Yuan, S. |author6=Qi, D. |author7=Zhang, Z. |year=2016|title=Vocal repertoire of adult captive red pandas (''Ailurus fulgens'') |journal=Animal Biology |volume=66 |issue=2 |pages=145–155 |doi=10.1163/15707563-00002493}}</ref> During both [[Play (activity)#Other animals|play fighting]] and aggressive fighting, individuals curve their backs and tails while slowly moving their heads up and down. They then turn their heads while jaw-clapping, move their heads laterally and lift a forepaw to strike. They stand on their hind legs, raise the forelimbs above the head and then pounce. Two red pandas may "stare" at each other from a distance.<ref name="roberts+gittleman" />

===Reproduction and parenting===
[[File:Dortmund-Zoo-Kleiner Panda151930.jpg|thumb|Red panda tending its cub|alt=Red panda mother with cub]]
Red pandas are [[Photoperiodism#Animals|long-day]] breeders, reproducing after the [[winter solstice]] as daylight grows longer. Mating thus takes place from January to March, with births occurring from May to August. Reproduction is delayed by six months for captive pandas in the southern hemisphere. [[Oestrous]] lasts a day, and females can enter oestrous multiple times a season, but it is not known how long the intervals between each cycle last.<ref name="Curry">{{cite book |author=Curry, E. |year=2021 |chapter=Reproductive biology of the Red Panda |title=Red Panda: Biology and Conservation of the First Panda |editor=Glatston, A. R. |pages=119–138 |edition=Second |publisher=Academic Press |place=London |isbn=978-0-12-823753-3}}</ref>

As the reproductive season begins, males and females interact more, and will rest, move, and feed near each other. An oestrous female will spend more time marking and males will inspect her anogenital region. Receptive females make tail-flicks and position themselves in a [[lordosis behavior|lordosis]] pose, with the front lowered to the ground and the spine curved. [[copulation (zoology)|Copulation]] involves the male mounting the female from behind and on top, though face-to-face matings as well as belly-to-back matings while lying on the sides also occur. The male will grab the female by the sides with his front paws instead of biting her neck. Intromission is 2–25 minutes long, and the couple [[Social grooming|groom]] each other between each bout.<ref name="Curry"/>

[[Gestation]] lasts about 131 days.<ref name="Roberts1979"/> Prior to giving birth, the female selects a denning site, such as a tree, log or stump hollow or rock crevice, and builds a nest using material from nearby, such as twigs, sticks, branches, bark bits, leaves, grass and moss.<ref name="Gebauer">{{cite book |author=Gebauer, A. |year=2021 |chapter=The early days: maternal behaviour and infant development |title=Red Panda: Biology and Conservation of the First Panda |editor=Glatston, A. R. |pages=149–179 |edition=Second |publisher=Academic Press |place=London |isbn=978-0-12-823753-3}}</ref> [[Litter (zoology)|Litters]] typically consist of one to four cubs that are born fully furred but blind. They are entirely dependent on their mother for the first three to four months until they first leave the nest. They nurse for their first five months.<ref name="Roberts1979">{{cite journal|last1=Roberts|first1=M. S.|last2=Kessler|first2=D. S. |name-list-style=amp |year=1979|title=Reproduction in Red pandas, ''Ailurus fulgens'' (Carnivora : Ailuropodidae) |journal=Journal of Zoology |volume=188 |issue=2 |pages=235–249|doi=10.1111/j.1469-7998.1979.tb03402.x}}</ref> The bond between mother and offspring lasts until the next mating season. Cubs are fully grown at around 12 months and at around 18 months they reach [[sexual maturity]].<ref name="roberts+gittleman" /> Two radio-collared cubs in eastern Nepal separated from their mothers at the age of 7–8 months and left their birth areas three weeks later. They reached new home ranges within 26–42 days and became residents after exploring them for 42–44 days.<ref name=Bista_al2021b/>

=== Mortality and diseases===
The red panda's lifespan in captivity reaches 14 years.<ref name="roberts+gittleman" /> They have been recorded falling prey to [[leopard]]s in the wild.<ref name="Yonzon"/> Faecal samples of red panda collected in Nepal contained parasitic [[protozoa]], [[amoebozoa]]ns, [[roundworm]]s, [[trematodes]] and [[tapeworms]].<ref>{{cite journal |author1=Lama, S. T. |name-list-style=amp |author2=Lama, R. P. |author3=Regmi, G. R. |author4=Ghimire, T. R. |year=2015 |title=Prevalence of intestinal parasitic infections in free-ranging Red Panda ''Ailurus fulgens'' Cuvier, 1825 (Mammalia: Carnivora: Ailuridae) in Nepal |journal=Journal of Threatened Taxa |volume=7 |issue=8 |pages=7460–7464 |doi=10.11609/JoTT.o4208.7460-4 |doi-access=free}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |author1=Bista, D. |name-list-style=amp |author2=Shrestha, S. |author3=Kunwar, A. J. |author4=Acharya, S. |author5=Jnawali, S. R. |author6=Acharya, K. P. |year=2017 |title=Status of gastrointestinal parasites in Red Panda of Nepal |journal=PeerJ |volume=5 |page=e3767 |doi=10.7717/peerj.3767 |pmid=28894643 |pmc=5591639 |doi-access=free}}</ref> Roundworms, tapeworms and [[coccidia]] were also found in red panda scat collected in Rara and [[Langtang National Park]]s.<ref>{{cite journal |author1=Sharma, H. P. |name-list-style=amp |author2=Achhami, B. |year=2021 |title=Gastro-intestinal parasites of sympatric Red Panda and livestock in protected areas of Nepal |journal=Veterinary Medicine and Science |volume= 8|issue=2|pages=568–577 |pmid=34599791 |s2cid=238250774 |doi=10.1002/vms3.651 |pmc=8959333 |doi-access=free}}</ref> Fourteen red pandas at the [[Knoxville Zoo]] suffered from severe [[ringworm]], so the tails of two were [[Amputation|amputated]].<ref>{{cite journal |author1=Kearns, K. S. |name-list-style=amp |author2=Pollock, C. G. |author3=Ramsay, E. C. |year=1999 |title=Dermatophytosis in Red Pandas (''Ailurus fulgens fulgens''): a review of 14 cases |journal=Journal of Zoo and Wildlife Medicine |volume=30 |issue=4 |pages=561–563 |jstor=20095922|pmid=10749446 }}</ref> [[Chagas disease]] was reported as the cause of death of a red panda kept in a [[Kansas]] zoo.<ref>{{cite journal |author1=Huckins, G. L. |name-list-style=amp |author2=Eshar, D. |author3=Schwartz, D. |author4=Morton, M. |author5=Herrin, B. H. |author6=Cerezo, A. |author7=Yabsley, M. J. |author8=Schneider, S. M. |year=2019 |title=''Trypanosoma cruzi'' infection in a zoo-housed Red Panda in Kansas |journal=Journal of Veterinary Diagnostic Investigation |volume=31 |issue=5 |pages=752–755 |doi=10.1177/1040638719865926 |pmid=31342874 |pmc=6727118 |doi-access=free}}</ref> ''[[Amdoparvovirus]]'' was detected in the scat of six red pandas in the [[Sacramento Zoo]].<ref>{{cite journal |author1=Alex, C. E. |name-list-style=amp |author2=Kubiski, S. V. |author3=Li, L. |author4=Sadeghi, M. |author5=Wack, R. F. |author6=McCarthy, M. A. |author7=Pesavento, J. B. |author8=Delwart, E. |author9=Pesavento, P. A. |year=2018 |title=''Amdoparvovirus'' infection in Red Pandas (''Ailurus fulgens'') |journal=Veterinary Pathology |volume=55 |issue=4 |pages=552–561 |doi=10.1177/0300985818758470 |pmid=29433401 |doi-access=free}}</ref> Eight captive red pandas in a Chinese zoo suffered from [[shortness of breath]] and [[fever]] shortly before they died of [[pneumonia]]; [[autopsy]] revealed that they had antibodies to the protozoans ''[[Toxoplasma gondii]]'' and ''[[Sarcocystis]]'' species indicating that they were [[intermediate hosts]].<ref>{{cite journal |author1=Yang, Y. |name-list-style=amp |author2=Dong, H. |author3=Su, R. |author4=Li, T. |author5=Jiang, N. |author6=Su, C. |author7=Zhang, L. |year=2019 |title=Evidence of Red Panda as an intermediate host of ''Toxoplasma gondii'' and ''Sarcocystis'' species |journal=International Journal for Parasitology: Parasites and Wildlife |volume=8 |pages=188–191 |doi=10.1016/j.ijppaw.2019.02.006 |pmid=30891398 |pmc=6403407 |doi-access=free|bibcode=2019IJPPW...8..188Y }}</ref> A captive red panda in the [[Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding]] died of unknown reasons; an autopsy showed that its [[kidney]]s, [[liver]] and [[lung]]s were damaged by a bacterial infection caused by ''[[Escherichia coli]]''.<ref>{{cite journal |author1=Liu, S. |name-list-style=amp |author2=Li, Y. |author3=Yue, C. |author4=Zhang, D. |author5=Su, X. |author6=Yan, X. |author7=Yang, K. |author8=Chen, X. |author9=Zhuo, G. |author10=Cai, T. |author11=Liu, J. |author12=Peng, X. |author13=Huo, R. |year=2020 |title=Isolation and characterization of uropathogenic ''Escherichia coli'' (UPEC) from Red Panda (''Ailurus fulgens'') |journal=BMC Veterinary Research |volume=16 |issue=1 |page=404 |doi=10.1186/s12917-020-02624-9 |pmid=33109179 |pmc=7590469 |doi-access=free}}</ref>

== Threats ==
The red panda is primarily threatened by the [[habitat destruction|destruction]] and [[Habitat fragmentation|fragmentation]] of its habitat, the causes of which include increasing human population, [[deforestation]], the unlawful taking of [[Non-timber forest product|non-wood forest material]] and disturbances by herders and [[livestock]].<ref name="iucn" /> Trampling by livestock inhibits bamboo growth,<ref name="Yonzon">{{cite journal |author1=Yonzon, P. B. |name-list-style=amp |author2=Hunter, M. L. Jr.|title=Conservation of the Red Panda ''Ailurus fulgens'' |journal=Biological Conservation |year=1991 |volume=57 |issue=1 |pages=1–11 |doi=10.1016/0006-3207(91)90104-H|bibcode=1991BCons..57....1Y }}</ref> and [[clearcutting]] decreases the ability of some bamboo species to regenerate.<ref name="glatston_1994"/> The cut lumber stock in Sichuan alone reached {{cvt|2661000|m3}} in 1958–1960, and around {{cvt|3597.9|km2}} of red panda habitat were logged between the mid-1970s and late 1990s.<ref name="Wei"/> Throughout Nepal, the red panda habitat outside protected areas is negatively affected by solid waste, livestock trails and herding stations, and people collecting firewood and [[medicinal plants]].<ref name=Panthi_al2012/><ref>{{cite journal |author1=Acharya, K. P. |name-list-style=amp |author2=Shrestha, S. |author3=Paudel, P. K. |author4=Sherpa, A. P. |author5=Jnawali, S. R. |author6=Acharya, S. |author7=Bista, D. |year=2018 |title=Pervasive human disturbance on habitats of endangered Red Panda ''Ailurus fulgens'' in the central Himalaya |journal=Global Ecology and Conservation |volume=15 |page=e00420 |doi=10.1016/j.gecco.2018.e00420|s2cid=92988737|doi-access=free |bibcode=2018GEcoC..1500420A }}</ref> Threats identified in Nepal's [[Lamjung District]] include grazing by livestock during seasonal [[transhumance]], human-made forest fires and the collection of bamboo as cattle [[fodder]] in winter.<ref>{{cite journal |author1=Ghimire, G. |author2=Pearch, M. |author3=Baral, B. |author4=Thapa, B. |author5=Baral, R. |name-list-style=amp |year=2019 |title=The first photographic record of the Red Panda ''Ailurus fulgens'' (Cuvier, 1825) from Lamjung District outside Annapurna Conservation Area, Nepal |journal=Journal of Threatened Taxa |volume=11 |issue=12 |pages=14576–14581 |doi=10.11609/jott.4828.11.12.14576-14581 |doi-access=free}}</ref> Vehicular traffic is a significant barrier to red panda movement between habitat patches.<ref name=Bista_al2021/>

[[Poaching]] is also a major threat.<ref name="iucn" /> In Nepal, 121 red panda skins were [[Confiscation|confiscated]] between 2008 and 2018. [[trapping|Traps]] meant for other wildlife have been recorded killing red pandas.<ref name=Bista_al2020>{{cite journal |author1=Bista, D. |name-list-style=amp |author2=Baxter, G. S. |author3=Murray, P. J. |year=2020 |title=What is driving the increased demand for red panda pelts? |journal=Human Dimensions of Wildlife |volume=25 |issue=4 |pages=324–338 |doi=10.1080/10871209.2020.1728788 |bibcode=2020HDW....25..324B |s2cid=213958948}}</ref> In Myanmar, the red panda is threatened by hunting using guns and traps; since roads to the border with China were built starting in the early 2000s, red panda skins and live animals have been traded and smuggled across the border.<ref name=Lin_al2021/> In southwestern China, the red panda is hunted for its fur, especially for the highly valued bushy tails, from which hats are produced. The red panda population in China has been reported to have decreased by 40 per cent over the last 50 years, and the population in western Himalayan areas are considered to be smaller.<ref name="Wei" /> Between 2005 and 2017, 35 live and seven dead red pandas were confiscated in Sichuan, and several traders were sentenced to 3–12 years of imprisonment. A month-long survey of 65 shops in nine Chinese counties in the spring of 2017 revealed only one in Yunnan offered hats made of red panda skins, and red panda tails were offered in an online forum.<ref>{{cite book |author1=Xu, L. |name-list-style=amp |author2=Guan, J. |year=2018 |title=Red Panda market research findings in China |location=Cambridge |publisher=Traffic |url=http://www.trafficchina.org/sites/default/files/en_red_panda_briefing.pdf |access-date=28 January 2022 |archive-date=28 January 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220128151733/http://www.trafficchina.org/sites/default/files/en_red_panda_briefing.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref>

== Conservation ==
The red panda is listed in [[CITES Appendix I]] and protected in all range countries; hunting is illegal. It has been listed as [[Endangered species|Endangered]] on the [[IUCN Red List]] since 2008 because the global population is estimated at 10,000 individuals, with a decreasing population trend. A large extent of its habitat is part of protected areas.<ref name=iucn/>
{| class="wikitable sortable floatleft mw-collapsible"
|+ {{nowrap|Protected areas in red panda range countries}}
!Country
!Protected areas
|-
|Nepal ||[[Api Nampa Conservation Area]], [[Khaptad National Park]], [[Rara National Park]], [[Annapurna Conservation Area]], [[Manaslu Conservation Area]], [[Langtang National Park]], [[Gaurishankar Conservation Area]], [[Sagarmatha National Park]], [[Makalu Barun National Park]], [[Kanchenjunga Conservation Area]]<ref name=Thapa_al2020/>
|-
|India ||[[Khangchendzonga National Park]], [[Singalila National Park]], [[Varsey Rhododendron Sanctuary]], [[Shingba Rhododendron Sanctuary]], [[Fambong Lho Wildlife Sanctuary]], [[Kyongnosla Alpine Sanctuary]], [[Pangolakha Wildlife Sanctuary]], [[Maenam Wildlife Sanctuary]],<ref name=Dalui_al2020/> [[Namdapha National Park]]<ref>{{cite journal |author1=Datta, A. |name-list-style=amp |author2=Naniwadekar, R. |author3=Anand, M. O. |year=2008 |title=Occurrence and conservation status of small carnivores in two protected areas in Arunachal Pradesh, north-east India |journal=Small Carnivore Conservation |volume=39 |pages=1–10 |url=http://nebula.wsimg.com/a4542af18d00ad98aaec5ba17db81fb2?AccessKeyId=35E369A09ED705622D78&disposition=0&alloworigin=1 |access-date=18 March 2022 |archive-date=28 June 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220628075842/http://nebula.wsimg.com/a4542af18d00ad98aaec5ba17db81fb2?AccessKeyId=35E369A09ED705622D78&disposition=0&alloworigin=1 |url-status=live }}</ref>
|-
|Bhutan ||[[Jigme Khesar Strict Nature Reserve]], [[Jigme Dorji National Park]], [[Wangchuck Centennial National Park]], [[Jigme Singye Wangchuck National Park]], [[Bumdeling Wildlife Sanctuary]], [[Sakteng Wildlife Sanctuary]], [[Phrumsengla National Park]], [[Jomotsangkha Wildlife Sanctuary]]<ref name=Dorji_al2012/>
|-
|Myanmar ||[[Hkakaborazi National Park]], [[Hponkanrazi Wildlife Sanctuary]],<ref name=Lwin_al2021>{{cite journal |author1=Lwin, Y. H. |name-list-style=amp |author2=Wang, L. |author3=Li, G. |author4=Maung, K. W. |author5=Swa, K. |author6=Quan, R. C. |year=2021 |title=Diversity, distribution and conservation of large mammals in northern Myanmar |journal=Global Ecology and Conservation |volume=29 |page=e01736 |doi=10.1016/j.gecco.2021.e01736 |doi-access=free|bibcode=2021GEcoC..2901736L }}</ref> [[Imawbum National Park]]<ref name=Lin_al2021/>
|-
|China ||[[Yarlung Tsangpo Grand Canyon|Yarlung Tsangpo Grand Canyon Nature Reserve]] in Tibet,<ref>{{cite journal |author1=Li, X. |name-list-style=amp |author2=Bleisch, W. V. |author3=Liu, X. |author4=Jiang, X. |year=2021 |title=Camera-trap surveys reveal high diversity of mammals and pheasants in Medog, Tibet |journal=Oryx |volume=55 |issue=2 |pages=177–180 |doi=10.1017/S0030605319001467 |doi-access=free}}</ref> [[Wolong National Nature Reserve]], [[Fengtongzhai National Nature Reserve|Fengtongzhai]] and [[Yele National Nature Reserve]]s, [[Dafengding Nature Reserve]] and [[Giant Panda National Park]] in Sichuan,<ref name="Reid1991"/><ref name=Wei_al2000/><ref name=Zhang_al2006/><ref name=Zhou_al2013/><ref name=Dong_al2021/> [[Gaoligongshan National Nature Reserve]] in Yunnan<ref name=Liu_al2021/>
|}
{{clear}}

[[File:Red Panda (25193861686).jpg|thumb|Close-up of a red panda|alt=Red panda standing on a branch]]

A red panda [[anti-poaching]] unit and community-based monitoring have been established in Langtang National Park. Members of Community Forest User Groups also protect and monitor red panda habitats in other parts of Nepal.<ref>{{cite journal |author1=Thapa, A. |name-list-style=amp |author2=Hu, Y. |author3=Wei, F. |year=2018 |title=The endangered Red Panda (''Ailurus fulgens''): Ecology and conservation approaches across the entire range |journal=Biological Conservation |volume=220 |pages=112–121 |doi=10.1016/j.biocon.2018.02.014 |url=|doi-access=free |bibcode=2018BCons.220..112T }}</ref> Community outreach programs have been initiated in eastern Nepal using information boards, radio broadcasting and the annual International Red Panda Day in September; several schools endorsed a red panda conservation manual as part of their [[curriculum|curricula]].<ref>{{cite journal |author=Bista, D. |year=2018 |title=Communities in frontline in Red Panda conservation, eastern Nepal |journal=The Himalayan Naturalist |volume=1 |issue=1 |pages=11–12 |url=http://www.fonnepal.org/files/download/3Red%20panda%20conservation_theHimalayanNaturalist_Volume1Issue1May2018.pdf |access-date=27 January 2022 |archive-date=28 January 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220128105554/http://www.fonnepal.org/files/download/3Red%20panda%20conservation_theHimalayanNaturalist_Volume1Issue1May2018.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref>

Since 2010, [[community-based conservation]] programmes have been initiated in 10 districts in Nepal that aim to help villagers reduce their dependence on natural resources through improved herding and food processing practices and alternative income possibilities. The Nepali government ratified a five-year Red Panda Conservation Action Plan in 2019.<ref>{{cite book |author1=Sherpa, A. P. |name-list-style=amp |author2=Lama, S. T. |author3=Shrestah, S. |author4=Williams, B. |author5=Bista, D. |chapter=Red Pandas in Nepal: community-based approach to landscape-level conservation |year=2021 |title=Red Panda: Biology and Conservation of the First Panda |editor=Glatston, A. R. |pages=495–508 |edition=Second |publisher=Academic Press |place=London |isbn=978-0-12-823753-3 |doi=10.1016/B978-0-12-823753-3.00019-3 |s2cid=243829246 |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=gcwnEAAAQBAJ&pg=PA495 |access-date=1 February 2022 |archive-date=27 March 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220327233132/https://books.google.com/books?id=gcwnEAAAQBAJ&pg=PA495 |url-status=live }}</ref> From 2016 to 2019, {{cvt|35|ha}} of high-elevation [[rangeland]] in [[Merak, Bhutan]], was restored and fenced in cooperation with 120 herder families to protect the red panda forest habitat and improve communal land.<ref>{{cite journal |author1=Millar, J. |name-list-style=amp |author2=Tenzing, K. |year=2021 |title=Transforming degraded rangelands and pastoralists' livelihoods in eastern Bhutan |journal=Mountain Research and Development |volume=41 |issue=4 |pages=D1–D7 |doi=10.1659/MRD-JOURNAL-D-21-00025.1 |doi-access=free}}</ref> Villagers in Arunachal Pradesh established two [[Indigenous and community conserved area|community conservation areas]] to protect the red panda habitat from disturbance and exploitation of forest resources.<ref name=Chakraborty_al2015/> China has initiated several projects to protect its environment and wildlife, including [[Grain for Green]], The Natural Forest Protection Project and the National Wildlife/Natural Reserve Construction Project. For the last project, the red panda is not listed as a key species for protection but may benefit from the protection of the giant panda and [[golden snub-nosed monkey]], with which it overlaps in range.<ref name=Wei_al2021>{{cite book |author1=Wei, F. |author2=Zhang, Z. |author3=Thapa, A. |author4=Zhijin, L. |author5=Hu, Y. |name-list-style=amp |year=2021 |chapter=Conservation initiatives in China |title=Red Panda: Biology and Conservation of the First Panda |editor=Glatston, A. R. |pages=509–520 |edition=Second |publisher=Academic Press |place=London |isbn=978-0-12-823753-3 |doi=10.1016/B978-0-12-823753-3.00021-1 |s2cid=243813871}}</ref>

=== In captivity ===
[[File:Red panda eating bamboo at Symbio Wildlife Park.webm|thumb|Red panda at [[Symbio Wildlife Park]]|alt=Video of captive red pandas standing on a tree and eating]]

The [[London Zoo]] received two red pandas in 1869 and 1876, the first of which was caught in [[Darjeeling]]. The [[Calcutta Zoo]] received a live red panda in 1877, the [[Philadelphia Zoo]] in 1906, and [[Artis Zoo|Artis]] and [[Cologne Zoo]]s in 1908. In 1908, the first captive red panda cubs were born in an Indian zoo. In 1940, the [[San Diego Zoo]] imported four red pandas from India that had been caught in Nepal; their first litter was born in 1941. Cubs that were born later were sent to other zoos; by 1969, about 250 red pandas had been exhibited in zoos.<ref>{{cite book |author=Jones, M. L. |year=2021 |chapter=A brief history of the Red Panda in captivity |title=Red Panda: Biology and Conservation of the First Panda |editor=Glatston, A. R. |pages=181–199 |edition=Second |publisher=Academic Press |place=London |isbn=978-0-12-823753-3 |doi=10.1016/B978-0-12-823753-3.00026-0|s2cid=243805749 }}</ref> The [[Taronga Conservation Society]] started keeping red pandas in 1977.<ref>{{cite journal |author=Lewis, M. |year=2011 |title=Birth and mother rearing of Nepalese red pandas ''Ailurus fulgens fulgens'' at the Taronga Conservation Society Australia |journal=International Zoo Yearbook |volume=45 |issue=1 |pages=250–258 |doi=10.1111/j.1748-1090.2011.00135.x}}</ref>

In 1978, a [[breed registry]], the ''International Red Panda Studbook'', was set up, followed by the Red Panda [[European Endangered Species Programme]] in 1985. Members of international zoos ratified a global master plan for the [[captive breeding]] of the red panda in 1993. By late 2015, 219 red pandas lived in 42 [[List of zoos in Japan|zoos in Japan]].<ref>{{cite journal |author1=Tanaka, A. |name-list-style=amp |author2=Ogura, T. |year=2018 |title=Current husbandry situation of Red Pandas in Japan |journal=Zoo Biology |volume=37 |issue=2 |pages=107–114 |doi=10.1002/zoo.21407|pmid=29512188 }}</ref> The [[Padmaja Naidu Himalayan Zoological Park]] participates in the Red Panda [[Species Survival Plan]] and kept about 25 red pandas by 2016.<ref>{{cite journal |author1=Kumar, A. |name-list-style=amp |author2=Rai, U. |author3=Roka, B. |author4=Jha, A. K. |author5= Reddy, P. A. |year=2016 |title=Genetic assessment of captive red panda (''Ailurus fulgens'') population |journal=SpringerPlus |volume=5 |issue=1 |page=1750 |doi=10.1186/s40064-016-3437-1 |pmid=27795893 |pmc=5055525 |doi-access=free}}</ref> By the end of 2019, 182 European zoos kept 407 red pandas.<ref>{{cite journal |author1=Kappelhof, J. |name-list-style=amp |author2=Weerman, J. |year=2020 |title=The development of the Red panda ''Ailurus fulgens'' EEP: from a failing captive population to a stable population that provides effective support to in situ conservation |journal=International Zoo Yearbook |issue=1 |volume=54 |pages=102–112 |doi=10.1111/izy.12278 |doi-access=free}}</ref> Regional captive breeding programmes have also been established in North American, Australasian and South African zoos.<ref name="Introduction2022"/>

== Cultural significance ==
[[File:Stamp of India - 2009 - Colnect 159926 - Red Panda Ailurus fulgens.jpeg|thumb|Red panda on a 2009 stamp from India|alt=Stamp showing a red panda in a tree with some Hindi writing]]

The red panda's role in the culture and folklore of local people is limited. A drawing of a red panda exists on a 13th-century Chinese scroll.<ref name=GlatstonGebauer2021>{{cite book |title=Red Panda: Biology and Conservation of the First Panda |editor=Glatston, A. R. |year=2021 |publisher=Academic Press |location=London |edition=Second |isbn=9780128237540 |chapter=People and Red Pandas: the Red Panda's role in economy and culture |author1=Glatston, A. R. |author2=Gebauer, A. |name-list-style=amp |pages=1–14 |doi=10.1016/B978-0-12-823753-3.00002-8 |s2cid=243805192}}</ref> In Nepal's [[Taplejung District]], red panda claws are used for treating [[epilepsy]]; its skin is used in rituals for treating sick people, making hats, [[scarecrow]]s and decorating houses.<ref name=Bista_al2020 /> In western Nepal, [[Magars|Magar]] [[Shamanism|shaman]]s use its skin and fur in their ritual dresses and believe that it protects against evil spirits. People in central Bhutan consider red pandas to be [[reincarnation]]s of [[Buddhist monk]]s. Some tribal people in northeast India and the [[Yi people]] believe that it brings good luck to wear red panda tails or hats made of its fur.<ref name=GlatstonGebauer2021/> In China, the fur is used for local cultural ceremonies. At weddings, the bridegroom traditionally carries the hide. Hats made of red panda tails are also used by local newlyweds as a "good-luck charm".<ref name="Wei" />

The red panda was recognised as the [[List of Indian state animals|state animal]] of Sikkim in the early 1990s and was the [[mascot]] of the Darjeeling Tea Festival.<ref name="glatston_1994">{{cite book |ref=glatston1994 |author=Glatson, A. R. |publisher=IUCN/SSC Mustelid, Viverrid, and Procyonid Specialist Group |title=Status Survey and Conservation Action Plan for Procyonids and Ailurids. The Red Panda, Olingos, Coatis, Raccoons, and their Relatives |location=Gland, Switzerland |year=1994 |isbn=2-8317-0046-9 |pages=8, 12 |chapter=The Red Panda or Lesser Panda (''Ailurus fulgens'') |chapter-url=https://portals.iucn.org/library/sites/library/files/documents/1994-015_en.pdf#page=27 |access-date=7 July 2020 |archive-date=8 March 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210308071713/https://portals.iucn.org/library/sites/library/files/documents/1994-015_en.pdf#page=27 |url-status=live }}</ref> It has been featured on stamps and coins issued by several red panda range states. [[Anthropomorphism|Anthropomorphic]] red pandas feature in [[animated movie]]s and TV series such as ''[[The White Snake Enchantress (film)|The White Snake Enchantress]]'', ''Bamboo Bears'', ''[[Barbie as the Island Princess]]'', [[DreamWorks Animation|DreamWorks]]' ''[[Kung Fu Panda]]'' franchise, ''[[Aggretsuko]]'' and [[Disney/Pixar]]'s ''[[Turning Red]]'', and in several video games and comic books. It is the [[namesake]] of the [[Firefox]] browser and has been used as the namesake of music bands and of companies. Its appearance has been used for plush toys, t-shirts, postcards and other items.<ref name=GlatstonGebauer2021/>
{{Clear}}

==Notes==
{{Notelist}}

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

== External links ==
{{Commons and category|Ailurus fulgens|Ailurus fulgens}}
*[http://www.redpandanetwork.org/ Red Panda Network]&nbsp;– a non-profit organization committed to the conservation of wild red pandas

{{Carnivora|C.}}
{{Musteloidea|Mea.|state=collapsed}}
{{Taxonbar|from=Q41960|from2=Q19817309}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Mammals described in 1825]]
[[Category:Taxa named by Frédéric Cuvier]]
[[Category:EDGE species]]
[[Category:Fauna of Eastern Himalaya]]
[[Category:Mammals of China]]
[[Category:Mammals of India]]
[[Category:Mammals of Nepal]]
[[Category:Mammals of Bhutan]]
[[Category:Mammals of Myanmar]]
[[Category:Ailuridae]]
[[Category:Clawed herbivores]]
[[Category:Articles containing video clips]]
[[Category:Endangered Fauna of China]]