The Red Panda

By Ms. Amabile and Class

Table of Contents1. Introduction

2. Habitat

3. Diet

4. Daily Life

5. Growth and Development

6. Defenses

7. Conclusion

8. Glossary

Introduction 1

This is a report about the Red Pandas. These fascinating animals actually predate the more well-known Giant Panda. Read this report to learn many interesting facts about the Red Panda.

Habitat 2

Red pandas live in the cool rainy mountain forest regions of China, Nepal and Myanmar.

Diet 3

The red panda is mostly an herbivore, however on occasion it will eat bird eggs and insects.

The red panda eats mostly bamboo, and some fruit, acorns and roots.

A red panda will eat about 200,000 bamboo leaves each day. The red panda will also eat the baby bamboo shoots.

Daily Life 4

The red panda spends nearly all of its life up in trees. It is most active at night and just before dawn. It spends about 13 hours grazing. Other times the red panda conserves energy by resting in tree branches.

The red panda lives by itself, except when a mother is caring for her babies. The red panda is very shy.

Growth and Development 5A mother red panda can give birth to a litter of up to 4 babies. The gestation period is 134 days. The babies are born with their eyes closed and with gray fur. They stay in a nest made by the mother for the first 3 months and then the mother continues to care for the babies until the next breeding season. It takes one year for a red panda to reach maturity. A full grown red panda may weigh up to 20 pounds.

A full grown red panda is about the size of a house cat, however it has a long bushy tail that is nearly as long as its body. The red panda has a lifespan of about 8 years in its natural environment.

Defenses 6

Although the red panda does have sharp retractable claws like a cat, its primary defense is its camouflage. Its fur is a rusty red color, which blends in with the red moss that grows on the trees in which the red panda lives. The black fur on the red panda's underside makes it difficult for potential predators to see it from below.

Conclusion 7

The red panda is an endangered animal. Its habitat is being destroyed due to deforestation.

It is important for people to learn about this amazing creature so that we all can help protect it.

National Geographic

Red Panda Project

Glossary 8herbivoregrazing to eat while moving from place to placeconservelittercamouflagegestationbreedingmaturity when an animal reaches the age of

reproduction (adulthood) pre-date to come beforedeforestation destroying forests

an animal that eats only plants

to save the babies born by a mother at one time

the ability to blend in with the surroundings how long a mother is pregnant animal reproduction (making babies)