What Exactly Is A Red Panda?

red panda in snow

Red Pandas at The Cincinnati Zoo

As winter bore down on the Midwest and Northeast, citizens weary of staving off yet another blizzard while reclaiming cars and homes buried under mountains of snow, finally had something to make them smile.  This small respite, from a winter that would make even Elsa and Olaf cringe, arrived as NBC News aired the story about two red pandas at the Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden romping in the snow with sheer joy and abandon.

The story was picked up by the wire services and was featured in a variety of news outlets including Wall Street Journal, USA Today, BuzzFeed, and the United Kingdom’s Daily Mail turning these charmers into international, Internet sensations.  The video has been making the rounds on Facebook, and, at last count, has garnered over 2.7 million views on YouTube!  In case you are one of the few who hasn’t seen this, or if you just need to add an additional dose of cute to your day, the YouTube link follows.

Red Pandas Like The Cold

Let’s find out more about these fascinating and cute animals.

What exactly is a Red Panda?

Well, that is the question that baffled scientists for decades. We can see that the Red Panda or “fire fox” is adorable, fuzzy, and entertaining, but what kind of animal is it? Do you think it might be a bear?  Nope, it’s not a bear.  It looks like a raccoon; could it be a raccoon?  Wrong again.  While the Red Panda was previously classified in the families of raccoons (scientific name: Procyonidae) and bears (scientific name:  Ursidae), within the past 15 years it was determined that the Red Panda is a unique species, unrelated to the others.  It has now been placed in its own scientific family:  Ailuridae.

The Red Panda is not even closely related to the Giant Panda. The Red Panda does have a few things in common with the Giant Panda, however.  Both species share part of the same habitat, although the Red Panda’s range is larger; they both have an extended wrist bone which acts almost like a thumb that helps them grip; and they both share an appetite for yummy bamboo.  That is pretty much where the similarities end.

giant pandared panda in tree

The Giant Panda resembles a bear and is about the size of an American black bear.  A male can weigh up to 250 pounds.  However, the Red Panda more closely resembles a raccoon and is about the size of a large house cat.  The average size of a Red Panda is 22 to 25 inches and its fluffy tail adds another 15 to 19 inches.  Its average weight is 7 to 14 pounds.

Where do they come from?

By now, it should come as no surprise that Red Pandas like the cold.  Their thick auburn fur insulates their bodies from the cold and when additional protection is required, they wrap their bushy tails around their bodies to ward off the chill.  The Red Panda prefers the temperate climates found in the forests in the foothills of the Himalayas.  The temperatures in this region are typically cool and remain that way most of the year.  Their range extends from Western Nepal to northern Myanmar.  They can also be found in southwestern China in elevations between 4,900 and 13,000 feet. Like Tarzan, the Red Panda spends most if its time in trees.  It is very agile and can easily traverse among the limbs.  When it time for a snooze, you’ll find the Red Panda dozing high up in the branches.  The Red Panda is most active at night where it can forage for food under the protection of darkness.

region of the red panda

While Red Pandas are for the most part solitary, they often have overlapping ranges. The home range of a female red panda is often one square mile of area.  Males generally live in an area twice that size and sometimes larger during breeding season – usually January through March.

bamboo forest

What do they eat?

Red pandas are technically carnivores.   They will eat a variety of different foods including eggs, fruit, nuts, and roots. On rare occasions a bird or small rodent may supplement the red panda diet.  However, the red panda is primarily an herbivore with a diet consisting mostly of bamboo shoots and leaves.

red panda eating bamboo

The Red Panda does not eat all parts of the bamboo.  The Red Panda seeks out only the young and tender bamboo shoots and leaves.  Bamboo is not easily digestible; therefore the Red Panda has to eat a lot of bamboo to maintain its daily nutritional intake.  Surprisingly a Red Panda can eat around 20,000 bamboo leaves in a day.

How cute are those babies?

The answer is – “Very Cute!”  After breeding during the winter, mom prepares for an early summer birth of her babies.  Before giving birth, mom builds a nest in a hollow tree or bamboo thicket and lines it with moss, leaves and other natural material to make it soft and warm.   The Red Panda gestation is about 135 days, which is a really long time for a mammal of its size.  Typically they have an only one to 4 cubs in a litter. Babies remain in their nest for about 90 days under the constant care and supervision of their doting mother.  (Males take little or no interest in their offspring.)  Red Panda cubs stay with their mother for about a year.   As the cubs transition to solid foods they eat only bamboo until they are old enough to digest other foods.  The cubs grow slowly and reach adult size at about a year old.  They reach sexual maturity at around 18 months.  There is a very high mortality rate among newborns – estimated to be as high as 80% — since the vulnerable cubs are targets for prey animals.  These factors impact population growth.  Once the population is threatened, it is difficult for it to bounce back after a period of decline.

baby red panda

What is happening to the Red Panda population?

The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species Version 2014.3 lists the Red Panda as “Vulnerable” which means the population is decreasing, in danger of becoming endangered and threatened by extinction.

red panda population

Once Again, Humans Encroaching On Precious Natural Habitats Are To Blame

The Red Panda has a few natural predators such as the snow leopard and marten.  In addition a number of predatory birds and small carnivores prey on the more vulnerable cubs.  However, humans encroaching on precious natural habitats appear to be the primary cause of the Red Panda population decline.  A major threat is the loss of habitat due to deforestation for timber, fuel and agriculture. The increasing human populations have affected land that once provided trees for nesting sites and areas of bamboo forests. There is more competition for food and land from domestic livestock. Dogs used to protect herds are threatening the Red Panda nests. Poaching for the pet and fur trades continues to be a problem.  I think it’s safe to say that humans are the biggest threat to the Red Panda survival.

Fortunately many of our zoos have taken up the challenge to preserve the Red Panda.  Eighty zoos are working with the Species Survival Plan (SSP) and are successfully breeding captive populations.  The Red Panda Network works with zoos, local communities and the general public to promote Red Panda conservation.  If you are interested in more information about the Red Panda, or would like to find out where you can see a Red Panda near you, check out their website.

Photo Credits:

Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden

Smithsonian, National Zoo

World Wildlife Fund

Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden

IUCN

Karen Borejka

Karen Borejka, our Wildlife Editor, is a Volunteer Educator for the Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden, and is a member of the Association of Zoo and Aquarium Docents and Volunteers (AZADV). She and her husband Vic are “bi-coastal” with a daughter on the east coast and a son on the west coast. Karen and her husband live in Cincinnati, OH with her mom Helen, and their 5 “fur-children” –2 dogs and 3 cats – all rescues. Karen can be reached through Facebook.

What Is The American Burying Beetle?

Cheers For The American Burying Beetle!

American Burying BeetleDespite my years as a Girl Scout, Girl Scout leader, occasional camper and sporadic hiker, with a great appreciation for the outdoors, I can’t say that I’ve ever been a fan of the invertebrate.  Sure, I’ve gently swept errant daddy long legs out of the tent as the girls cowered in fear, and urged the curious honey bee away from its intended human landing pad with a light wave of my hand.  I’ll even admit to gingerly transferring a misdirected ladybug or multipede from its indoor encampment to a more fitting outdoor location.  But a fan?  Not so much.  I mostly thought of invertebrates—insects, bugs, etc.—as something to be tolerated and probably avoided.

My less than welcoming attitude began to shift when I became aware of a handsome little guy known as the American Burying Beetle or ABB for short.  Also known as the giant carrion beetle, the ABB knew that “orange is the new black” well before the hit series on Netflix. It is the largest sized beetle of its genus in North America, reaching 1½ inches in length, and its orange against black coloration makes it distinctively attractive.

Lost beetleThe American Burying Beetle Was Declared An Endangered Species

Formerly found in 35 of the U.S. states, the species experienced a dramatic 90% decline over time, resulting in populations totally disappearing from many states. Recent studies discovered the remaining ABB’s in only 6 states, (Nebraska, Rhode Island, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Kansas, and Arkansas). In 1989 the American Burying Beetle was declared an endangered species.

It difficult to determine exactly what caused the decline of the ABB. By the late 1920’s, the ABB population was already at risk, and had disappeared from many areas. Its disappearance is likely based on a combination of factors. Among others, transformation of natural habitats resulted in a reduction of species on which the ABB depends, including the extinction of the passenger pigeon. With fewer food sources, competition from other scavengers such as raccoons, crows, foxes and others intensified.

beetle on flowerBeetles Can Smell a Dead Animal Up to Two Miles Away

What’s so interesting about these….bugs? Well, they are AMAZING! Carrion beetles, like the American Burying Beetle, dispose of dead things: mice, birds, and other small animals.   They are like crime scene clean up crew after the CSI team has completed its investigation, (Although, in nature there really is no CSI.) The ABB needs carrion (dead animals) in order to sustain itself and its offspring.

Here’s how it works.

The antennae of the American Burying Beetle are highly proficient odor sensing devices. The beetles can smell a dead animal up to two miles away just an hour after death. While this is not a sensory skill most humans would value, it comes in very handy for the ABB. The beetle flies to the carcass – and, if necessary, will fight off other invertebrate competitors. The ABB burrows beneath the carcass, turning on its back and lifting the carcass with its legs to determine if it is the right size–2 to 7 ounces—about the size of a rat or a pigeon. Amazingly these beetles can handle a carcass up to 200 times their size.

Both the male and female beetles are required to “prepare” the carcass. This work is done at night to prevent flies, which are active during the day, from laying eggs on the remains. If the male arrives at the carcass first, he waits for the female. The male is easily distinguished from the female by its markings. The male sports an orange rectangle on its head, while the female displays a smaller triangle on her head. If no female arrives after a period of time, the male sits on top of the carcass and emits pheromones to attract a female partner. There is no time for social amenities or a cappuccino at a local coffee shop. Once both the male and female are present they begin to dig under the carcass, cutting through roots and pushing the dirt out and on top of the carcass, literally burying it over night. (Beetles 1; Flies 0)

Once buried, both beetles begin the work of stripping the carcass of any fur or feathers, and work the mass into a compact ball. They then cover the carcass with secretions that preserve the carrion and alter decomposition. All this without refrigeration!

PastedGraphic-6-page-001Now that the work is done and the pantry is well stocked it’s time to get ready for the babies. The female constructs a short chamber above the carrion and depending on the size of the carrion, will lay 10 to 30 eggs in the chamber. Then she returns to the carrion and makes a depression on the top. It is here that both mom and dad regurgitate droplets of partially digested food, which will serve as nutrition for the babies (larvae). Just think of it as bug baby formula! The eggs hatch within a few days.

Now here is something pretty incredible! Once the eggs hatch, mom will help the newborns to the “all they can eat buffet” (the carcass). In addition, mom and dad will stay with the larvae and “parent” them until they can go out on their own. This is extremely rare in the insect world, and demonstrates highly developed behavior for an insect. In the meantime, mom and dad will continue to take care of the carcass, removing fungi and protecting the remains with secretions. After about a week, the larvae will have consumed all except the bones. (Delish!) At this point mom and dad leave the nest and the youngsters are left to pupate nearby. They will emerge as striking orange and black adults about a month later. This flurry of activity generally occurs late April through September.

larvaeWhat about the parents? At this point you may think they have flown off to take a well-deserved vacation, but sadly that is not the case. The American Burying Beetle has a life span of just one year. The adults die shortly after leaving the nest, allowing their young to continue the annual cycle.

Nature’s Recycler

It’s pretty obvious to me why the American Burying Beetle needs to hang around and even prosper. I could go into a long explanation about the delicate ecosystems that surround us, and how we need to maintain and nurture them. I could expound tirelessly about how everything is interconnected as in the words of the World Wildlife Fund, “All that lives beneath Earth’s fragile canopy is, in some elemental fashion, related . . . If mankind continues to allow whole species to perish, when does their peril also become ours?” So true.

From a practical point of view, however – the American Burying Beetle is Nature’s Recycler. By burying dead animals, it helps return nutrients to the soil as well as eliminates unsightly, decomposing critters. The ABB also competes with other scavengers for food – as an example: the fly. If the ABB can beat a fly to its favorite food source, perhaps there will be fewer flies. I can’t remember a time when an American Burying Beetle ruined a picnic by buzzing around the potato salad. Just saying.

Fortunately a number of conservation groups including the Fish and Wildlife Service and zoos located in Cincinnati, St. Louis and Rhode Island, among others, have seen the value of this handsome little creature, and projects have been implemented in several states to enhance the ABB population.

Because of being declared an endangered species, re-population efforts are the best chance we have at saving this insect. It’s worth a shot and I’m all for it!

conservationSo, I think it’s safe to say that this nocturnal, flying, scavenger has captured my interest and respect – if not my heart. If there is one insect for which I have become a dedicated fan, this is it. I’m not saying I now embrace ALL insects with the same enthusiasm, but I’m working on it. Baby steps, people… baby steps.

Go team beetle. I’m cheering you on!

For more information on Nature’s Recycler:

The American Burying Beetle Release

American Burying Beetle Repopulation Project

Reintroduction in Missouri

PHOTO CREDITS:

Roger Williams Park Zoo

Laurence Billiet WordPress.com

Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden

Animal-kid.com

Fish and Wildlife Service

Virginia Tech Insect Biology

National Geographic

Karen BorejkaKaren Borejka, YPS Wildlife Editor, is a Volunteer Educator for the Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden, and is a member of the Association of Zoo and Aquarium Docents and Volunteers (AZADV). She and her husband Vic are “bi-coastal” with a daughter on the east coast and a son on the west coast. Karen and her husband live in Cincinnati, OH with her mom Helen, and their 5 “fur-children” –2 dogs and 3 cats – all rescues. Karen can be reached through Facebook.