The Difference Between "Giant Pandas" and "Red Pandas"

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

Today we will talk about the differences between them.

Red pandas, like giant pandas, are highly specialized carnivorous animals that rely on vegetarianism as their absolute staple food. They share certain characteristics with giant pandas, but also possess their own unique charm and appearance.

The red panda has a body length of about 80 to 120 centimeters and an average weight of only about 5 kilograms. Its tail is about 30 to 50 centimeters thick and long, like a wolf's tail. Its tail hair is also adorned with 9 red brown and yellow white alternating rings, earning it a unique nickname - "Nine legged Wolf".

Compared to the "black and white version" of the giant panda, the red panda is a true "color version". Its face is short, almost circular, and small and cute compared to its relatively sturdy body. In addition, the white patches and long whiskers on the cheeks, nose, and forehead add to the playfulness. A wide brownish red band extending downwards from the eyes separates the white around the nose from the white on the cheeks. The ears are large and towering, with white edges, appearing agile and constantly capturing information about the surrounding environment. Dark brown eyes are small and round, sometimes lively and sometimes sleepy. This ferocious little panda is really likable.

The habitats of the two species of red pandas (Himalayan red panda and Chinese red panda) are slightly different. The Himalayan red panda is slightly taller, ranging from 2000 meters to 3600 meters; Chinese red pandas, on the other hand, range from 1400 to 3400 meters, but are mostly located in high and subalpine zones.

Red pandas are a type of mountain animal that prefers warmth, humidity, and cold resistance. They inhabit evergreen broad-leaved forests, mixed evergreen and deciduous forests, mixed coniferous and broad-leaved forests, and coniferous forest belts in mountainous areas, and have strict selectivity towards microbial environments.

Generally speaking, red pandas prefer to live in typical habitats with steep slopes, moderate tree canopy density, good bamboo growth, close proximity to water sources, and rhododendron trees.

On the palm of the forelimbs of a red panda, like a giant panda, there is a "fake thumb" formed by a specialized wrist bone. However, its function is similar to that of a real thumb, which can grip the other five long and separated toes, skillfully pull bamboo branches, pick bamboo leaves, and grasp food, appearing very gentle.

Unlike giant pandas, which have a bad habit of eating too much and defecating everywhere, red pandas are very fond of cleanliness and always go to a fixed and hidden place to defecate.

Due to the fact that pandas mainly feed on bamboo, although their anterior molars have not decreased, the unique split teeth of carnivorous animals have almost lost their cutting function. There are two pairs of short and wide molars on top and bottom, with bright and rough grinding surfaces on top to adapt to grinding hard bamboo fibers. In addition, they also have strong chewing muscles and corresponding skeletal structures, thereby increasing their chewing power.

Red pandas have poor sense of smell, hearing, and vision, coupled with their mild temperament and poor self-defense ability, making them highly vulnerable to natural enemies such as leopards, clouded leopards, jackals, and yellow throated ferrets. When encountering danger, one often makes a loud cry of "wow" and then escapes to the dense forest to avoid danger. Only when in extreme danger will one bite the other person or stand up and use their front paws to strike.

It moves slowly and clumsily on the ground, not running very fast. Its ability to climb trees is very strong, and it can easily climb up very high and thin branches, often making some tree climbing beasts helpless.

There is a secretory gland near the anus of a red panda, which is commonly used to rub against protruding objects such as tree trunks and rocks, leaving a special odor for attracting the opposite sex or conveying information.

From June to July each year, the season in high mountain environments is relatively late spring compared to plain areas, with suitable temperature and humidity, abundant food, and suitable for breeding offspring of red pandas living at high altitudes.

Nowadays, red pandas have received widespread attention worldwide, and their conservation work is gradually progressing in an orderly manner. I believe that one day in the future, red pandas will be able to run freely in the vast nature and survive freely in a peaceful and suitable environment.

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