Zoological name: The zoological name of red panda is Ailrus
fulgens. It is also commonly called bear cat, common panda or
Himalayan raccoon. It has two recognized subspecies: A.ffulgens
and Afstyani. The former race is found in the temperate forest
of Nepal, Sikkim and Himalayan region of eastern India, while
the later is found in South China and Myanrnar.
Distribution: It is more widely distributed than giant panda and its homeland ranges from the eastern Himalayas to Western China.
Habitat: They inhabit in temperate forest zone of the Himalayan ecosystem where bamboo forests are available.
Physical feature: The length from head to body is 51-63.5 cm and the tail is 28-48.5 cm. They weigh about 3-5 kg. The red panda has a thick fur. The colour is reddish brown above and black underneath. Face and ears are white to buff. The face has a red brown stripe which runs from each eye to the corner of the mouth. The other salient physical characteristics of red panda include a rounded head, short and broad face, pointed snout, pointed ears, semi retractile claws and long and bushy ringed tail. The soles are covered with hair.