Red panda pictures and facts

The origin of the name "Panda" is the Nepalese word "Nigalya ponya", which has the meaning of "eater of bamboo". And this explains the similarity of the names of the Red panda (Ailurus fulgens) and the Giant panda: Both species are specialized on eating bamboo but are not as closely related as their names might indicate. The Red panda's dependency on bamboo isn't as distinct as in the Giant panda, which feeds exclusively on bamboo. Red pandas also consume roots, acorns, berries, lichens and sometimes eggs and young birds. The small bears are too slow to carry off faster animals. Anyway is their way of life marked by a certain kind of portliness. They spend much time resting on high branches, curled up or stretched, depending on outside temperature. Thus Red pandas are saving energy since bamboo is very low on energy content. Up in the trees they are quite safe from their predators like the Snow leopard; down on the ground Red pandas wouldn't have any chance against them.link