Exotic little panda looks very cute. This calm, good-natured animal perfectly reproduces in captivity. Some people are attracted by the opportunity to keep him at home, despite the complexity of care and the high cost of the animal.
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Wildlife habitat
The main range of the Little Panda is the mountain forests of the Himalayas, part of the territory of India, China, Nepal, Bhutan and Myanmar. There are two subspecies that differ in color intensity and size.
Small red panda Styana, with darker hair, inhabits northern Myanmar and southern China. The western minor panda lives in Nepal and Bhutan; it is slightly smaller than the first subspecies.
No animals were found west of Nepal, but the ancestors of the Lesser Panda in prehistoric times occupied a larger area. Their remains are found in North America and Eastern Europe. After the ice age, when the climate on Earth changed, places suitable for the life of the animal were reduced to a relatively small area.
The air temperature in the mixed forests where the panda lives does not exceed +25 ° C. Their upper tier is represented by fir and deciduous trees - maples, oaks, chestnuts. Bamboo grows in the undergrowth - the main source of nutrition for animals.
The little panda is listed in the Red Book as an endangered species. The exact number of animals in nature is unknown, but it is estimated to be from 3 to 10 thousand individuals. The main enemies are the snow leopard and man. In addition to the destruction of bamboo forests - the natural habitat of animals - they are threatened by the shooting of poachers. Beautiful red fur is highly valued; in China, hat for wedding ceremony is sewn from it.
Description, size, life span
Lesser panda is a predatory mammal. Many millions of years ago, the big and small pandas had a common ancestor, but these animals, despite a similar name, have only distant similarities.
Scientists for a long time did not know which family the animal belongs to. Outwardly, it looks like a bear and a raccoon, coat color and a fluffy tail, like a fox. Thanks to genetic studies, it was found that the small panda forms a separate family Ailuridae. In appearance, the animal resembles a large domestic cat, males are slightly superior to females in weight and size.
Description:
- the head is wide, like a bear;
- short muzzle with a black nose;
- small rounded ears;
- dark little eyes;
- body about 60 cm long;
- tail - up to 50 cm;
- maximum weight - 6.2 kg;
- number of teeth - 38 pcs.;
- short powerful legs, covered with black wool;
- semi-retractable claws that help the animal climb trees;
- sixth false finger;
- the fur is colored fiery red or brown on the back, dark on the stomach;
- tail fluffy, red with light stripes;
- the hair on the head is white, and near the eyes there is a pattern in the form of a mask.
The animal lives from 9 to 15 years. The longest life expectancy is 19 years. It was noted in the male, a resident of the zoo.
Lifestyle & Social Behavior
Animals rarely form pairs or groups, prefer to live alone. In the afternoon, they sleep in a safe place on a tree, curled up in a ball and covering themselves with a fluffy tail. Begin to actively move with the onset of twilight. Small pandas feed mainly on plant foods - young bamboo branches and leaves. Mushrooms, berries, fruits and bird eggs are also included in their diet.
The digestive system of the animal is not adapted to the good absorption of plant foods, so it is forced to eat a lot. In summer, spring and autumn, when bamboo is enough, one animal eats about 4 kg of shoots and 1.5 kg of leaves per day. The food takes most of the panda's wakefulness - 13 hours.
Between each other, animals communicate using sounds resembling bird twitter. In case of danger they climb trees and scream.
If there is nowhere to run away, they stand on their hind legs and release their claws on their forepaws, threatening the enemy. The cry of the little pandas resembles the sound of “Wah!”. That is exactly what Thomas Hardwick proposed to call these animals, who first described them in 1821. But he lingered a bit on the territory of the English colonies, and in scientific circles the animal was called Ailurus fulgens, which means "shining cat."
Breeding and rearing offspring
The mating season begins in January. The female gives birth to offspring 4 to 5 months after mating, although a little less than 2 months are necessary for the maturation of the embryo.
Usually from 1 to 4 cubs are born. They do not see or hear anything, weigh about 130 g each.
The female gives birth to offspring in a nest built in advance in the hollow of a tree or in a crevice of a rock.
Males do not participate in raising babies unless they live with the female constantly. Milk feeding lasts about 3 months, then young animals leave the nest and begin to eat solid food. They live with their mother for another 1 year, until her new offspring. At one and a half years, the animals reach puberty, but grow very slowly, and are considered adults only in the third year of life.
Is it possible to buy a small panda
The small panda at home successfully reproduces, which reduces the risk of its complete disappearance from the face of the Earth. You can buy an exotic animal in 2018 in Ukraine in the city of Melitopol. Sales services are offered by the Animal House online store.
The cost of 1 individual is 400 hryvnias.
Interestingly, under the terms of the contract of sale, the store is not responsible for the animal, after its acquisition by the new owner.
In Russia, the small panda is also sold illegally, information about this can be found on the Internet. In the conditions of a city apartment, the animal cannot live; for it, a spacious aviary is needed.
For those who can’t buy a small panda, but really want to get to know her better, this opportunity is provided in some zoos. In a special enclosure, the animal can be stroked and fed. If you buy a subscription to visit, the money will go to preserve the look.
Pet care at home
It is known that the small panda was kept as a pet in India and Nepal for a long time. Now it is difficult to do it legally, since the animal belongs to an endangered species, it is protected by law. Documents on the sale of each individual are needed and information that she was born in captivity, and not captured in the wild. The owner should have enough money not only to purchase, but also to maintain a small panda.
At home, a spacious enclosure is built for the animal. In nature, one female occupies an area of about 2.5 km2, and the male is twice as large.
Inside the enclosure, log ladders and a shelter are installed at the top. The owner will have to work hard to get the right amount of fresh herbs for the daily nutrition of the animal.
At home, the small panda refuses meat food. She is fed fruit, vegetables, grass, bamboo buds, rice milk porridge and sweet milk.
The animal does not tolerate overheating, in its native alpine forests it is used to harsh winters and not very hot summers. At temperatures above +25 ° C, she feels uncomfortable, sick. Intestinal diseases caused by improper feeding can be another health hazard in captive panda.
