The Red Panda

Today I heard something that I never knew before. The Mozilla Firefox logo isn't a fox at all, it's a Red Panda. "Firefox" is just another name for the red panda. I always thought it was just a regular old fox wrapped around a ball (the earth I'm presuming). The firefox isn't even related to the fox.

So I looked up the red panda, and it's the cutest little thing. Here's what I could find out about them:

The red panda (Ailurus fulgens, lit. "shining cat") ("Rooi Panda" in Afrikaans)

Fast Facts
from - http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/red-panda/
Type: Mammal
Diet: Herbivore
Average life span in the wild: 8 years
Size: Head and body, 20 to 26 in (50 to 65 cm); Tail, 12 to 20 in (30 to 50 cm)
Weight: 12 to 20 lbs (5.4 to 9 kg)
Protection status:Endangered

Is it a panda or a fox? Neither.

They are endangered animals. Mainly because they are victims of deforestation. Their natural space is shrinking as more and more forests are destroyed by logging and the spread of agriculture. They are hunted because of their fox like tail which in China is considered as a good luck charm for newlywed couples.

The red panda is protected in all range countries, and hunting is illegal.

They can be found in Asia, China and the Himalayas.

"They are slightly larger than a domestic cat, have reddish-brown fur, a long, shaggy tail, and a waddling gait due to its shorter front legs. It feeds mainly on bamboo, but is omnivorous and may also eat eggs, birds, insects, and small mammals. It is a solitary animal, mainly active from dusk to dawn, and is largely sedentary during the day." - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_panda

The pandas use their ringed tails as wraparound blankets in the chilly mountain heights.

These animals spend most of their lives in trees and even sleep aloft. When foraging, they are most active at night as well as in the gloaming hours of dusk and dawn.

They are shy and solitary except when mating. Females give birth in the spring and summer, typically to one to four young. Young red pandas remain in their nests for about 90 days, during which time their mother cares for them. (Males take little or no interest in their offspring.) - 

The red panda has a naturally low birth rate (usually single or twin births per year), and a high death rate in the wild.

And if you want to know how to pick up a baby red panda in 5 easy steps, click here. (Warning - cute overload!)

Since I will not be walking into any red panda's around here in South Africa, I won't be able to take any snaps of these little guys (unless I find myself in the Himalayas before posting this). So I have stolen some photos that I liked from the web: