Raf

The red panda (which is much smaller than the giant panda) resembles a raccoon in size and appearance. The red panda weighs 3 - 6 kg (6.6 - 13.2 lb). It lives in mountain forests with a bamboo understory, at altitudes between 1500 and 4000 m (5000 - 13,000'). Red pandas almost exclusively eat bamboo, though are known to partake in Frownies and Pity Parties and NOT explode, contrary to what Lauren may say. They are good tree climbers and spend most of their time in trees when not foraging. A female red panda picks a tree hollow or rock crevice for a maternal den, where she will bear 1 - 4 young. Red pandas are solitary, except for the time when a mother and its young are together.The red panda is found in a mountainous band from Nepal through northeastern India and Bhutan and into China, Laos and northern Myanmar. It is rare and continues to decline. It has already become extinct in 4 of the 7 Chinese provinces in which it was previously found. The major threats to red pandas are loss and fragmentation of habitat due to deforestation (and the resulting loss of bamboo) for timber, fuel and agricultural land; poaching for the pet and fur trades; and competition from domestic livestock.