Considering their remarkable appearance, red pandas are just simply awesome!
They are acrobatic animals that spend most of the day on trees. Red pandas also display impressive skills, whether in the wild or captivity.
In this article, we will list the top 7 common things red pandas love to do.
Keep reading below to find out!
Table of Contents
- 1. Red Pandas Love Eating Bamboo
- 2. They Enjoy Sleeping
- 3. Red Pandas Love Climbing Trees
- 4. They Like Being Alone
- 5. Red Pandas Love to Swim
- 6. Red Pandas Love Camouflage
- 7. They Love to Play In The Snow
1. Red Pandas Love Eating Bamboo
One of the things that give the red panda pleasure is the bamboo diet. Bamboo is a favorite among these creatures as it makes up 95% of their diet.
While they have the digestive systems of carnivores, the red pandas feed like herbivores. Fortunately, they have strong jaws and teeth that make chewing bamboo easy.
So, these pandas eat around 2 to 4 pounds (0.907 – 1.814 kg) of bamboo shoots and leaves every day.
Since they digest about 24% of bamboo, the red cat bears have to eat a lot of it. It’s no wonder why eating is one of the “hobbies” of the red cat bears.
2. They Enjoy Sleeping
On average, a red panda can sleep for up to 12 hours a day. After eating a large amount of bamboo, a red panda often finds a comfortable tree to sleep in.
When they’re not eating or looking for food, the red pandas spend their time sleeping.
During the cold months, they wrap their long tails around them to get warmth. Due to the low nutrients in bamboo, a red panda have to sleep to conserve energy.
3. Red Pandas Love Climbing Trees
As a way of having fun, a red panda jump from one tree to another. But sometimes, they also use trees to sunbathe in winter and escape predators.
Being arboreal animals, the lesser pandas spend most of their days in trees. As a result, they have excellent tree-climbing skills.
When coming down from the tree, a red panda climbs headfirst. This is mainly possible because of the flexibility of their ankles. The fibula and tibia in their legs are also designed in a way that makes climbing easy.
In addition, the red pandas’ feet and sharp claws help them to grip trees firmly when climbing.
4. They Like Being Alone
Most animal species enjoy one another’s company but the red pandas are different. By nature, the lesser pandas are solitary animals; they like being alone. But during the mating season, the male and female red pandas come together.
After the mating season is over, these creatures go their separate ways.
Another time you’ll see them coming together is when there is lots of food somewhere. Having a strong sense of smell helps the male red pandas avoid each other in the wild.
5. Red Pandas Love to Swim
While they don’t swim regularly, the red pandas are good at swimming. Understandably, these cute creatures need to drink lots of water after eating plenty of bamboo.
Once they see a large body of water, they drink first before swimming in it.
In a situation where there’s a predator around, a red panda may swim its way to safety. Most zoos have a swimming pool for the red cat bears to stay cool, especially in summer.
6. Red Pandas Love Camouflage
Not only are the red pandas good at camouflaging, but they also find it enjoyable. With their reddish-brown furs, it’s easy for red pandas to blend in with their environment.
Having black fur on the legs and belly also keeps them safe from predators. Finding a red panda among many trees in the wild is often difficult because they’re highly skilled in hiding.
7. They Love to Play In The Snow
Another activity the red pandas enjoy is playing in the snow. Fortunately, these animals have some adaptations that allow them to survive winter.
In addition to their thick fur, the red pandas’ bodies have a thick undercoat covered with heavy hair.
Moreover, there are furs below their feet, and they also have bushy tails.
All these physical features provide insulation for these cuddly creatures in the winter months. So instead of looking for a warm environment when it snows, a red panda will prefer to play in it.
Final Thoughts
In this article, we learned that red pandas love eating bamboo, sleeping, climbing trees, swimming, camouflaging, and playing in the snow.
Furthermore, they love being alone due to their solitary nature.
Keep in mind that these cuddly creatures are a good source of entertainment, especially when in captivity.
When next you visit the zoo, pay close attention to the red cat bears and you’ll be surprised at their natural abilities.
Have you been wondering if red pandas live in trees? Check out this article to find out – Do Red Pandas Live In Trees?
