Red Panda

adorable · tree climber · himalayan · rare

Mountain home. Red pandas live high up in the eastern Himalayas and southwestern China, where they climb through misty bamboo forests and evergreen trees. They're perfectly built for their treetop life.

Stunning fur coat. These little guys have thick reddish-brown fur on top, a dark black belly and legs, white-lined ears, and a mostly white face that looks like they're wearing a mask. Their long, ringed tail helps them balance when climbing.

Perfectly pocket-sized. Red pandas are surprisingly small, about as long as a ruler from head to bottom (around 20 to 25 inches) with tails that add another 11 to 19 inches. They only weigh between 7 and 33 pounds, which is lighter than many house cats.

Super climber skills. Red pandas have special flexible joints and curved claws that can partly pull back into their paws, just like a cat's claws. These adaptations make them expert acrobats in the trees where they hunt and sleep.