The Red Fox (Vulpes vulpes) is the most widely distributed and populous dogs in the world, having colonised large parts of Europe, America, Asia and Africa. They also adapt well to human environments such as farms, suburban areas, and even large communities.

Red foxes have elongated bodies and relatively short limbs. The tail, which is longer than half the body length is long, fluffy and reaches the ground when in a standing position. Their pupils are oval and vertically oriented. Nictitating membranes are present, but move only when the eyes are closed. The forepaws have five digits, while the hind feet have only four and lack dewclaws. They are very agile; being capable of jumping over 2 metre high fences and swims well. Vixens have three pairs of teats, though vixens with 7, 9 or 10 pairs are not uncommon. The testes of males are smaller than those of Arctic foxes.

Red foxes are the largest species of the genus Vulpes. However, relative to dimensions, red foxes are much lighter than similarly sized dogs. Their limb bones, for example, weigh 30% less per unit area of bone than expected for similarly sized dogs. They display significant individual, sexual, age and geographical variation in size. On average, adults measure 35–50 cm (14–20 in) high at the shoulder and 49–90 cm (19–35 in) in body length with tails measuring 53–60 cm (21–24 in). The ears measure 7.7-12.5 cm (3–5 in) and the hind feet 12-18.5 cm (5–7 in). They weigh 2.2–10 kg (5-22 lbs), with vixens typically weighing 15-20% less than males. Adult dog-foxes have skulls measuring 129–167 mm, while those of vixens measure 128–159 mm. The forefoot print measures 60 mm in length and 45 mm in width, while the hind foot print measures 55 mm long and 38 mm wide. They trot at a speed of
6–13 km/h, and have a maximum running speed of 50 km/h. They have a stride of 25–35 cm when walking at a normal pace. North American red foxes are generally lightly built, with comparatively long bodies for their mass and have a high degree of sexual dimorphism. British red foxes are heavily built, but short, while continental European red foxes are closer to the general average among red fox populations. The largest red fox on record was a 12 kg (26.5 lbs), four foot long male, killed in Maidstone, Kent in early 2011.

Red foxes are solitary hunters who feed on rodents, rabbits, birds, and other small game—but their diet can be as flexible as their home habitat. Foxes will eat fruit and vegetables, fish, frogs, and even worms. In the UK the red fox feeds mainly on small rodents such as field mice, rabbits and voles but will eat almost anything it finds, often eating carrion or preying on new-born lambs in the spring. If living among humans, foxes will opportunistically dine on garbage and pet food.

Generally breeding of Red fox occurs between December and February. The female produces one litter of about 4-5 cubs once a year in spring. The naked, blind and helpless cubs are born in a den, or under sheds in urban areas. During the first two weeks following the birth, the female remains with the litter. At four weeks of age the cubs start to out of the den; they disperse from the area of birth between 6-12 months, and reach sexual maturity at 10 months of age.

Image Source: National Geographic Society.

The Red Panda, also called the “Fire Cat,” is a tree dwelling mammal, which looks like a raccoon, with its bushy tail and white and black markings across its face. There are two species of Red Panda.

• One subspecies is found only in China,
• While the subspecies found in India is also found in parts of Southern China.

The red panda shares its name with the giant panda but, unlike the giant panda, the red panda is not a bear. Scientists believe it is more closely related to raccoons and skunks. The red panda lives in temperate forests from Nepal to southwest China. It feeds on bamboo, is a good climber, and spends most of its life in the trees. Due to poaching and habitat loss, it is now endangered.

Red pandas live in the cool temperate forests of southwestern China, the Himalayas, and Nepal. Forests of ancient trees, called old-growth forests, are very important to the survival of red pandas. They provide dens and hiding places for the small panda cubs and also for adult pandas.

The Red Panda is a rare animal and because of its reclusive arboreal nature and the difficult terrain in which it lives, accurate estimates of the Red Panda population are hard to arrive at. It is estimated that there are about 2,500* Red Pandas left in the wild.

The Red Panda weighs 3-6 Kg and is covered with red fur. It grows to a length of 50-60 cm with a 20-50 cm long tail. It looks like a raccoon, with white tipped ears, white markings on its face, long whiskers and a bushy striped tail. Its paws are equipped for grasping the stems of bamboo plants and twigs of trees. It has a strong jaw to help it chew bamboo and en extended pad on the sole of the forepaw and the first digit of its paw to help it grasp bamboo while eating and in climbing up trees.

Bamboo is the red pandas’ favorite food. Adult red pandas climb down from the treetops to feed in groves of bamboo. They stand on their hind legs and pull the stalks of bamboo over to eat the tender leaves and shoots. Red pandas cannot digest bamboo fiber very well. They have to eat large amounts of bamboo every day to survive. Red pandas also eat grasses, roots, nuts, berries, and lichen. They will even eat insects, birds’ eggs, and chicks.

Each year in June or July, female red pandas give birth to one to four babies. Baby red pandas are called cubs. A cub is born with its eyes closed. After about one week, the cub opens its eyes. It is still very small, weighing only 200g. Cubs are usually born in a hole in an old tree. Mother red pandas line their dens with small sticks and leaves. The dens are high above the ground to keep the cubs safe from predators like the snow leopard.

The loss of habitat as well as human population pressure on wildlife reserves in India is a matter of concern for Red Panda populations in India. The fragmentation of their habitat due to human encroachment, deforestation for agricultural reasons, firewood collection and logging for timber and the effect of domestic livestock species on the bamboo forests has led to the decline of Red Panda populations.

^* No one knows exactly how many red pandas are left in the world. This is because they stay hidden among forest trees and are difficult to locate.