RED PANDAS: AN ANCIENT FAMILY IN THE TREETOPS

Red pandas may look like a charming mixture of fox, raccoon and teddy bear, but they are none of the above. The red panda, Ailurus fulgens, is the only living representative of the family Ailuridae—an ancient branch of the carnivore family tree with a fossil history stretching back millions of years.Fossil ailurids first appeared during the Miocene Epoch. Their remains have been found