Red panda Coloring Pages

What kind of animal is it?

The Red panda is a small mammal that lives from the eastern Himalayas to southwestern China. It belongs to its own special family, the Red panda family, which is different from giant pandas. Red pandas are usually active at night, early in the morning, and at dusk. During the day, they rest inside hollow trees or on top of branches. They are great at climbing trees! They can hold on tightly to trees using their sharp claws and a thumb-like bump (a false thumb).

Cute looks and special fur colors

Most of its body is covered in bright reddish-brown fur. This color is like a reddish orange, which is a bit different from regular brown. Here are some cool features of its face, ears, and tail:

• White face markings: Its face has whitish fur, and it has black, tear-like markings (eye marks) stretching from around its eyes down to its nose. Some people say it looks like a raccoon dog! Each Red panda has different mark shapes and shades.
• White ear edges: White fur grows along the tips of its ears.
• Striped tail: Its long, fluffy tail has pretty ring-shaped stripes of reddish-brown and pale yellowish-brown (a cream or light brown color). This tail helps the Red panda keep its balance!

What do they eat?

The Red panda eats many things, but its main food is bamboo leaves and bamboo shoots. It also eats fruits, roots, plant roots, mushrooms, insects, and bird eggs!

What does "Lesser" mean?

The word "lesser" means "the smaller one." The Red panda was actually called a panda before the giant panda was found! The name was given later so people could tell it apart from the larger panda.

Choosing Colors

First, let's color the whole body in a bright reddish-brown. If you do not have reddish-brown, you can use red-brown. You can also try mixing red or orange into brown.

• Face patterns: For the white parts of the face, keep white as the base and carefully draw the eye marks around the eyes. Instead of leaving the white parts totally plain, try adding a light touch of very pale gray or cream color to make it look 3D.
• Ears: Color the outside of the ears in the same reddish-brown as the body. Try coloring the inside and the edges white.
• Tail: Color the long tail with stripes (ring patterns) of reddish-brown and pale yellowish-brown. These stripes are a big feature of the Red panda, so color them carefully!
• Paws and legs: Color the undersides of the paws, the fingertips, and the claws with dark gray to make it look even more real.

Drawing the Fur

Use colored pencils or crayons to draw short, fine lines along the way the fur grows. Layer the lines to make the fur look soft and fluffy! Draw fine lines especially around the face and the edges of the body where the fur sticks out.

Adding Shadows

Do not just color everything flat with one color. Think about the bright parts with light and the dark parts in shadow. Adding light and dark shades will make it look 3D! For example, try layering a slightly darker reddish-brown or brown under the body and on the bumpy parts of the face to make shadows.

Drawing the Eyes

The Red panda has big, round, cute eyes! Put a tiny white highlight (a spot of reflected light) inside the black pupils. This makes the eyes sparkle and look full of life!