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Influence of climate on the survivorship of neonatal red pandas in captivity
Author(s) -
Princée Frank P. G.,
Glatston Angela R.
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
zoo biology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.5
H-Index - 54
eISSN - 1098-2361
pISSN - 0733-3188
DOI - 10.1002/zoo.21266
Subject(s) - biology , captivity , survivorship curve , pandas , zoology , ecology , immunology , genetics , cancer
Red pandas, Ailurus fulgen s, are popular exhibit animals in zoos. It is clear from data in the global studbook that there is considerable variation in their breeding success in different zoos. Population managers have long suspected that environmental temperature plays a key role in these differences. It is generally thought that this species, which is so well adapted to life in the cold damp climate of the mid‐altitude forests of the Himalayas, has a problem coping with warmer climates. However, this hypothesis has not been tested until now. Using data extracted from the global studbook, we have demonstrated that climate at the location of birth has a clear impact on the survival of infant red pandas. Zoo Biol. 35:104–110, 2016. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.