Red pandas are Arboreal Acrobats

Red pandas have developed adaptations to withstand extremely high elevations and prefer high wooded mountain settings. For instance, red pandas were surveyed in Bhutan between 2007 and 2009, and it was discovered that the bulk of them were restricted to cold broadleaf and conifer forests between 7,800 and 12,000 feet above sea level on south and east-facing slopes. While this was the majority of habitats that were seen, some were also discovered in woods that were nearly 14,400 feet above sea level.

Red pandas are skilled tree-top navigators; they have sharp, semi-retractable claws like a cat, which they use to grip mossy and slippery tree branches. They also use their bushy tails, which are marked with alternating red and buff rings, as ballasts to maintain balance.

Red pandas are one of the few creatures that can descend trees head-first due to their exceptionally flexible ankles. The fibula and tibia of red pandas are joined in such a way that it permits their feet to spin 180 degrees, improving the angle at which their curved claws may grab tree bark.