00:00A lot of people see the name red panda and picture an animal that eats nothing but bamboo
00:05every day, just like the giant panda. But that assumption is wrong from the start.
00:09The red panda's digestive system is actually closer to a cat's than to a giant panda's.
00:15That means it doesn't have enough enzymes to efficiently break down bamboo's tough fibers.
00:20In fact, its body absorbs less than 24% of the energy contained in the bamboo it eats.
00:26Because of that, it eats huge amounts every day, sometimes more than a third of its body
00:32weighed in bamboo, but supplements that with other foods like fruit, eggs, and even small
00:37insects to make up for the shortfall. So bamboo isn't its main meal in terms of
00:42nutritional value. It's just the easiest thing to find in the forest. The red panda is actually
00:48a carnivore that had to adapt to a mostly plant-based diet. So what did you think the red
00:53panda's diet was before this video? Let me know.
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