One of the cutest animals in the world has to be the Nigalya Ponya (which is the Nepalanese word for “eater of bamboo”).  But they are commonly refer to as Firefox and Red Panda besides the other creative names.  Scientific name: Ailurus fulgens.

Red pandas are native to mountains of Nepal and northern Myanmar (Burma), and central China.

Red Panda have this cute round face with dashes of white markings that give them an interesting expression.  Image source.

They are the size of cats and have ringed tails like raccoons. And like giant pandas, they have an extended wrist bone that functions almost like a thumb and aids with gripping. The red panda has been classified as a relative of the giant panda, and also of the raccoon. It wasn’t until recently considered members of their own unique family - the Ailuridae.

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In the eastern Himalayas, between India and China, there is a place that hasn’t been explored very much. And now a  decade of research done by scientists have discovered 353 new plant and animal species.  From a flying frog to the world’s second smallest deer.

In 2005 they discovered this bird. It was located south of the Tibetan border in Burma’s Kachin State. They call it the “Naung Mung scimitar-babbler” (Jabouilleia naungmungensis). The midsize forest bird uses its big bill to scratch the ground in search of food. It’s like a cross between a small bird and the New Zealand Kiwi.

This little frog has a giant pair of mesmerizing golden eyes, it was discovered in 1999.  It is 1 of 5 new frog discoveries in the Indian state of Assam. It measures just a few centimeters.  Reminds me of the tree frog, but not so green.

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