Vocal repertoire of adult captive red pandas (Ailurus fulgens)

Vocal signals are a common communication tool
used to recognize different individuals, advertise fertile phases or
discriminate amongst potential mates. Therefore, a thorough understanding of
vocal repertoires forms the basis for investigating the role of acoustic
signaling in the sexual and social behavior of any animal. Red pandas (Ailurus
fulgens) are classified as a vulnerable species and have declined by as
much as 40% over the past 50 years in China. Adult red pandas are known to call
frequently during mating and aggressive encounters; however, no quantitative
description of their vocalizations has been attempted. Here, the vocal
repertoire of captive red pandas was investigated. Acoustical and statistical
analyses indicated seven vocalization types during the breeding season: “growl”,
“bark”, “squeal”, “bleat”, “hoot”, “grunt” and “twitter”; the spectrogram for
each vocalization type was extracted. The type of vocalizations produced varied
with behavioral state and implies different functional contexts. Future studies
are needed to uncover the functions of red panda vocalizations in individual
recognition, sexual selection and social interaction.