The gestation period lasts approximately 132 days. Several weeks before giving birth, females may begin to build nests from sticks and leaves in hollow trees or rock crevasses. Newborns are blind and totally reliant on their mothers for survival. Young open their eyes after about three weeks and attain full adult coloration by 90 days. Cubs are weaned at around 5 months and stay with their mother for about a year or until the next litter is about to be born.
Males take no part in rearing their young.
Adult red pandas, and males in particular, appear to be territorial. Using glandular sacs in their anal region, they scent mark territorial boundaries by rubbing their sacs on various objects in the wild. Additionally, they may also mark territory by using regular defecation sites. Red pandas have a mild, non-aggressive disposition. The red panda is named after the fiery color of its long, soft coat.