While researching for a bingo game at the Veil of Wisdom launch party, I delved into the wonders of Asian wildlife. Here are a few tidbits you may or may not know.

Panda-monium: Which is the Most Adorable?

Pandas are probably the first animals that come to mind when talking about Asian wildlife. But there are two kind of pandas.

The giant panda is endemic to China (mostly in Sichuan Province's misty bamboo forests). These bears have a carnivore's digestive system but eat almost exclusively bamboo, up to 38 kg (84 lb) per day for 12–14 hours. They grip the stalks using their extended wrist bone which functions like a pseudo-thumb. Giant pandas don't hibernate due to their low-energy diet. Their black-and-white markings provide camouflage in snow and shade, and a newborn cub is about the size of a stick of butter.

Though they share a name with giant pandas, red pandas are only very distantly related. Red pandas are not even bears but the only living members of their own family of Ailuridae. They are more closely related to raccoon, weasels, and skunks, belonging to the same superfamily of Musteloidea. The name "panda" was originally applied to the red panda, but the giant panda took it on later because of similar traits, such as a bamboo-heavy diet and having a "false thumb."

Red pandas are cat-sized mammals that are native to the temperate forests of the Himalayas and Southwestern China (including Sichuan and Yunnan provinces). So, Red pandas and giant pandas can be found in the same woodlands of China. But red pandas are distinct for their striking reddish-brown fur (thus the name), white face markings, and a long, ringed tail which can be wrapped around them for warmth and balance. The red panda is also crepuscular/nocturnal, preferring to sleep during the day.

Prima Primates: More than Monkey business

China and Southeast Asia boast a rich diversity of primates. Here are some standout examples:

• Tarsiers - Indigenous to the Philippines and Indonesia, these tiny, nocturnal primates have eyes larger than their brains and can rotate their heads nearly 180 degrees. They excel at jumping and catching insects to eat.
• Proboscis Monkey - Endemic to Borneo, the males are famous for their large noses, which may amplify calls to attract females and intimidate rivals. They are great swimmers and are some of Asia's largest monkeys.
• Slow Loris - The only known venomous primate, these nocturnal animals earn their name by moving ponderously but can strike quickly and raise their arms in a defensive "brace" posture.
• Orangutans - Found on Borneo and Sumatra, these are the only great apes in Asia. They have the longest arms of any primate (up to ~6.5 ft) and build a fresh nest in the trees every evening.

Fierce Felines of Various Sizes

Cats great and small abound all around Asia, but it's best not to pet them.

The Amur (Siberian) tiger is the largest big cat in the world and the largest carnivorous mammal in Asia. They inhabit the Russian Far East and parts of northeastern China, occupying temperate broadleaf and mixed forests, boreal/taiga (coniferous) forests, mountainous terrain with dense vegetation, and areas with heavy snowfall in the winter. Their thick fur and huge paws allow these northernmost tigers to adapt to cold, harsh climates.

Snow leopards prefer the alpine/subalpine zones, rocky outcrops, cliffs, ravines, and steep broken terrain above the tree line of the high mountain ranges across numerous countries in Central and South Asia. They are highly adaptable to extreme cold and have excellent camouflage among rocks. Distinctions of the snow leopard include its inability to purr and its alternative name of "the ounce" (not because of its weight but from an Old French derivative word).

The leopard cat has one of the widest distributions of any wild cat in Asia, being present in South, Southeast, and East Asia. Only a little larger than a domestic cat, it is no tame kitty. It's also more slender than a house cat with long legs and webbed toes for swimming! Leopard cats inhabit diverse environments, including tropical evergreen rainforests, subtropical and coniferous forests, deciduous forests, grasslands, scrublands, agricultural areas, and even mountainous regions up to approximately 9,800-14,800 ft in the Himalayas. They often prefer areas near water and are most active at twilight (crepuscular) or night (nocturnal).

Slitherers and Crawlies

Asia is also home to an abundant biodiversity of reptiles, amphibians, and insects. There are far too many with fascinating qualities to do them justice. But here are some quick facts.

• The Chinese giant salamander is one of the world's largest amphibians. They are fully aquatic, nocturnal, and make barking or crying sounds, earning them the "baby cry" nickname in Chinese folklore.
• Even though Draco lizards and flying snakes belong to completely different reptile groups, they use expandable membranes or its flattened body to glide between trees, simulating flight.
• The firefly is not a fly but a beetle.
• Dermestid beetles feed very efficiently on decomposing carcasses and are used by museums and taxidermists to clean skeletons.
• The orsima formica, or jumping spider of Southeast Asia, uses reverse mimicry to make it's posterior parts look like the head of an ant or thin beetle, thus allowing it to escape from predators in the opposite direction. It produces spider silk but does not spin webs to capture insects. As an active hunter, it jumps to catch prey.

I hope this foray into Asian wildlife has whet your interest to find out more and to read Veil of Wisdom to see the parts they play in the adventure!