Clare


 * My Animal: Red Panda**



There are several names for the Red Panda such as; the Lesser Panda, the Raccoon of the Himalayas and the Fire Fox. Red Pandas usually live from eight to ten years, but some have been known to live up to 15.

The Red Panda is called the shining fox because the Red Panda is a fox like creature. Their fur is also shiny and vibrant.
 * Scientific Name:** // Ailurus fulgens (shining fox) //

Red Pandas are usually independent animals and are very territorial. Like dogs, the use their urine to mark their territory. Adults are solitary except during mating season. They are generally quiet except for some, tweeting and whistling communication sounds. They sleep stretched out on a branch with legs dangling when it is hot, and curled up with its tail over the face when it is cold. They are very sensitive and cannot tolerate temperature over 25˚C. After waking up, red pandas clean their fur like a cat, licking their front paws and then rubbing their back, stomach and sides. They also rub their back and belly along the sides of trees or rocks. If red pandas ever feel threatened, they will climb a tree or a rock. If it is not possible for them to flee, they will stand on their hind legs to make themselves seem larger and use the sharp claws on their front paws to defend themselves.
 * Behaviour****:**



Red pandas are able to reproduce at about 18 months of age, and are fully mature at two to three years. Adults rarely interact in the wild except to mate. Both genders may have more than one mate between January and mid-March. A few days before giving birth, female red pandas begin to collect material, such as brushwood, grass, and leaves, to build a nest, which is normally located in a hollow tree or a rock crevice. Red Panda mothers can recognise each of their own children by smell.
 * Reproduction: **

Food Chains and Food Webs

 * What is a food chain?**

A food chain is what an animal eats and what eats it.




 * What is a food web?**

A food web is similar to a food chain, but it contains many different linked food chains.



**Lesson 3:**
Food chains and food webs are made up of three different kinds of creatures. Producers, consumers and decomposers. Producers create food by themselves. Plants are popular producers. They make food using photosynthesis. Photosynthesis uses the energy of the sun. Consumers are living creatures are animals that cannot create their own food. There are two types of consumers, Primary Consumers and Secondary Consumers. Primary Consumers eat plants, Secondary Consumers eat Primary Consumers.

Decomposers break down dead or decaying organisms, and in doing so carry out the natural process of decomposition. Parasites are different to decomposers because Parasites feed of healthy, living creatures, while decomposers do not.
 * Decomposers:**


 * Some examples of decomposers: **



Vultures are one type of Decomposers. Vultures are considered "Natures Janitors". Vultures fly in the sky until they find dead or dying animals. Vultures do not usually hunt or kill their prey, but if they find a sick or wounded, they may finish the job.



Bacteria are the primary decomposers. B acteria provide the nutrients needed to sustain life by converting dissolved compounds such as hydrogen sulphide and methane.



Worms are similar to vultures in the aspect that they are scavengers. For example, a worm that begins to consume an apple helps to hasten its rotting by removing parts of the skin and flesh, exposing the inside of the fruit to natural elements and other decomposers.

Red Panda Habitat:
Red Pandas are native to the forests of the Himalayas.

Animals in the Red Panda's habitat:


 * giant panda
 * bamboo rat
 * bamboo rat snake
 * bugs

Red Panda food web:




 * My Food Web Poster: **

Before:

This was the poster I created originally I did it over again because it was crumpled, and did not contain a decomposer.

After:

I think this poster is much better and more professional. I think it also shows a more complex food web than the first poster.

** Objective 4a: **
The Red Pandas Environment:

The red panda lives in Himalayan forests of western Nepal and the mountain slopes of southwestern China, the red panda, like the giant panda, is a mostly herbivorous animal that eats mainly bamboo. The red pandas environment is in the mountain bamboo forests where it is usually very cold. They live up in trees to stay away from predators.


 * Components of the Red Pandas Environment:**
 * Sun
 * Mountains
 * Bamboo trees
 * berries
 * mushrooms
 * bugs
 * giant pandas

Objective 4b:


An ecosystem is a system that includes the elements that shape the environment, the animals in the environment and the plants.

Red Panda Adaptation:
Adaptation is the reason that humans and animals survive as the world changes.

One of the Red Panda's main adaptations is that it was an elongated wrist bone that is used like a human's thumb.



Another adaptation is claws and teeth. Claws are very useful for when the Red Panda is climbing trees or to help eating their food. Teeth mainly help to chew their food before swallowing. Red Pandas also climb trees. This they do to stay away from predators, especially while they are sleeping

Symbiosis:

 * What does smbiosis mean?**

A symbiosis, or symbiotic relationship, occurs when two species live in close contact with one another. There are three main types of symbiosis which are distinguished by whether the relationship is harmful or helpful. The three type are mutualism, parasitism and commensalism. Mutualism is a symbiotic relationship when both species benefit from the arrangement (example: crocodiles and birds). Parasitism is when one animal benefits by harming the other species (example: botfly). Commensalism is when one of the organisms benefits and the is no effect on the other organism.



In the picture above there is a crocodile and bird of the Nile river in Egypt. This is an example of a symbiosis. This is mutualism, which means both animals benefit from the arrangement. The crocodile let's the bird perch in it's mouth and pick out leftover bits of food from the crocodile's teeth. The bird benefits because it gains food from the crocodile's teeth and the crocodile benefits because it has been given clean teeth.

An example of parasitism is the botfly. A botfly will burrow into the skin of another animal and plant their eggs inside. The botfly will grow inside the animal until adulthood. This causes a painful lump on the animal. The lump could become infected and the animal could die.

When flowers grow on trees it is commensalism. The flowers use trees to help with their growth, and the trees are uneffected.


 * Red Panda Symbiosis:**


 * Food:** The red panda has symbiosis relationships. One of them is with the food it eats (bamboo, berries, mushrooms). This is an example of parasitism. The red panda will gain food and nutrition, but the food will die.




 * Bamboo Rat Snake:** The Red Panda also has a Mutualistic relationship with the Bamboo Rat Snake. The Bamboo Rat Snake eats Bamboo Rats which steal the Red Pandas food. The Bamboo Rat Snake gains food from this and the Red Panda doesn't lose his food.


 * Ants:** Ants eat Red Pandas leftovers. This is commensalism because the ants gains food and the Red Pandas are un-effected.

The Red Panda has a Parasitic relationship with the Weasel because the Weasels eat the Red Panda.
 * Weasels:**

**Nocturnal or Diurnal?:**
The Red Panda is a nocturnal animal, but they are also known as crepuscular which means that they are mainly active in late afternoon. The red panda is mainly asleep during the day and feeds at night.

== || Word || Description || Picture || || Adapt || To change according to location or climate. || * || || Red Panda || There are several names for the Red Panda such as; the Lesser Panda, the Raccoon of the Himalayas and the Fire Fox. Red Pandas usually live from eight to ten years, but some have been known to live up to 15 || * || || Ailurus fulgens (shining fox) || The scientific name for the Red Panda. The Red Panda is called the shining fox because the Red Panda is a fox like creature. Their fur is also shiny and vibrant. || * || || Independent || Prefers to be alone. Can live by themselves. || (no picture) || || <span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Territorial || <span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Likes to let other know that the property belongs to them and is proud of their territory. || <span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">(no picture) || || <span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Sensitive || <span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Easily affected or vulnerable. || <span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">(no picture) || || <span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Defense || <span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Protecting yourself, standing up for yourself. || * || || <span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Reproduction || <span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Sexual intercourse with someone of the opposite sex to produce offspring/children. || <span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">(no picture) || || <span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Interact || <span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Socialize or spend time with another creature. || * || || <span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Food Chain || <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Arial; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">A food chain is what an animal eats and what eats it. || * || || <span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Food Web || <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Arial; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">A food web is similar to a food chain, but it contains many different linked food chains. || * || || <span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Producers || <span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Producers create food by themselves. Plants are popular producers. Producers use photosynthesis to grow. Photosynthesis uses the energy of the sun. || * || || <span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Primary Consumers || <span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Primary consumers eat producers. (herbivores). || * || || <span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Secondary Consumers || <span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Secondary consumers eat primary consumers (carnivores). || * || || <span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Decomposers || <span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Decomposers <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">break down dead or decaying organisms, and in doing so carry out the natural process of decomposition. || * || || <span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Ecosystem || <span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">An ecosystem is a system that includes the elements that shape the environment, the animals in the environment and the plants. || * || ==