Red Pandas

1. Red Pandas By : Fiona Flavin

2. Structural Adaptations • One structural adaptation of the red panda is that the soles are protected with wooly hair. This is an important adaptation because the wooly hair on its soles help reduce heat loss and the danger of slipping on wet branches. • A second structural adaptation is that a red panda has a long , bushy tail. This is an important adaptation because it helps them balance in trees , making it easier to run away from predators.

3. More Structural Adaptations • A third structural adaptation is that they have a striped tail. This is an important adaptation because it makes a great camouflage against the red moss and white lichen that grows on trees ,making it hard for predators to see them. • A fourth structural adaptation is that they have sharp teeth and claws. This is an important adaptation because it helps kill small animals ,bite down on the hard bamboo shoots, defend against predators

4. Another Structural Adaptation • A fifth structural adaptation is that the red panda has a bone on the inner side of their wrist acting as a “false thumb.” This is an important adaptation because it helps them handle bamboo leaves and poles. Since they spend 90% of their day eating bamboo, this is a great help.

5. Behavioral Adaptations • One behavioral adaptation of the red panda is that red pandas feed at night. This is an important adaptation because it allows the red panda to take its time catching its prey-small animals-and eat bamboo, without having to worry about predators. Most predators would be sleeping at that time of the day.

6. More Behavioral Adaptatioins • A second behavioral adaptation is that they spend 13 hours a day foraging on bamboo. This is an important adaptation because red pandas must feed often and extensively because they posses the simple digestive tract of a carnivore and are thus inefficiant processors of their cellulose- heavy bamboo fodder. They do their best to conserve energy from this low-nutrient diet-bamboo.

7. More Behavioral Adaptation • A third behavioral adaptation is that red pandas walk at a slow pace. This is an important adaptation because bamboo has little nutritional value. They walk at a slow pace so that they conserve energy , for if a predator tries to catch it. • A fourth behavioral adaptation is that the red panda growls. This is an important adaptation because it warns predators to back off! This growling keeps the predator from coming near the panda,keeping it from eating the red panda

8. Habitat • The red panda lives in the cool climatedbamboo forests. • It lives in China, Asia and is usually in the regions of Sichuan and Yuman • A red pandas red and white markings blend in with the red mosses and white lichens that grow on trees in which they live. This makes it harder for a predator to see it. • A red panda uses the trees in a bamboo forest to climb. This gives them a place to sleep, and stay away from predators.

9. Diet • The red panda is an omnivore and typically eats bamboo. • It also eats small animals such as squirrels. • Bamboo has low nutritional value, so red pandas have to walk at a slow pace in order to conserve energy. • Red pandas cannot digest bamboo fibers very well. Because of this, they have to eat a large amount of bamboo in order to digest. 90% of the food they eat a day is bamboo.

10. Food Chain • Sun Snow Leapard • Bamboo • Red Panda

11. Resources • http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/facts/