RED PANDAS

 DESCRIPTION:

• Red pandas look a lot like an orange raccoon.
• Red pandas are actualy pretty long! They are 79-120cm. or 31-47in.
• Their tails alone are 30-60cm. or 12-24in.
• Males weigh 10-14lb.
• Females weigh 6-10lb.
• They have thick fur covering their body.
• The top of their body is covered in orange\red fur and on the bottom half of their body is black.
• Their faces have white tear markings.

CLASSIFICATION:

COMMON NAME=RED PANDA

BIOME-HABITAT-MAP:

• The red panda lives in the Himalayan mountains.
• There they can find plenty of their preffered food... bamboo.
• They specifecly choose bamboo forests to live in.
• They live in temperate forests in nests high in evergreen trees.

SYMBIOTIC RELATIONSHIP/DIET:

• There is a symbiotic relationship between the evergreen and the red panda.(commensalism)
• The red panda climbs high into the evergreen and builds its nest.

• Red pandas eat mostly bamboo but occasionaly mushrooms, berries and bark. (parasitisim) 

COMMUNICATION:

• Its form of communication is mostly body language.
• It will puff up its tail and arch its back.
• For a noise it makes a low intense puffing noise.

ENDANGERED?

• Its sad but true, red pandas are endangered. 
• Red pandas are hunted for their fur.
• Also people are clearing the forests in wich the red pandas live.
• The good news is that many people are seting up private reserves just for red pandas!
• The video below will help explain how hard it is for a red panda cub to survive.

FUN FACTS:

• Red pandas are nocternal! Just like racoons, their relatives.
• They also have thumbs!
• All day long red pandas sleep in nests up in evergreen trees.
• Red pandas are sometimes called "the fire fox". 
• Click on this link to learn how a conservation group in India saved a lot of pandas!  http://video.nationalgeographic.com/video/player/news/animals-news/india-panda-apvin.html

FOOD CHAIN:

SOURCES:

Racoons and Thier Relatives, Pat Harvey Sullivan, p. 54-57, 2002

http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/informationAilurus_fulgens.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_pandas