Red Panda

 

Linnaean Classification: Eukarya, Animalia, Chordata, Mammalia, Carnivora, Ailuridae, Ailurus fulgens

 

Regulator because it is a warm-blooded and it is able to maintain a stable internal environment.

 

Migration because they move to different areas if bamboo is scarce in their habitat; however they do not migrate during the winter, as they have a thick fur coat to protect them.

 

Specialist because they are not able to live in many different habitats and biomes. Their predominant food source, bamboo, only grows in very few biomes; therefore, they can only live in habitats, which contain many bamboo trees.

 

Consumer because they cannot make their own food and they must get its nutrients from other organisms.

 

Omnivore because their diet consists of lizards, insects, small birds, small rodents, berries, acorns, bamboo, and other plants.

 

Niche: The red panda lives in the temperate forests of the Himalayan Mountains, its range located in Western China. The red panda lives in elevations from 2000 to 4800 meters. The weather is cool and moist at this elevation. Red pandas live in trees most of their life. They hunt for their food by using their nose to smell out food and then eat it. They often pounce on their prey, such as fish or insects. They usually eat bamboo, which are fairly easy to obtain. Red pandas are quite high on the food chain; however, their natural predator is the snow leopard.