Fantastic Places! Introducing... Madagascar!

Learning Objectives Know what the landscape is like in Madagascar Recall knowledge about the rainforest and think about how animals live in the rainforest Design a rainforest creature that is adapted to live in the rainforest

What is like? Madagascar is the world's fourth biggest island in the world. It is located on the east coast of Africa and is isolated. Because of its isolation most of its mammals, half its birds, and most of its plants exist nowhere else on earth.

What lives in the Madagascan rainforest? Around the room there are lots of animals that can be found in the Madagascan Rainforest. Your challenge: You are a rainforest explorer! You need to find out about as many species of animals as you can from around the room. You need to find out how the animals have adapted to live in the rainforest. Stretch: Can you think of any other ways that the adaptations could help the animal survive?

Have a look at other adaptations of animals on the cards... Which would be useful for the rainforest? Start to think about creating your own rainforest animal!

Your challenge... Design your own rainforest creature You need to include: – A drawing of your animal – A description of each adaption (you can have as many as you like!) – An explanation as to how the adaption will help your animal to survive in the rainforest This needs to be a good quality piece of work. You have time this lesson, and next lesson. Next lesson, these will be being presented! The best animal will win a prize!

Colugos are forest-dwelling animals. They have huge gliding wings, similar to flying squirrels. They can make spectacular leaps from tree to tree in the rainforests.

Pangolins are look like living pinecones. Pangolins ignore most other animals, as they can curl themselves up into very tight balls. They have a super sense of smell that can find ants from hundreds of metres away They have claws that can dig through ground as hard as concrete.

Southern three-banded armadillos can roll up into a ball, enclosing its vulnerable parts inside its shell.

Blossom Bats like to eat nectar and pollen. When food is scarce, the bats can go into hibernation to save energy. They're most likely to do this in the summer, when there may be a shortage of nectar and because the short summer nights don't allow much feeding time.

Horseshoe bats are named after the shape of their noses, a horseshoe-shaped fold of skin used to call mates. Broad, round wings means they can move easily in tight spaces. They can hover and pick insects off surfaces and spiders' webs.

Mouse lemurs, are nocturnal and, due to their very small size, can be quite easily missed. Often, they are only 10cm long. Mouse lemurs have long tails to help them to climb and leap.

Chameleons are famed for their ability to change colour. The colour change is used as camouflage and for communication. Chameleons spend most time in camouflage with their habitat - green for a jungle species

Flat-tailed geckos are the same colour as their surroundings These lizards make themselves almost invisible by day Some species camouflaged as decayed leaves and others as tree bark.

The giraffe weevil gets its name from its long neck. They can use this neck to fight. The neck can also be used to roll a leaf tube nest into which a single egg is laid. The neck can grow to around 2.5cm in length.

Crab spiders don't build webs to catch their prey. They rely on camouflage and ambush. These spiders blend into their surroundings amongst leaves and flowers They lie in wait for flies and bees. Some species can even change colour to match the flower they are on