Clown anemonefish live in anemones on coral reefs in the Indian and Pacific Oceans and the Red Sea. The anemone provides shelter and food scraps for the anemonefish, and the fish keeps intruders away and removes parasites from its anemone.
To replicate the clown anemonefish's habitat, paint the interior of a shoebox blue and turn it on its narrow end to give the impression of depth. Add painted rocks or pieces of coral and plastic animals for the anemone and anemonefish. Hang other reef fish from the top of the box using fishing line and glue crabs, snails and sponges to the reef.
Male African lions defend up to100 square miles of sub-Saharan savanna to protect their pride's hunting grounds and watering holes. The females hunt as a team for antelopes, zebras, wildebeest and other large animals of the open grasslands, but spend most of their time resting in the shade of acacia trees.
To replicate the African lion's habitat, paint the interior of the box orange and cut grass from yellow or tan paper to glue along the bottom. Paint a blue watering hole in one corner and use a small branch from a tree to represent an acacia tree. Place plastic lions under the tree and plastic antelopes, wildebeest and zebras in the grass.
Giant pandas live high in the misty mountains of southwestern China in dense bamboo forests. Ninety-nine percent of a panda's diet is bamboo, but they must have at least two different species of bamboo available or they will starve. Few species prey on pandas, although jackals, leopards and martens may attack panda cubs. Pandas live alone and climb trees to avoid predators.
To replicate a panda's habitat, use construction paper to create mountains. Place these against the back of the shoebox to become the background and glue rocks to the bottom of the box. Fill the shoebox with silk or plastic plants to replicate a bamboo forest and place a plastic panda in one of the trees and a leopard hunting on the ground.
The Arctic fox is the only native land mammal of the barren, rocky Arctic tundra. It is able to live in this snowy environment due to its thick fur, which keeps its body temperature constant. The Arctic fox may also tunnel under the snow for additional protection. Arctic foxes feed on lemmings and any other food they can scavenge.
To create a habitat for an Arctic fox, paint the inside of a shoebox white and glue cotton balls inside the bottom of the box. Place a plastic or hand-drawn fox on the snow and a set of plastic or hand-drawn lemmings under the snow.