- What are the animals of the African savanna?
- Characteristics of the African savanna
- African savanna animals
We explain what the animals of the African savannah are and we give you detailed examples. Also, characteristics of this biome.
What are the animals of the African savanna?
The bed sheet is a biome characterized by a large extension of grasslands, which is a transition zone between the jungle and the semi-desert. The dominant vegetation is made up of grasses, shrubs and small trees. The largest savanna is found in Africa and, to a lesser extent, it is deployed in regions of Asia, Australia and South America.
The African savanna presents variations due to its great extension (it crosses the center of the continent, across, and much of South Africa). It has tropical and subtropical zones.
There, the climatic conditions differ in two highly contrasted seasons: the dry season, which predominates most of the time, and the wet season, which lasts a few months a year and presents abundant rains.
In the African savanna live numerous species of animals, from mammals (like the elephant, the Lion, the cheetah, the giraffe and the meerkat), reptiles (such as the leopard tortoise, the eastern tiger snake, and the striped mabuya) to insects (such as ants and termites).
Characteristics of the African savanna
The savanna is classified according to geographic location and weather (that generate variations in the I usually, Flora and fauna), and can be:
- Intertropical savanna. It is located at the height of the equator and is characterized by having two seasons: one dry (which lasts most of the year and the soil remains very arid) and another, humid and rainy (which is shorter and swamps can form). An example of an intertropical savanna and one of the largest in the world is the Etosha National Park in Namibia, Africa.
- Temperate savanna. Also called Meadow, is characterized by having the two seasons of the year, even more contrasted (with summers very intense and cold winters) which causes that the soil is not very fertile. An example of a temperate savanna is La Pampa, in Argentina.
- Mediterranean savanna. It is located in the latitudes average of the continents and is characterized by having scarce areas of Water and vegetation. However, it can be inhabited by a wide variety of animal species, such as elephants, giraffes, deer, and leopards. An example of a Mediterranean savanna is the Central Plateau in the Iberian Peninsula, Spain.
- Mountainous savanna. It is found in elevated and mountainous areas, which present more exacerbated climatic conditions, dominant shrub vegetation and a diversity of animals adapted to arid conditions (such as zebras and late black rhinos). An example of a mountainous savanna is the bush savanna of Kenya, in Africa.
The regions of the African savanna that are located on the equator line, have days and nights that last the same number of hours. The rainy season occurs during the summer (or wet) period while the dry season (which lasts most of the year) establishes difficult conditions for the survival of flora and fauna.
The vegetation of the African savanna has adapted to withstand the climate, so they are abundant species of grass-like trees (such as acacia, baobab and palm) and varieties of herbs that reach heights between 80 and 350 centimeters (such as Rhodes grass and red oats).
African savanna animals
Some examples of animals of the African savanna are:
- Cheetah. It is the fastest land mammal in the world, with the ability to accelerate from zero to ninety-six kilometers per hour, in just three seconds. Its excellent eyesight allows it to detect its dams (like antelopes or hares) among the grasslands.
- The lion. It is one of the largest felines (after the tiger), which usually lives and hunts in packs. He is a skilled hunter who employs strategies to corner their prey. However, it is not very active since it usually rests for about twenty hours a day (it rests more than any other feline).
- The leopard. It is the smallest feline in its category. It is often confused with the cheetah, but it has shorter legs and can reach a speed of thirty-five miles. He is very skilled at hunting and climbing trees (he can climb them, while carrying a prey twice his weight bodily).
- The NU. It is from the antelope family, it can reach eight feet in height and weigh two hundred and seventy-five kilograms. It feeds on grasses and, during the dry season that destroys vegetation, it often migrate in search of greener pastures. When they migrate, they do so in large herds that number up to half a million wildebeest, and they are accompanied by other animals (such as zebras and gazelles).
- The ostrich. It is a native bird to Africa and one of the largest species. It has wings, but it does not fly. However, it is very adept at running and can reach sixty kilometers per hour (thanks to its long and strong legs). To change direction while running, it helps with its wings.
- The zebra. It is from the horse family, but much wilder. It has a very particular coat, with black and white stripes. Your kind of feeding It is herbivorous and, depending on availability in the area, can ingest grasses, leaves, stems, branches, and tree bark. It is always on the alert to avoid its predators: hyenas and lions.
- Elephant. It is one of the largest mammals, exclusively herbivorous, which requires three hundred kilograms of food and one hundred and sixty liters of water per day. It is characterized by its long trunk, its huge ears and its great intelligence. Their life expectancy is seventy years and the gestation period of their young is two years. They usually sleep three hours a day.
- The black mamba. It is the longest venomous snake in Africa (it can reach four and a half meters) and is one of the fastest species in the world (it can glide at twenty kilometers per hour). Its name is not due to the color of its skin (which is green or gray), but to the bluish-black color of the inside of its mouth, which it opens when it feels threatened.
- The sulcata tortoise. It is a large turtle, capable of reaching eighty-five centimeters in length. For several months, when the weather is very hot and dry, it tends to live underground to protect itself from dehydration (its burrow provides it with a humidity enough to live).
- The dung beetle. It is an African insect capable of orienting itself with the Moon and the stars. It has an atypical behavior, from which it derives its name. He makes balls (or balls) with his own manure, which he then carries to a hole that was previously dug. The female lays her eggs in these dung balls. Once they hatch into larvae, they can eat and develop.
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