SAVANNAH

A savanna is a hot, seasonally dry grassland with scattered trees. This environment is intermediate between a grassland and a forest. Savannas are located in the dry tropics and the subtropics, often bordering a rainforest. Savannas have an extended dry season and a rainy season.

Animal Adaptations: The animals that live in savannas have adapted to a great deal of variability in the food supply throughout the year; there are times of plenty (during and after the wet season) and times of almost no food or water (during the dry season). Many savanna animals migrate to deal with this problem.

Where are Savannas? Savannas are located in Africa, Madagascar (an island off the east coast of Africa), Australia, South America, India, and the Myanmar-Thailand region of Southeast Asia.

Climate

The climate in the Savannah stays about the same from month to month. It never gets very warm and most of the time it doesn't get below freezing. In July the temperature was 17.9 degrees celsius and in December of that same year it was 22.4 degrees celsius. The rainfall each month varies, sometimes the savannah gets a large amount of rain and sometimes it gets very little. For example in June and July 5.1 inches of rain fell and in April 40.1 inches fell.

Vegetation

In the Savannah there are not many plants or trees. The two major trees are palm and acacias. There are a few wild fruit trees and the rest of the land is grassland. The trees are spreadout throughout the grasslands. There is never bunches of trees or trees in a group. Grasses and small plants dominate the Savannahs, and tree growth is sparse only in areas of deep soil, or where cracks in the surface hardpan and permit tree roots to reach down to the meager water table.

The umbrella like acacias are very typical of African savannahs. They are a very important species for many animals since they provide additional food and some scant shade for animals. Palm trees are also very important since they offer some shelter and food. The birds and other animals eat off of the wild fruit trees.

Tree growth is so sparse because it rains only once in awhile and the soil soaks it up fast and then there's no more rain for the rest of the year.

Animals in Savannah

Aardvark Aardvarks are large mammals that eat ants.

African Elephant The African Elephant is the largest land animal.

African Wild Cat African Wild Cats are fierce, solitary hunters.

Anteater Anteaters are mammals with very long snouts from South and Central America.

Antelope Antelopes are graceful mammals with beautiful horns.

Ant Ants are social insects.

Asian Elephant The Asian Elephant is an endangered species.

Baboon The baboon is a large monkey with a long snout and large cheek pouches.

Black Caiman The black caiman is a meat-eating reptile from South America that can be found on seasonally-flooded savannas.

Boa Constrictor A large constricting snake from South and Central America.

Cape Buffalo Cape Buffalo are large, hoofed mammals that live in African savannas.

Cape Hunting Dog The Cape Hunting Dog hunts in packs in Africa.

CHEETAH The cheetah is the fastest land animal. Or go to a simple cheetah coloring printout (just the image).

Earthworm An earthworm is a little animal with a long, soft body and no legs.

Fossa The fossa is a meat-eating mammal from the island of Madagascar.

Giraffe The giraffe is the tallest land animal.

Giraffe and Baby A mother and baby to color.

Gnu The gnu is a fast-running, herding, grass-eater from eastern Africa. Also known as the wildebeest.

Grasshopper Grasshoppers are insects that can hop, walk, and fly. There are about 10,000 different species of grasshoppers.

Hippopotamus The hippopotamus is a large mammal that stays in the water a lot.

Hyena A meat-eating mammal that hunts and scavenges prey.

Impala A high-jumping, lightly-built antelope from southern Africa.

Jack Rabbit Jack rabbits are hares; they have very long legs and long ears.

Kangaroo Kangaroos hop and have pouches. Their babies are called joeys.

Leopard Leopards are widely-distributed, spotted wild cats.

Lion A group of lions is called a pride.

Meerkat Meerkats (also known as suricates) are a type of mongoose that can stand upright.

Mole Moles are almost-blind, burrowing mammals.

Mosquito Mosquitos are flying insects that live in moist areas and can often carry diseases.

Mouse Mice are small rodents with long, scaly tails.

Ostrich The ostrich is the largest bird. It can't fly, but it runs very fast.

Quagga The Quagga is a recently-extinct relative of the zebra.

Redbilled Oxpecker Redbilled Oxpeckers are birds that perch on large mammals in southern Africa.

Rhea The Common Rhea or Nandu is a large, flightless bird from South America.

Rhinoceros The rhinoceros is a large, thick-skinned mammal with one or two horn-like spikes on its head.

Scorpion A venomous arachnid with a large stinger on its tail.

Serval A long-legged African wild cat.

Spectacled Caiman The Spectacled Caiman is a common meat-eating reptile from fresh water habitats in South and Central America.

Tiger Tigers are large, fierce cats that have stripes.

Wallaby Wallabies are small to medium-sized kangaroos.

Warthog The warthog is a wild pig from Africa.

White Rhinoceros The White rhinoceros is a large rhino with gray skin and two horn-like spikes on its head.

Wildebeest The wildebeest is a fast-running, herding, grass-eater from eastern Africa. Also known as the gnu.

Wombat The wombat is a rare, burrowing marsupial from the islands of Australia and Tasmania.

Zebra Zebras have black and white stripes.

Zorilla The Zorilla is a skunk-like mammal that lives in Africa.