 By Emily Duguay

-The African Savanna has a wet season and a dry season. -The dry season occurs for more than seven months out of the year, and during this time, a lot of swamps and rivers and streams dry up, causing native animals to migrate. -The wet season accounts for the other months in the year. This is the time period when the African Savanna gets the most rainfall, and animals return to graze. Plants flourish, and rivers are replenished.

The African savanna is home to some strange creatures, like the Nigriceps ant, which is only found in the savannas of Kenya. These ants live on the whistling thorn acaia tree, and at the slightest movement of the branches, swarm out and deliver painful stings to the unlucky victim. The African Savannas are also home to the Black Mamba, the deadliest snake in the world. They can grow up to fourteen feet long and travel at speeds up to twelve miles per hour.

The Baobab is native to the savannas of Africa and India. It’s a unique tree that can grow up to 25 meters tall and live for several thousand years. It has a thick, fire resistant trunk that it uses to store water for dry months. The Arabian legend of the tree says “the devil plucked up the baobab, thrust its branches into the earth and left its roots in the air.“ Elephant grass is another plant found in Africa. It grows in dense clumps up to ten feet tall, and the edges of the leaves are razor sharp, creating a safe fortress within.

The African Savanna has undergone a lot of stress because of humans. We use the land for cattle grazing, which destroys the grass, turning the savanna into a desert, as well as cause fires, and poach the rare and endangered animals that call the savanna home.

Hyena Cheetah Lion Baboon Termites Grass Acaia Tree Zebra Dung beetle Giraffe