Savanna Regions of Africa

Savanna A savanna is a rolling grassland scattered with shrubs and isolated trees Not enough rain falls on a savanna to support forests. Savannas are also known as tropical grasslands. They are found in a wide band on either side of the equator on the edges of tropical rainforests.

Location The Savanna Region is located around the Rainforest Regions.

Temperature/Climate Savannas have warm temperature year round 70 degrees F There are actually two very different seasons in a savanna; a very long dry season (winter), and a very wet season (summer). In the dry season only an average of about 4 inches of rain falls. Between December and February no rain will fall at all. Oddly enough, it is actually a little cooler during this dry season.

Rainfall Monsoon rains begin in May An average of 15 to 25 inches of rain falls during this time. It gets hot and very humid during the rainy season. In the afternoons on the summer savanna the rains pour down for hours.

Plants Baobab Bermuda Grass Elephant Grass

Animals Most of the animals on the savanna have long legs or wings to be able to go on long migrations. Many burrow under ground to avoid the heat or raise their young. The savanna is a perfect place for birds of prey like hawks and buzzards. The wide, open plain provides them with a clear view of their prey, hot air updrafts keep them soaring, and there is the occasional tree to rest on or nest in. Animals don't sweat to lose body heat, so they lose it through panting or through large areas of exposed skin, or ears, like those of the elephant.

Chacma Baboon Baboons are the savanna's version of the monkey, and are the largest member of the monkey family. The males can weigh from 59 to 97 pounds and are about 20 to 30 in. long Females can weigh from 31 to 37 pounds and are 16 to 24 in. long (40-60 cm). It has beady, close-set eyes under a heavy brow, and a dog-like muzzle with sharp tusk-like upper canine teeth Its fur sticks up all over its body. They walk on all four feet with their tails held in a crooked arch over their back. Their tails are around 2 feet long.

Lion The lion is the powerhouse of the savanna, weighing in at pounds and up to 10 feet long. The lion is a powerful predator Lions have dirty beige colored fur and rounded heads Males have something females don't... manes. Manes are a ruff of long hair around the neck which is brown in the front and black in the back.

African Wild Dog The African wild dog lives in grasslands, savannas, and open woodlands of eastern and southern Africa.

Black Mamba The Black Mamba is the most deadly snake in the world. They grow 14 feet in length, travel at speeds of up to 12 mph. They have a head shaped like a coffin. The Black Mamba is not actually black. They have a brownish-gray body with a light belly and brownish scales along its back. It gets its name from the color of the lining of its mouth, which is purple-black, and which it displays when threatened.

African Elephant African elephants, also known as the savanna elephants, are the largest land mammal in the world. They weigh up to 10,000 pounds grow to 12 feet tall They have a long trunk that is very flexible and has nostrils on the end. It is used to pick up food and water and carry it to it's mouth. On the sides of its mouth there are two long teeth that extend out from inside its mouth. These are called tusks, and are made of ivory. They have thick, gray skin on their bodies that protects them from deadly predator bites.

These different herbivores provide a wide range of food for carnivores, like lions, leopards, cheetahs, jackals and hyenas. Each species has its own preference, making it possible to live side by side and not be in competition for food.

People Maasai Tribe –Warriors that raise cattle –Houses are made of branches and mud

Ways people have changed the region… In many parts of the savannas of Africa people have started using it to graze their cattle and goats. They don't move around and soon the grasses are completely eaten up. With no vegetation, the savanna turns into a desert. Huge areas of savanna are lost to the Sahara desert every year because of overgrazing and farming.

Write down as many animals that you see….. DFcchttp:// DFcc