1. Biome: Savanna By Kelly O’Donnell and Savannah Spicer 3 rd Hour

2. Animals African Elephant Largest land mammal in the world, it’s thick gray skin is used to protect itself from deadly animals. They are mostly killed for their tusks. They use their long trunks to pick up food and water. They have wonderful eyesight, go hunting at night, great swimmers and ranger from about 4.5-9 ft long. Tigers are carnivores so their diet is rabbits, deer, wild cattle and many more. Tiger Black Mamba Lives in South Africa, it’s bite can be very deadly by killing someone in less than an hour. It attacks humans if bothered. It is one of the most poisonous animals.

3. It is a nocturnal animal, about 3-14 in long, and it’s white/gray/ or brown. Mice are omnivores they eat grain, seeds, fruit, worms, and mostly get killed by others. Mice Cheetah Zebra The Zebra looks like a horse, but much smaller. Their height is about 50 inches tall and weighs to be about 500-600 pounds. There is about 17 members in a family. There are about 300,000 zebras left on the savanna. They may not be endangered yet, but two rarer species are. Their height is to about 2 ½ feet to 3 feet. They weigh from 110-140 pounds and are the fastest land mammas in the world. They run to speeds of about 70 mps and can get to 40 mph in less than 2.5 seconds. Cheetahs are predators and eat smaller animals such as gazelles, wildebeests, and other hoofed animals.

4. Plants Senegal Gum Acacia It is a small to average sized thorn tree of the African grassland savanna. It can grow up to 20 meters tall. This gum is collected from December – June and is used to make gum Arabic. It is used to make a cream for skin inflammations. It is also used for coughs, sore throats, eyewash, and diarrhea. Umbrella Thorn Acacia Umbrella Thorn Acacia is one of the most recognizable trees of the African savanna. This tree can live in 122° F temps during the day, and the freezing temps at nights. This tree provides shade for the animals of the savanna. The trunk makes very good firewood. The stem of the tree is used to treat asthma, and diarrhea. The pods are used to make porridge. Elephant Grass It grows in clumps up to 10 feet tall. In the savannas of Africa it grows beside lake beds and rivers. Many different birds make their home in the stands. The edges of the leaves are razor sharp.

5. Whistling Thorn This thorn tree can grow about 18 feet tall. The whistling thorn protects itself with pairs of long thorns that are about 3 inches long. These are home to four different kinds of stinging ants who pierce these swollen thorns with tiny holes. When the wind blows it turns old and abandoned spines into tiny whistling flutes, which gives the tree its name. Baobab This tree is found in the savannas of African and India, mostly around the equator. It can grow up to 25 meters tall and lives for several thousand years. The baobab is leafless for nine months of the year. The bark of the baobab is used for cloth and rope, the leaves for medicines. Gum Tree Eucalyptus The Eucalyptus tree grows to about 20 to 30 feet tall. The flowers are a creamy white. Doctors use Eucalyptus in medicines to treat many sicknesses like infections, colds, flu, sore throats, bronchitis, aching, stiffness, and even some skin infections.

6. Climate Savanna’s have a wet/dry climate. During the summer, May through October, it’s constantly raining. But almost no rain falls in the winter, December though February. In the months of July and August is when most of the rain falls. The annual precipitation in a savanna is 10 to 50 inches a year. December begins the dry season. There is almost no rain which causes the plants to die and the water to dry up. Animals migrate to find a better source of food and water.

7. Climate Savanna temperatures range from 68 degrees to 86 degrees year-round. Rainfall is concentrated in six or eight months of the year, followed by a long period of drought when fires can occur. It’s very humid all year. The water source in the savannas-ponds, lakes- are very warm. There is usually strong winds throughout the year. No snow falls in these biomes.

8. Geography Savanna’s are found in South America, Africa, and Australia. About 20% of the world is supposedly covered in savannas. Savannas are wide plains with scattered trees. The climatic zone that characterizes a savanna is somewhere between deserts and tropics. The largest savanna biomes are in Africa.

9. Geography The people belong to more than 80 ethnic groups, which are classified according to geographic location. The Baya (33%) to the west and the Banda (27%) in the east central region and are estimated to be the most numerous groups. In the savanna live the Mandjia, accounting for 13% of the population, the Sara, accounting for 10%, and the Mboum, accounting for 7%, each with several subgroups. In the forest region are the Pygmies and some Bantu groups, including the Mbaka, who account for another 4% of the population. About 4% of the population are Yakoma.

10. Fun/Interesting Facts Every Zebra’s stripes are different, none in the world are the same. A giraffe’s tongue is measured to be about 27 inches long. The Senegal Gum Acacia tree can be used for flavoring for certain soda. A male lion has a mane and a female does not. The emu used to fly at one time, but lost the ability because they had no predators and didn't need to fly anymore. The temperature rarely drops below 60 degrees year round. A single species of grass or tree dominate a large area. Naked mole-rats live in savannas.

11. Travel When most people are in Africa for travel reasons, they choose to go on safari’s in a savanna. Biologist and zoologist visit and stay in savanna’s to research the animals and the habitat.

12. Works Cited http://www.blueplanetbiomes.org/savanna_plant_page.htm http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/exhibits/biomes/grasslands.php http://www.defenders.org/wildlife_and_habitat/wildlife/cheetah.php# http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/exhibits/biomes/grasslands.php http://www.nationsencyclopedia.com/Africa/Central-African-Republic-ETHNIC- GROUPS.html