Biome: Tropical Savanna

Caracal o Common Names: Caracal, desert lynx, Itfah, Anaq al Ardh, Washag o Genus: Felis Species: Caracal Blood: Warm o Height/Length/Weight: Its head and body together are 24-36 inches long, and its tail is 9-12 inches long. Its shoulder height is 15-20 inches. Its weight is 28-42 lbs. o Characteristics: Looks much like a cat, but with larger ears and body. On these big ears are tufts of black fur. Coat colors include: tawny-brown, reddish-grey, and wine-red. o Found: The Veld Grassland in South Africa and in central Africa and India from 30° North to 35° South latitude and from 20° East to 25° West longitude. o Habitat: Hot and dry; savannah, scrub and acacia woodlands, or mountains and hilly areas. o Diet: Smaller mammals, such as rabbits and porcupines, or even larger mammals like sheep, young antelope or deer. They also may hunt birds by using their powerful legs to spring into the air and literally bat the bird to the ground with their huge paws. o Lifestyle: Females care for the young while the males have no part in it. Caracals do not live in pairs or groups except when the mother raises her cubs. They are most active at night, and do their hunting then. o Reproduction: The caracal male is sexually mature at 12-15 months of age, and the female at 14-16 months. They mate year-round. Their gestation period is 69-78 days, and they usually have 1 to 6 young. The kittens weigh about 10.5 oz. o Predators: Humans; Caracals are hunted for fur and meat. Others are killed by people who fear they will kill their livestock. Hunting Caracals is forbidden in 10 African countries. In places where Caracals are not in danger, however, hunting them is legal. o Adaptations: When Caracals are in fear of being hunted, they use camouflage as a primary defense. If threatened on a plain or prairie, they lie flat on the ground and their coats act as instant camouflage. Grant’s Zebra o Common Names: Plains Zebra, Punda Milia o Genus: Equus Species: Burchelli Bohmi Blood: Warm o Height/Weight: Its height is about 50 in. from shoulder to hoof, and weighs in at 500 to 600 pounds. o Characteristics: Short legs, large head; Black and white stripes that begin vertically, but become horizontal near its rump and legs, black nose, black hooves; Short, erect mane. o Found: Mostly in areas of Africa south of the Sahara Desert. o Habitat: Savannas, plains, and in some cases mountainous regions. o Diet: Savanna Grasses o Lifestyle: Zebras live in close-knit groups called families or harems, led by a single male. Families normally contain up to 17 members. The family always groups together, even when they migrate in herds of 10,000 or more. All herd members look out for each other, and they even slow the herd to aid young, elderly, or weak members. They can live to be 28 years old. o Reproduction: Zebra mares first breed at three years of age and are slow breeders. Gestation can last as long as a year. Within an hour of their birth, foals can walk and move quite easily. During the first seven months of nursing, a mother and her foal are inseparable. o Predators: Hyenas and lions; if a predator is present, zebras may bunch together in an attempt to confuse the predator with their maze of striped coats. If the herd decides to run, the male protects the rear of the group, which can run up to 40 mph. o Adaptations: As stated above, when zebras stick together in their herd, predators see a chaotic jumble of stripes. This causes the predator the inability to judge one zebra from another. As a result, no one zebra can be singled out and hunted down. Nile Crocodile o Common Names: Kenya crocodile, Madagascar crocodile, Nile crocodile, Mamba, Garwe, Ngwenya o Genus: Crocodylus o Species: Niloticus o Blood: Cold o Length/Weight: Can grow up to 20 feet long and weigh up to 500 pounds. o Characteristics: Long snouts; Dark olive in color, and young ones have bands around their body. But as they get older, the bands fade. o Found: Africa and Madagascar o Habitat: Freshwater swamps, rivers, lakes, and other watery places. o Diet: Anything in the water like fish, turtles, or birds. They also eat buffalos, antelope, and big cats. o Lifestyle: If crocodiles want to escape the hot weather or danger, they dig underground dens to hide in. Also, it is possible that the social statuses between crocodiles determine a crocodile’s hunting and feeding success. o Reproduction: The female Nile crocodile mates around November through December. They dig a hole about 1 1/2 feet deep to lay their 40-60 eggs in, a few feet from the water. It takes about 80-90 days for the eggs to hatch. The mother keeps the hatchlings safe by holding them in her mouth. o Predators: Humans; they are not endangered by anything else. o Adaptations: Crocodiles can easily stalk prey while they’re in the water. They have raised eyes and nostrils that allow the rest of their body to be submerged, with just their eyes and nose visible. They’re practically invisible this way. Gum Tree Eucalyptus o Common Names: Gum Tree, Silver Dollar Gum, Argyle Apple, Corkscrew Eucalyptus o Genus: Eucalyptus o Species: Cinerea o Type: Deciduous o Height: 20-30 feet tall o Characteristics: Young leaves are round, grey-green, and about 1 inch in diameter and grow opposite each other on the stem. They become longer, more oval shaped with pointed ends as they get older. The flowers are a creamy white and grow in 1 inch clusters. The bark is reddish-brown and fibrous. o Found: Plains and Savannas of Australia o Habitat: Sunny and dry climates o Animal Interaction: Main food source for Koala Bears. Bees are attracted to the flower blooms, and their honey made by the use of the pollen is highly prized. o Uses: Eucalyptus is used in medicines to treat many sicknesses such as: infections, colds, flu, sore throats, bronchitis, pneumonia, aching, stiffness, neuralgia and even some skin infections. It is also used in fragrance oils, fuel, and in construction for wood products. o Adaptations: Their roots adapt to snatch up any little bit of water when it is present. Their leaves also thrive off of sunlight, which they receive a plentiful amount of. Manketti Tree o Common Names: Mongongo nut, feather weight tree o Genus: Schinziophyton o Species: Rautanenii o Type: Deciduous o Height: Between 49 and 66 feet high o Characteristics: A large, straight trunk with stubby and contorted branches and a large spreading crown. The leaves are about 6 inches long and both sides are dark green in color, and covered in fine hairs. The flowers are white and oval-shaped. o Found: On the savannas of Chad, Mali, Niger, and Uganda o Habitat: Hot and dry climates with low amounts of rain; wooded hills and sand dunes o Animal Interaction: Some animals may eat the nuts produced. o Uses: The nuts and fruit of the Manketti Tree are a big part of the daily African diet. The nuts also give oil and are considered one of the most important nuts in Africa. o Adaptations: Manketti Trees possess trunks that can store water, long taproots to reach water, thick bark to resist annual fires, and leaves that drop off in the winter to conserve water. Sausage Tree o Common Names: African Sausage Tree o Genus: Kigelia o Species: Africana o Type: The tree is evergreen when there is a plentiful amount of rain. However, if there is a long dry season, they are deciduous. o Height: They can grow between 20 and 40 feet tall. o Characteristics: These trees have huge sausage-like fruits that hang down from the limbs on long, ropelike stalks. These fruits can be up to 2 feet long and weigh up to 15 pounds! These fresh fruits are reported to be poisonous, especially when they are not ripe. The Sausage Tree also has flashy red blossoms that bloom nocturnally. o Found: They are found near riverbanks throughout much of South and Central Africa. o Habitat: They thrive in full sunlight o Animal Interaction: Animals, especially monkeys and elephants, enjoy feasting upon the tree’s foliage and nectar. When its flowers are in bloom, nocturnal animals such as bats, insects, and sunbirds are drawn to their sweet aroma and pollinate them. o Uses: Many people have come up with traditional uses for the fruit, like treatments for skin blemishes and treatment for intestinal worms. There are some steroid chemicals found in the sausage tree that are added to some shampoos and facial creams. Also, for it to be prepared for consumption, it must be baked or dried. In addition, it is used to help the fermentation of beer. o Adaptations: As stated earlier, in areas with an extended dry season, sausage trees will drop their leaves to conserve energy; otherwise, they remain evergreen.

Abiotic Factors Biotic Factors  Fires from seasonal lightning  Vegetation  Times of drought/profuse amounts of rainfall o Bushes, trees, grasses  High temperatures  Living Creatures  Compact Soil o Animals, birds, reptiles, insects, etc.  Topography and land formations  Other Living Organisms  Sunlight o Fungi, bacteria, etc.

Climate Natural Disasters  A savanna’s dry season is in the winter. All precipitation  Ravaging fires caused by lightning comes during the summer months.  Seasonal, and sometimes severe droughts o Many plants shrivel up and die. Some streams and rivers may dry up. Many animals migrate in the search for food. o There is an annual precipitation of 10 to 30 inches Soil of rain.  Savanna soil collects and holds water very well o Between December and February, there is hardly  However, it suffers from a lack of nutrients any sort of precipitation at all.  The dry season is generally a few degrees cooler than the wet season. The Savanna at Night o The savanna’s climate’s temperature ranges from  Many animals do their hunting at night, when it is cooler. 68°-86° F. In the winter, it is usually about 68°-78° F. In the summer, the temperature is between 78°-  Bats and insects are present during nighttime. 86° F.  Some plants, like the blossoms of the Sausage Tree, bloom at night.  The temperature lowers slightly.

Where are Tropical Savannas Located?

What is a Tropical Savanna?

Tropical Savannas are basically vast grasslands scattered with trees and bushes. Savannas don’t receive enough precipitation to support a forest, and frequent fires burn many non-fire resistant vegetation. Tropical savannas are found between tropical rainforest and desert biomes, mainly on either side of the equator and on the borders of rainforests. There are many different types of savannas; however, the most well-known include those in East Africa. For example, the Serengeti Plains of Tanzania are probably the most popular. In addition, South America has its share of savannas. Unlike its counterparts in Africa, however, there are very few species that exist only in this savanna. In the countries of Brazil, Colombia, and Venezuela, the savannas occupy approximately 2.5 million kilometers, which is an area about ¼ the size of Canada. There are also considerable sections of Australia and India that share these savanna-like conditions.

Some Other Animals of the Savanna…

Some Other Plants of the Savanna…

 INTERESTING FACT: Lions can run up to 40 mph! African Elephant  African Elephants are the largest known land animal, and they can weigh up to 10,000 pounds and get up to 12 feet tall! Chacma Baboon  Elephants normally live for around 70 years. That is, until their molars wear down, making them unable to eat.  Baboons are the largest members of the monkey family.  INTERESTING FACT: Unlike many other groups of  Males can weigh up to 97 pounds, and females up to 37 animals that are led by males, elephant herds are usually pounds. led by a female.  A group of baboons is called a troop. Baboons have a very complex social system within their troop.  INTERESTING FACT: Unlike monkeys, baboons spend most, if all of their time, on the ground, not in trees. Lion  Lions weigh between 265 and 420 pounds and are up to 10 feet long.  Lions live in communities with 4-40 members called Emu prides. A male or couple males protect the pride while  Adult Emus are about 5.7 feet tall and can weigh up to 120 females hunt and care for cubs. pounds.  A female Emu usually lays 5-20 eggs at once!  INTERESTING FACT: A Koala’s bottom is extremely  Adult Emus aren’t endangered by any animal other than padded with fur so they can sit for hours on sharp, pointy humans; there’s nothing large enough to take them down. twigs without getting hurt!  INTERESTING FACT: Emus can’t fly. They used to be able to, however. But as they evolved, there weren’t any predators that could get them. So as a result, their wings shrunk and they lost the ability to fly. Egyptian Mongoose  These Mongooses can grow to be up to 44 inches long, 21 inches of that being their tail alone! They also weigh up to 7 pounds. Koala Bear  Every part of their body is covered in fur except their hind  Male Koalas weigh up to 30.8 pounds and females up to feet. 24.2 pounds.  Egyptian Mongooses generally live for 7 to 12 years.  Koalas have rough paws that help them grip and stay on  INTERESTING FACT: Egyptian Mongooses have an the trunks of trees without sliding down. uncanny ability to attack and take down snakes!  Koalas have and excellent sense of smell. They can detect whether or not a plant is poisonous just by smelling it.

 It grows along river banks or lakesides. Acacia Senegal  Elephant Grasses are very invasive and can take over sections of land quickly.  It can grow up to 20 meters tall.  INTERESTING FACT: The edges of each blade grass are  They are great at surviving droughts. They can live in dry razor-sharp, and can slice flesh easily. areas that get only 12-15 inches of rain a year.  Many animals are dependent on this tree’s shade.  INTERESTING FACT: After the rainy season on the Whistling Thorn savanna, the Acacia Senegal oozes sap that is used for  They can grow up to 18 feet high. medicine and flavoring in some soda.  They are protected by gigantic thorns up to 3 inches long.  Whistling thorns are deciduous trees that lose their leaves during the dry season. Elephant Grass  INTERESTING FACT: The tree got its name from the sound of the wind whistling through old, dead tree spines.  Elephant Grass grows in thick clumps up to 10 feet tall.  These plants only exist naturally in the savanna of River Bushwillow Australia.  The leaves of this plant range between 30 and 60  These grow along river banks and prefer full sunlight. centimeters long.  They grow to be 30-35 feet tall.  INTERESTING FACT: Kangaroo Paw plants are covered  Unlike many savanna plants, the river bushwillow can in tiny little hairs. This makes their texture unusual for an survive savanna winters that get down to 32° F. animal to eat, so predators stay away from them.  INTERESTING FACT: The fruit that this tree produces is poisonous, and if consumed, will cause violent hiccups. Jarrah Tree  It grows about 40-50 meters high.  The flowers of the Jarrah tree produce honey that people prize. Kangaroo Paw  Sadly, these trees are defenseless to algae that cause root-  The flowers of this plant are unscented and can grow to be rot called dieback. up to 10 centimeters long.  INTERESTING FACT: Jarrah Trees have been known to live up to 500 years!