Page 12 - How It Works - Book Of Amazing Answers To Curious Questions, Volume 05-15

What species inhabit

the African savannah?

These majestic plains hold the secret to a delicately balanced
ecosystem that supports the largest beasts on land Vulture
Feeding on carrion, the
vulture’s massive wings
he savannah environment is a huge Creatures of the plains enable it to soar above the
expanse of wide-open grassland that is ground, carefully searching
for its next meal.
Thome to a web of incredible plants and From tiny insects to mighty predators,
animals. Formed exclusively around the the savannah has it all
tropics, savannahs are characterised by just
enough rainfall in the wet season to enable Giraffe

plants to flourish, yet not enough for a The giraffe is perfectly
formed to browse the
rainforest, and almost arid conditions in the
tallest trees for tasty
dry season, but not dry enough to form a desert. morsels, then strip stems
The plants and animals that live here have with its tough tongue.
developed amazing means of coping with this
extreme environment. Wildebeest
Huge herds of wildebeest
Around the world, savannahs are known by roam the savannah. They
different names; in Asia they are ‘steppes’, they have evolved special teeth
and a digestive system
are ‘prairies’ in North America, and in Australia that can process the
they are ‘rangelands’. Usually only African biome’s tough plants.
grasslands are given the name ‘savannah’, and
one of the most famous is the Serengeti Plains
in Tanzania. This ecosystem is home to some of
Earth’s most incredible creatures: big cats,
elephants, rhinos and giraffes to name just a
Termite
Termites are
At the water hole incredibly important
to savannah biomes,
In the savannah, water holes are incredibly as they cycle soil
important features of the landscape, especially from deep in the
earth up to
during the dry season. The seasonal or On the map the surface.
permanent pools of water, fed by rivers or
aquifers, provide much-needed hydration for all Savannahs around
animals of the savannah, sometimes drawing the world
them in from many miles away. 1 Africa, including

Predator and prey alike gather to drink, and Sahelian Acacia, Sahel,
these connections keep the all-important
savannah food web healthy. With all the animals Serengeti, Maasai
gathering in one place, the predators have Mara
enough food but kill only what they need, which 2 North America, the
monitors the population naturally. Meanwhile the Great Plains
prey species are able to take a good long drink 3 South America,

before moving on to their next destination. Brazilian Cerrados and 5
Llanos of the Orinoquia 1 6
4 Australia, largest areas 2
are Kimberley, 3 1 7 4
VRD-Sturt, Mitchel
Grasslands, North East
Queensland
5 Myanmar (Burma)
6 India
7 Madagascar

12 How It Works