African savanna’s

The African savanna is a diverse ecosystem of grasses, scattered trees, and shrubs, found in tropical and subtropical regions across the continent. It's the largest biome in southern Africa, covering 46% of the region and over a third of South Africa. Vegetation: The porous soil favors grasses, with dominant species varying by region, like Rhodes grass in drier areas and star grasses in East Africa. Some trees have fire-resistant bark and store water. Wildlife: The savanna is home to a vast array of animals, including lions, leopards, cheetahs, hyenas, jackals, elephants, giraffes, zebras, rhinos, and antelopes. Ecology: Savannas play a critical role in the global carbon cycle, storing more carbon belowground than forests. Fire is a key factor in shaping the savanna's biodiversity and ecosystem. Threats: Overgrazing and farming are causing huge areas of savanna to be lost to the Sahara desert each year Animals: the African lion the supposed kind of the jungle Lifespan: 15 – 16 years (Female, Adult, In the wild), 8 – 10 years (Male, Adult, In the wild) Height: 3.9 ft. (Male, Adult, At Shoulder), 3 – 3.6 ft. (Female, Adult, At Shoulder) Mass: 420 lbs (Male, Adult), 280 lbs (Female, Adult) Speed: 50 mph (Maximum, In Short Bursts) Collective noun: pride, sawt – Wikimedia Foundation Conservation status: Vulnerable (Population decreasing) – Encyclopedia of Life Trophic level: Carnivorous – Encyclopedia of Life Gestation period: 100 days

Elephants: the largest living land animal, Lifespan: Asian elephant: 48 years, African bush elephant: 60 – 70 years, African forest elephant: 60 – 70 years Height: Asian elephant: 9 ft., African bush elephant: 10 ft. Mass: Asian elephant: 8,800 lbs, African bush elephant: 13,000 lbs, African forest elephant: 6,000 – 13,000 lbs Speed: African bush elephant: 25 mph Collective noun: herd, memory, parade Term for young: calf

Giraffes: the tall ones Speed: 37 mph (Maximum, Sprint) Eats: Acacia Mass: 2,600 lbs (Male, Adult), 1,800 lbs (Female, Adult) Term for young: calf – Wikimedia Foundation Extinction status: Not extinct – Encyclopedia of Life Gestation period: 13 – 15 months Lower classifications: Northern giraffe, Reticulated giraffe, Southern giraffe, Masai giraffe Collective noun: corps, herd, tower

Cheetah: the fastes land animal Speed: 50 – 80 mph (Running, Estimated) Height: 2.2 – 3.1 ft. (At Shoulder) Conservation status: Vulnerable (Population decreasing) – Encyclopedia of Life Mass: 46 – 160 lbs (Adult) Trophic level: Carnivorous – Encyclopedia of Life Species: A. jubatus Gestation period: 90 – 98 days

Zebra: the striped animals Term for young: colt, cub, foal Speed: Plains zebra: 40 mph Representative species: Grévy's zebra, Plains zebra, Mountain zebra Mass: Grévy's zebra: 770 – 990 lbs, Plains zebra: 880 lbs, Mountain zebra: 620 lbs Gestation period: Grévy's zebra: 13 months, Mountain zebra: 12 months

African buffalo: Life span: 15-25 years – denverzoo.org Diet: Grass – awf.org Mass: 660 – 2,000 lbs (Adult) Habitat: Sub-Saharan Africa – denverzoo.org Speed: 35 mph – safariwest.com Conservation status: Least Concern (Population decreasing) – Encyclopedia of Life Gestation period: 11 months – Encyclopedia of Life Trophic level

Hippopotamus: Speed: 19 mph (Galloping) Lifespan: 40 – 50 years Mass: 3,500 – 9,900 lbs (Male, Adult), 2,900 – 3,300 lbs (Female, Adult) Height: 4.6 – 5.4 ft. (Male, At Shoulder), 4.3 – 4.8 ft. (Female, At Shoulder) Trophic level: Omnivorous – Encyclopedia of Life Conservation status: Vulnerable (Population decreasing) – Encyclopedia of Life Gestation period: 243 days Collective noun: herd, sea, thunder – Wikimedia Foundation Species: H. amphibius

Leopards: Lifespan: 12 – 17 years Height: 2 – 2.3 ft. (Male, At Shoulder), 1.9 – 2.1 ft. (Female, At Shoulder) Speed: 36 mph (Maximum, Running) Mass: 68 lbs (Male, South Africa's coastal mountains population), 51 – 60 lbs (Female, Somalia population) Trophic level: Carnivorous – Encyclopedia of Life Extinction status: Not extinct – Encyclopedia of Life Species: P. pardus Collective noun: leap, lepe – Wikimedia Foundation

African wild dogs: Mass: 49 lbs (Adult) – Encyclopedia of Life Speed: 44 miles per hour – worldwildlife.org Conservation status: Endangered (Population decreasing) – Encyclopedia of Life Trophic level: Carnivorous – Encyclopedia of Life Species: L. pictus

Spotted hyenas: Lifespan: 12 years (In captivity) Conservation status: Least Concern (Population decreasing) – Encyclopedia of Life Mass: 98 – 140 lbs (Female, Adult, Serengeti population), 89 – 120 lbs (Male, Adult, Serengeti population) Height: 2.3 – 3 ft. (Adult, At Shoulder) Speed: 40 mph (Maximum) Trophic level: Carnivorous – Encyclopedia of Life Family: Hyenas Scientific name: Crocuta crocuta

Wildebeest: Height: 4.2 – 4.8 ft. (Adult, At Shoulder) Speed: 50 mph (Maximum, Adult, Running) Extinction status: Not extinct – Encyclopedia of Life Lifespan: 20 years (In the wild) Mass: 260 – 600 lbs (Adult) Collective noun: herd, implausibility – Wikimedia Foundation Lower classifications: Blue wildebeest, Black wildebeest Gestation period: 243 – 274 days Scientific name: Connochaetes

Ostrich: the long neck bois Extinction status: Not extinct – Encyclopedia of Life Term for young: chick, hatchling – Wikimedia Foundation Lower classifications: Common ostrich, Somali ostrich, Struthio coppensi, Orientornis, Struthio wimani Collective noun: flock, troop – Wikimedia Foundation

Meerkat: Lifespan: 12 – 14 years (In captivity) Conservation status: Least Concern – Encyclopedia of Life Term for young: meerkitten – Wikimedia Foundation Mass: 1.6 lbs (Male, Adult), 1.6 lbs (Female, Adult) Gestation period: 70 – 77 days Species: S. suricatta Family: Mongoose

Caracal: the reddish brown medium cat with black ears and ear tuffs Speed: 50 miles per hour – carolinatigerrescue.org Conservation status: Least Concern – Encyclopedia of Life Mass: 16 – 42 lbs (Male), 15 – 35 lbs (Female) Trophic level: Carnivorous – Encyclopedia of Life Species: C. caracal

White rhinoceros: Conservation status: Near Threatened – Encyclopedia of Life Lifespan: 40 – 50 years Lower classifications: Northern white rhinoceros, Southern white rhinoceros Speed: 31 mph (Running) Diet: grasses – torontozoo.com Mass: 5,100 lbs (Male), 3,700 lbs (Female) Gestation period: 16 – 18 months Height: 5.6 – 6.1 ft. (Male, At Shoulder), 5.2 – 5.8 ft. (Female, At Shoulder) Scientific name: Ceratotherium simum

Rhinos: Lifespan: White rhinoceros: 40 – 50 years, Indian rhinoceros: 35 – 45 years, Black rhinoceros: 35 – 50 years Speed: White rhinoceros: 31 mph, Indian rhinoceros: 34 mph, Black rhinoceros: 34 mph Height: White rhinoceros: 5.6 – 6.1 ft., Indian rhinoceros: 5.3 – 6.3 ft., Black rhinoceros: 4.3 – 5.9 ft. Gestation period: White rhinoceros: 16 – 18 months, Indian rhinoceros: 15 – 16 months, Black rhinoceros: 15 – 16 months Collective noun: crash, herd – Wikimedia Foundation Mass: White rhinoceros: 5,100 lbs, Indian rhinoceros: 4,900 lbs, Black rhinoceros: 1,800 – 3,100 lbs Scientific name: Rhinocerotidae

Gazelles: the common food in Africa

Greater kudu: Mass: 420 – 600 lbs (Male, Adult), 260 – 460 lbs (Female, Adult) Trophic level: Herbivorous – Encyclopedia of Life Family: Bovidae Conservation status: Least Concern (Population stable) – Encyclopedia of Life Gestation period: 240 days Species: T. strepsiceros

Wart hog: the hogs

Honey badger: the lion scarers

Ocelot: Mass: 18 – 34 lbs Conservation status: Least Concern (Population decreasing) – Encyclopedia of Life Trophic level: Carnivorous – Encyclopedia of Life Gestation period: 79 – 82 days Species

Black mamba: the extreme danger of Africa Speed: 9.9 mph (Maximum, In Short Bursts) Conservation status: Least Concern (Population stable) – Encyclopedia of Life Scientific name: Dendroaspis polylepis

Nile crocodiles: Lifespan: 50 – 60 years (In captivity) Speed: 19 – 22 mph (Swimming) Length: 14 ft. (Male, Southern Africa population, Adult), 7.9 – 12 ft. (Female, Adult) Mass: 500 – 1,700 lbs (Male, Adult), 88 – 550 lbs (Female, Adult) Conservation status: Least Concern – Encyclopedia of Life Scientific name: Crocodylus niloticus

Serval: cat... Conservation status: Least Concern (Population stable) – Encyclopedia of Life Speed: 50 mph Mass: 26 lbs (Adult) – Encyclopedia of Life Scientific name: Leptailurus serval

Southern ground hornbill: Conservation status: Vulnerable (Population decreasing) – Encyclopedia of Life Habitat: Africa Height: 37 inches – safariwest.com Mass: 8.3 lbs (Adult) – Encyclopedia of Life Species: B. leadbeateri

Impala: facts . Speed: 47 – 56 mph (Running, In a zig-zag) Conservation status: Least Concern (Population stable) – Encyclopedia of Life Mass: 88 – 170 lbs (Male, Adult), 66 – 110 lbs (Female, Adult) Gestation period: 183 – 213 days Species: A. melampus Trophic level: Herbivorous – Encyclopedia of Life

Aardvark: aww look at it OW IT BIT ME, Diet: ants and termites – henryvilaszoo.gov Term for young: cub – Wikimedia Foundation Conservation status: Least Concern – Encyclopedia of Life Family: Aardvarks Species: O. afer Mass: 88 – 140 lbs (Adult)

Lilac-breasted roller: Conservation status: Least Concern (Population stable) – Encyclopedia of Life Life span: about 10 years – sa-venues.com Mass: 3.8 oz (Adult) – Encyclopedia of Life Size: 14.5 inches – idahofallsidaho.gov Family: Rollers Scientific name: Coracias caudatur

Emu: Speed: 31 mph (Maximum, Sprint) Conservation status: Least Concern (Population stable) – Encyclopedia of Life Mass: 82 lbs (Female, Adult), 69 lbs (Male, Adult) Term for young: chick, hatchling – Wikimedia Foundation Collective noun: mob – Wikimedia Foundation

Baboon: Lifespan: Guinea baboon: 35 – 45 years Height: Olive baboon: 2.3 ft. Lower classifications: Chacma baboon, Hamadryas baboon, Yellow baboon, Olive baboon, Guinea baboon Extinction status: Not extinct – Encyclopedia of Life Mass: Chacma baboon: 46 – 99 lbs, Hamadryas baboon: 44 – 66 lbs, Olive baboon: 22 – 82 lbs, Guinea baboon: 29 – 57 lbs Collective noun: flange, troop – Wikimedia Foundation Gestation period: Chacma baboon: 186 days, Hamadryas baboon: 180 days, Olive baboon: 179 days, Guinea baboon: 183 days – Encyclopedia of Life

Puff adder: venomous snake Family: Vipers Species: B. arietans Kingdom: Animal

Giant ant eater: Lifespan: 14 years (In the wild) Size: 6-8 feet – si.edu Mass: 73 – 90 lbs (Male, Adult), 60 – 86 lbs (Female, Adult) Conservation status: Vulnerable (Population decreasing) – Encyclopedia of Life Family: Anteaters Species: M. tridactyla Gestation period: 183 days – Encyclopedia of Life

African spurred tortoise: Mass: 79 – 110 lbs (Adult) Habitat: the Sahara Desert – oregonzoo.org Scientific name: Centrochelys sulcata

Trees: Acacia . Native to Africa, these trees have adapted to the harsh conditions of the savanna. They are a common sight in Tanzania's grasslands.

Baobab . Native to the African savanna, this tree thrives in arid areas with low rainfall and well-drained soil.

Candelabra Tree . Native to South Africa, this succulent tree is also known as the Candelabra Tree or Naboom.

Elephant grass . A perennial grass native to Africa.

Vachellia tortilis . Also known as the umbrella thorn acacia, it's a medium to large tree native to Africa.

Vachellia drepanolobium . Also known as the whistling thorn, this tree is native to Africa and is often found in savannas.

Baobab (adansonia digitata)

Jackalberry tree . Found in savannas and woodlands of Africa, this tree is also known as African ebony.

Combretum erythrophyllum . Native to South Africa, this tree is known for its striking red autumn foliage.

Gum arabic tree . A multipurpose tree that is native to sub-Saharan Africa. It is also found in India and Pakistan. It is known for its gum arabic production, agroforestry, and desertification control.

Manketti tree

Raisin bush . The raisin bush is a type of flowering plant in the Malvaceae family. It's native to Mozambique and adjoining countries.

Themeda triandra