Caracal
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Common Names: Caracal, desert lynx, Itfah, Anaq al Ardh, Washag
Genus: Felis
Species: Caracal
Blood: Warm
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.
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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.
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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.
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Habitat: Hot and dry; savannah, scrub and acacia woodlands, or mountains and hilly areas.
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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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Adaptations: When Caracals are in fear of being hunted, they use camouflage as a primary defense.
plain or prairie, they lie flat on the ground and their coats act as instant camouflage.
If threatened on a
Grant’s Zebra
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Common Names: Plains Zebra, Punda Milia
Genus: Equus
Species: Burchelli Bohmi
Blood: Warm
Height/Weight: Its height is about 50 in. from shoulder to hoof, and weighs in at 500 to 600 pounds.
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.
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Found: Mostly in areas of Africa south of the Sahara Desert.
Habitat: Savannas, plains, and in some cases mountainous regions.
Diet: Savanna Grasses
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.
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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.
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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.
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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
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Common Names: Kenya crocodile, Madagascar crocodile, Nile crocodile, Mamba, Garwe, Ngwenya
Genus: Crocodylus
Species: Niloticus
Blood: Cold
Length/Weight: Can grow up to 20 feet long and weigh up to 500 pounds.
Characteristics: Long snouts; Dark olive in color, and young ones have bands around their body. But as they get older,
the bands fade.
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Found: Africa and Madagascar
Habitat: Freshwater swamps, rivers, lakes, and other watery places.
Diet: Anything in the water like fish, turtles, or birds. They also eat buffalos, antelope, and big cats.
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.
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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.
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Predators: Humans; they are not endangered by anything else.
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
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Common Names: Gum Tree, Silver Dollar Gum, Argyle Apple, Corkscrew Eucalyptus
Genus: Eucalyptus
Species: Cinerea
Type: Deciduous
Height: 20-30 feet tall
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.
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Found: Plains and Savannas of Australia
Habitat: Sunny and dry climates
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.
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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.
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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
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Common Names: Mongongo nut, feather weight tree
Genus: Schinziophyton
Species: Rautanenii
Type: Deciduous
Height: Between 49 and 66 feet high
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.
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Found: On the savannas of Chad, Mali, Niger, and Uganda
Habitat: Hot and dry climates with low amounts of rain; wooded hills and sand dunes
Animal Interaction: Some animals may eat the nuts produced.
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.
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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
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Common Names: African Sausage Tree
Genus: Kigelia
Species: Africana
Type: The tree is evergreen when there is a plentiful amount of rain. However, if there is a long dry season, they are
deciduous.
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Height: They can grow between 20 and 40 feet tall.
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.
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Found: They are found near riverbanks throughout much of South and Central Africa.
Habitat: They thrive in full sunlight
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.
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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.
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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
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Fires from seasonal lightning
Times of drought/profuse amounts of rainfall
High temperatures
Compact Soil
Topography and land formations
Sunlight
Climate
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A savanna’s dry season is in the winter. All precipitation
comes during the summer months.
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
of rain.
o Between December and February, there is hardly
any sort of precipitation at all.
The dry season is generally a few degrees cooler than the
wet season.
o The savanna’s climate’s temperature ranges from
68°-86° F. In the winter, it is usually about 68°-78°
F. In the summer, the temperature is between 78°86° F.
Biotic Factors
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Vegetation
o Bushes, trees, grasses
Living Creatures
o Animals, birds, reptiles, insects, etc.
Other Living Organisms
o Fungi, bacteria, etc.
Natural Disasters
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Ravaging fires caused by lightning
Seasonal, and sometimes severe droughts
Soil
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Savanna soil collects and holds water very well
However, it suffers from a lack of nutrients
The Savanna at Night
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Many animals do their hunting at night, when it is cooler.
Bats and insects are present during nighttime.
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…
African Elephant
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African Elephants are the largest known land animal, and
they can weigh up to 10,000 pounds and get up to 12 feet
tall!
Elephants normally live for around 70 years. That is, until
their molars wear down, making them unable to eat.
INTERESTING FACT: Unlike many other groups of
animals that are led by males, elephant herds are usually
led by a female.
Lion
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Lions weigh between 265 and 420 pounds and are up to 10
feet long.
Lions live in communities with 4-40 members called
prides. A male or couple males protect the pride while
females hunt and care for cubs.
INTERESTING FACT: Lions can run up to 40 mph!
Chacma Baboon
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Baboons are the largest members of the monkey family.
Males can weigh up to 97 pounds, and females up to 37
pounds.
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.
Emu
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Adult Emus are about 5.7 feet tall and can weigh up to 120
pounds.
A female Emu usually lays 5-20 eggs at once!
Adult Emus aren’t endangered by any animal other than
humans; there’s nothing large enough to take them down.
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.
Koala Bear
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Male Koalas weigh up to 30.8 pounds and females up to
24.2 pounds.
Koalas have rough paws that help them grip and stay on
the trunks of trees without sliding down.
Koalas have and excellent sense of smell. They can detect
whether or not a plant is poisonous just by smelling it.
INTERESTING FACT: A Koala’s bottom is extremely
padded with fur so they can sit for hours on sharp, pointy
twigs without getting hurt!
Acacia Senegal
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It can grow up to 20 meters tall.
They are great at surviving droughts. They can live in dry
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
savanna, the Acacia Senegal oozes sap that is used for
medicine and flavoring in some soda.
Elephant Grass
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Elephant Grass grows in thick clumps up to 10 feet tall.
It grows along river banks or lakesides.
Elephant Grasses are very invasive and can take over
sections of land quickly.
INTERESTING FACT: The edges of each blade grass are
razor-sharp, and can slice flesh easily.
Egyptian Mongoose
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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.
Every part of their body is covered in fur except their hind
feet.
Egyptian Mongooses generally live for 7 to 12 years.
INTERESTING FACT: Egyptian Mongooses have an
uncanny ability to attack and take down snakes!
Whistling Thorn
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They can grow up to 18 feet high.
They are protected by gigantic thorns up to 3 inches long.
Whistling thorns are deciduous trees that lose their leaves
during the dry season.
INTERESTING FACT: The tree got its name from the
sound of the wind whistling through old, dead tree spines.
River Bushwillow
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These grow along river banks and prefer full sunlight.
They grow to be 30-35 feet tall.
Unlike many savanna plants, the river bushwillow can
survive savanna winters that get down to 32° F.
INTERESTING FACT: The fruit that this tree produces is
poisonous, and if consumed, will cause violent hiccups.
Kangaroo Paw
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The flowers of this plant are unscented and can grow to be
up to 10 centimeters long.
These plants only exist naturally in the savanna of
Australia.
The leaves of this plant range between 30 and 60
centimeters long.
INTERESTING FACT: Kangaroo Paw plants are covered
in tiny little hairs. This makes their texture unusual for an
animal to eat, so predators stay away from them.
Jarrah Tree
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It grows about 40-50 meters high.
The flowers of the Jarrah tree produce honey that people
prize.
Sadly, these trees are defenseless to algae that cause rootrot called dieback.
INTERESTING FACT: Jarrah Trees have been known to
live up to 500 years!