Hello Boys and Girls,

This week we move to another area in the Tropics; an area that we reach when we cross a hot desert with a rain forest next to it. It is a fascinating environment called tropical grasslands, which is a vast area of grasses with few shrubs and scattered trees. Lots of unique animals and plants live there. These tropical grasslands are called savannahs and they lie between a desert and a rainforest. Let’s find out more about tropical savannahs. Below is an image of a tropical savannah. How would you describe the savannah?

Tropical Savannahs

A savannah is a large area of flat grasslands with scattered trees and shrubs Where are Tropical Savannahs located?

Tropical savannahs can be found in many areas in the world. If you look at the map below you will see that the savannahs are located in the areas which are shaded. In which climatic zone are the savannahs? Most savannahs are located in the tropical zone and they are 8 to 20 degrees from the equator.

Tropical savannahs cover much of central, southern and eastern Africa; large areas of South America including parts of Brazil, Venezuela, Colombia, Guyana, Suriname and French Guiana; large areas of north western India and parts of eastern Australia.

Tropical savannahs are called by names such as: ● Campos in Brazil

● Llanos in Colombia and Venezuela

● Bush in Australia

● Bushveld in South Africa

What climate do Tropical Savannahs have?

What do you remember about the climate of areas located in the tropical Zone? Tropical savannahs are in the tropics so they have tropical climate. This means they have warm to hot temperatures all day long and two distinct seasons: a rainy/ wet season and a dry season. There is much rainfall in the wet season, which lasts for about six months. During these rainy months, it is usually hot and humid in the savannah. Some savannahs can get as much as fifteen to thirty inches of rain and some others about ten feet of rain. As a result, grass grow and flourish but some rivers, streams, lakes and ponds overtop their banks and cause flooding in low-lying areas.

The dry season, which can last for the other six months of the year, can be bad for both plants and animals. During this dry period the savannahs get no more than four inches of rain. This makes the dry season very dry and with it comes drought and frequent wildfires that hinder the growth of plants that are not tough enough to survive fires and drought. Birds and some other animals are also affected by dry conditions and fires.

What plants live in Tropical Savannahs?

Here are some plants that live in tropical savannahs. See how many of them you can name.

Some types of grasses that live in tropical savannahs include: elephant, Bermuda, lemon and star. Some familiar trees scattered across the savannahs include: cashew, eucalyptus, sandpaper, acacia, baobab and jackal berry. These plants have thick bark for protection from fires; long roots that go deep into the ground to reach the water table and can store water for long periods of time.

Which animals live on Savannahs?

Check out these savannah animals below. You may have heard or read about most of them. Can you tell in which of the world’s savannahs each of these animals live? Are savannahs home to other animals that you know?

The savannah is home to a wide variety of animals. The lush grass and trees provide food for herds of grazing animals, such as cattle, deer, buffalo, zebras, elephant and giraffes. These animals are called herbivores. Herbivores are animals that only eat plants. Such animals as lion, cheetah, leopard, jaguar, puma, hyena, otter and black mamba are carnivores. Carnivores eat meat. They prey on the herbivores. Many kinds of birds, rodents, insects, and reptiles also live on savannahs.

What are the physical features of Savannahs?

● Grasses and few trees: Savannahs are rolling grasslands with

scattered trees and shrubs.

● Wet/rainy and dry seasons: Savannahs have two clear seasons, not four. There is a wet/rainy season and a dry season. Grasslands are formed because of the climate and trees find it hard to survive the dry season.

● Large Herds of Animals: The large herds of grazing animals on the

savannahs thrive on the abundance of grass and the trees there. ● Warm: The savannahs have a warm to hot temperature throughout

the entire year.

Please read all the information provided and make notes of your own.

Goodbye boys and girls and have a great week.