31 Interesting Facts About Savannas Everyone Should Know

Abhijeet Modi
Oct 12, 2023 By Abhijeet Modi
Originally Published on Jan 18, 2022
One of the most interesting facts about savannas is they have separate regions for herbivores and carnivores animals, herbivores animals live in areas that have more grass and fauna also known as savanna biome.

The African savanna is known as one of the most valued and celebrated ecosystems, which presents the perfect mix of tropical grasslands and shrubs.

A savanna is basically an ecosystem that inhabits many animals and constitutes both trees and mixed shrubs. One of the known facts about the savanna grasslands is they are different from deserts and there is a reason why they are known as savanna and not just tropical grassland or tropical rainforests.

One can find a savanna in almost any continent since it's not a place but a kind of ecosystem. When we look at the details of the major savannas around us, it can be seen that all of them hold a delicate balance.

They get their annual rainfall just like forests, however, the difference is a savanna has scattered trees. These trees allow the sunlight to reach the soil.

Facts About The Savannas

Every savanna has different regions for different kinds of animals. The herbivorous animals live in the savanna biome.

  • The most known fact about savanna is it has its own share of the dry season.
  • This dry season affects the large herds which rely on grass.
  • It also directly affects predators such as lions as well.
  • The dry season in savanna means less water and less prey for predators, many grazing heads migrate during the dry season to greener parts of the savanna for a better food supply.
  • However, during such times, illegal poaching is a common issue.
  • A lot many actions are taken to prevent the same, nonetheless, it's still been taking place one way or another.
  • Global warming is another villain to blame, since the dry regions of the savanna affect the animals greatly, due to global warming, they are getting drier.
  • Animals such as zebras who eat grass often find it hard to survive in dry Africa.
  • Although some draught-resistant plants such as the acacia tree, the baobab tree is one of the few trees which have special roots to battle the dry season.
  • African savanna of all the savannas suffers the most.
  • Although, one unique thing about the savanna biome which makes it very different from the usual forests is each tree has some space between one another to allow grass to grow.
  • The Savanna biome is also home to grazing animals since the flora and fauna and the plants present in the savanna biome suit the sites of these animals.

Animals In The Savannas

When it comes to the African savanna the savanna biome or grasslands prefer a tropical wet to dry climate.

  • Savannas can be found anywhere, there is a savanna present in South America as well, however, there is no competition for the African savanna.
  • The savanna biome in Africa is known as the world's largest savanna and it is known to be two million years old.
  • It is home to multiple species from small creatures to predators such as lions and jaguars.
  • As the signature definition of the savanna biome goes, it is mostly known for its large scattered grasslands accompanied by large spaced trees and shrubs.
  • The conditions are generally warmer in the savanna.
  • Since the savanna is simply an ecosystem, various continents have savanna, South America has a savanna as well and so does Brazil.
  • The world's largest savanna, which is also the most famous savanna, lies in Tanzania.
  • Not just this, savannas are ever-expanding, the Sahara desert savanna is expanding every year at a commanding rate.

Plants And Trees In The Savannas

The savanna biome does have warmer temperatures almost throughout the years.

  • Despite, such harsh climates, humans live in savannas with animals.
  • The Nubians are known to be one of the few communities which live in savanna present in Africa.
  • Other communities living in the region as well, such as the Masai.
  • The main reason why summers are hot in the savanna biome is as the heat causes moisture near the earth to evaporate, it rises further and then collides with cooler moisture present in the air.
  • Since the distance between the trees is good enough, the leaves of such trees don't overlap each other and the sunlight gets to the ground easily.
  • During dry seasons, the largest savanna of the world, which lies in Africa, takes into use the help of evolution to battle the short food supply and even fewer rainfalls.
  • The plants in Africa or in any savanna have long roots.
  • Such roots help these plants survive the dry season savanna by storing water in it.

Concerning Facts About The Savannas

  • 20% of the world is savanna, although savanna is not found in every part of the world, still, majority of the continents have savanna.
  • Forests and savannas are an important part of our ecosystem, they not only provide animals a place to live but are home to numeral plant species.
  • The savanna biome affects the climate a lot, they have a good influence over the global climate, thus well being of the savanna biome is something everyone needs to take care of.
  • Although, with each passing year the savanna biome is getting drier, which makes it difficult for grass-eating animals to rely on plants for their survival.

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Written by Abhijeet Modi

Master of Computer Science

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Abhijeet ModiMaster of Computer Science

An experienced and innovative entrepreneur and creative writer, Abhijeet holds a Bachelor's and Master's degree in Computer Application from Birla Institute of Technology, Jaipur. He co-founded an e-commerce website while developing his skills in content writing, making him an expert in creating blog posts, website content, product descriptions, landing pages, and editing articles. Passionate about pushing his limits, Abhijeet brings both technical expertise and creative flair to his work.

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