African savanna flora and fauna. Savannah. Flora of the savannah

In the equatorial belt of Africa, savannas occupy a huge area. These are flat or slightly rolling plains, where open, grassy areas alternate with groups of trees or dense thickets of thorny bushes. During the rainy season, the savanna is covered with tall grass, which turns yellow and burns out with the onset of the dry season. Agriculture in the savanna area is almost undeveloped, and the main occupation of the local population is cattle breeding.

African elephant.

The fauna of the savannah is a unique phenomenon. In no corner of the Earth in human memory has there been such an abundance of large animals as in the African savannas. Back at the beginning of the 20th century. countless herds of herbivorous animals roamed the expanses of savannas, crossing With from one pasture to another or in search of watering places. They were accompanied by numerous predators - lions, leopards, hyenas, cheetahs. The predators were followed by carrion eaters - vultures, jackals.

Greater kudu.

The indigenous people of Africa have been hunting for a long time. However, as long as man was armed primitively, a kind of balance was maintained between the decline of animals and the increase in their numbers. With the arrival of white colonialists armed with firearms, the situation changed radically. Due to excessive hunting, the number of animals quickly decreased, and some species, such as the quagga, white-tailed wildebeest, and blue horse antelope, were completely exterminated. The fencing of private property, the construction of roads, steppe fires, the plowing of large areas and the expansion of cattle breeding have aggravated the plight of wild animals. Finally, the Europeans, unsuccessfully trying to fight the tsetse fly, staged a grandiose massacre, and more than 300 thousand elephants, giraffes, buffalos, zebras, wildebeest and other antelopes were shot from rifles and machine guns from cars. Many animals also died from plague brought with cattle. Now you can drive hundreds of kilometers through savannahs and not see a single large animal.

Grant's Gazelle.

Fortunately, there were far-sighted people who insisted on creating nature reserves where all hunting and economic activity were prohibited. The governments of the newly independent states of Africa, which threw off the yoke of colonialism, strengthened and expanded the network of such reserves - the last refuges of wild animals. Only there can a person still admire the view of the primeval savannah.

Congoni antelope

Among the many species of ungulates that inhabit the African savannas, the most numerous are the blue wildebeest, which belong to the subfamily of cow antelopes.

Oryx.

The appearance of the wildebeest is so unique that you recognize it at first sight: a short, dense body on thin legs, a heavy head, overgrown with a mane and decorated with sharp horns, and a fluffy, almost horse-like tail. Next to herds of wildebeest you can always find herds of African horses - zebras. Also characteristic of the savanna, but less numerous are gazelles - Thomson's gazelle, which can be recognized from a distance by its black, constantly twitching tail, and the larger and lighter Grant's gazelle. Gazelles are the most elegant and fastest antelopes of the savannah.

Giraffes.

Blue wildebeest, zebras and gazelles form the main core of herbivores. They are joined, sometimes in large numbers, by red gazelle-like impalas, huge heavy elands, outwardly awkward but exceptionally fleet-footed kongoni, with a narrow long muzzle and steeply curved S-shaped horns. In some places there are many grayish-brown long-horned waterbucks, relatives of the Kongoni - topi, which can be recognized by purple-black spots on the shoulders and thighs, swampbucks - medium-sized slender antelopes with beautiful lyre-shaped horns. Rare antelopes, which can be found only by chance even in nature reserves, include oryxes, whose long straight horns resemble a sword, powerful horse antelopes and inhabitants of the bush savannah - kudu. The horns of the kudu, twisted into a gentle spiral, are rightfully considered the most beautiful.

Impala.

One of the most typical animals of the African savanna is the giraffe. Once numerous, giraffes became one of the first victims of white colonists: their huge skins were used to make roofs for carts. Now giraffes are protected everywhere, but their numbers are small.

Zebra.

The largest land animal is the African elephant. Elephants that live in savannas are especially large - the so-called steppe elephants. They differ from forest animals by having wider ears and powerful tusks. By the beginning of this century, the number of elephants had decreased so much that there was a danger of their complete extinction. Thanks to widespread protection and the creation of reserves, there are now even more elephants in Africa than there were a hundred years ago. They mainly live in nature reserves and, forced to feed in a limited area, quickly destroy vegetation.

Blue wildebeest.

Even more fearful was the fate of the black and white rhinoceroses. Their horns, which are valued four times more than ivory, have long been a coveted prey for poachers. Nature reserves helped preserve these animals too.

Warthog

African buffalos.

Black rhinoceros and clawed lapwing.

There are many predators in the African savannas. Among them, the first place undoubtedly belongs to the lion. Lions usually live in groups - prides, which include both adult males and females, and growing youth. Responsibilities between the members of the pride are distributed very clearly: the lighter and more agile lionesses provide the pride with food, and the larger and stronger males are responsible for protecting the territory. The prey of lions includes zebras, wildebeest, and kongoni, but on occasion, lions willingly eat smaller animals and even carrion.

Leopard.

Cheetah.

Secretary bird feeding chick

Lions.

Horned Raven.

Other predators of the savannah include the leopard and cheetah. These large cats, somewhat similar in appearance but completely different in lifestyle, have now become quite rare. The cheetah's main prey is gazelles, while the leopard is a more versatile hunter: in addition to small antelopes, it successfully hunts African wild pigs - warthogs and especially baboons. When almost all leopards were exterminated in Africa, baboons and warthogs multiplied and became a real disaster for crops. The leopards had to be taken under protection.

Hyena with cubs.

Guinea fowl.

The picture of the animal world of the African savannah will be incomplete without mentioning termites (see article “Social insects”). These insects are represented in Africa by dozens of species. They are one of the main consumers of plant residues. Termite buildings, which have their own special shape for each species, are a characteristic detail of the savannah landscape.

Marabou.

The fauna of the savannah has been developing as a single independent whole for a long time. Therefore, the degree of adaptation of the entire complex of animals to each other and of each individual species to specific conditions is very high. Such adaptations include, first of all, a strict separation according to the method of feeding and the composition of the main feed. The vegetation cover of the savannah can only feed a huge number of animals because some species use grass, others use young shoots of shrubs, others use bark, and others use buds and buds. Moreover, different species of animals take the same shoots from different heights. Elephants and giraffes, for example, feed at the height of the tree crown, the giraffe gazelle and the great kudu reach shoots located one and a half to two meters from the ground, and the black rhinoceros, as a rule, plucks shoots close to the ground. The same division is observed in purely herbivorous animals: what the wildebeest likes does not attract the zebra at all, and the zebra, in turn, happily nibbles the grass, past which gazelles pass indifferently.

African ostriches.

The second thing that makes the savanna highly productive is the high mobility of animals. Wild ungulates are almost constantly on the move; they never graze pastures the way livestock does. Regular migrations, i.e. movements, of herbivores of the African savannah, covering hundreds of kilometers, allow vegetation to fully recover in a relatively short period of time. It is not surprising that in recent years the idea has emerged and strengthened that reasonable, scientifically based exploitation of wild ungulates promises greater prospects than traditional cattle breeding, which is primitive and unproductive. These issues are now being intensively developed in a number of African countries.

Australia is the only continent where marsupials have survived. Pictured: koala marsupial bear.

The fauna of the African savannah is of great cultural and aesthetic importance. Untouched corners with pristine rich fauna literally attract hundreds of thousands of tourists. Every African reserve is a source of joy for many, many people.

The oldest mammals of the monotreme order, the platypus and echidna, have also been preserved in Australia. Pictured: platypus.

The iguana from the Galapagos Islands is a harmless herbivorous lizard that just looks so scary.

“The Komodo Dragon” is the name given to this giant predatory lizard, reminiscent of extinct dinosaurs.

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Savannah

Savannas are characteristic of more elevated tropical countries with a dry continental climate. Unlike true steppes, savannas, in addition to grasses, also contain shrubs and trees. Savannas have much in common with the steppe, both in terms of moisture regime and living conditions. In Africa, such communities occupy 40% of the territory.

The herbaceous vegetation of savannas consists mainly of tall, dry- and tough-skinned grasses, usually growing in turf; mixed with the cereals are turfs of other perennial grasses and subshrubs, and in damp places flooded in the spring, also various representatives of the sedge family. Shrubs grow in savannas, sometimes in large thickets, occupying an area of ​​many square meters. Savannah trees are usually short-growing; They, like shrubs, are sometimes entwined with vines and overgrown with epiphytes. There are few bulbous, tuberous and fleshy plants in savannas. Lichens, mosses and algae are found extremely rarely in savannas, only on stones and trees.

The general appearance of savannas varies, depending on the height of the vegetation cover, the relative amount of grasses and other perennial grasses, subshrubs, shrubs and trees. Brazilian savannas are actually light, sparse forests, and the soil in such forests is covered with herbaceous and semi-shrub vegetation ½ and even 1 meter high. A special form of savannah is made up of the so-called llanos of Venezuela, where trees are either completely absent or found in limited numbers, and many llanos are flooded by river floods in the rainy season.

Living conditions in the savannah are very harsh, as the soil contains few nutrients. During dry seasons it dries out and fires often occur there, and during wet seasons the soil becomes swampy. Therefore, plants that have adapted to the conditions of savannas, and there are thousands of different species, are very tough. Savan trees, in order to survive, were forced to develop some specific qualities to protect them from drought and fire. Thus, the baobab is distinguished by a thick trunk, protected from fire, capable of storing water reserves, like a sponge, whose long roots absorb moisture deep underground. Acacia has a wide, flat crown that creates shade for the leaves growing below, thereby protecting them from drying out.

Savannahs have a warm climate with dry and wet seasons. The developmental features of grasses (wind pollination, vegetative propagation, the ability to form sod and resume growth despite damage) help provide a source of nutrition for a huge number of herbivores. Many areas of the savannah are now used for ranching and wild life there has completely disappeared. The African savannah has huge national parks where wild animals still live. The species diversity of animals in savannas is much less than in tropical forests, but certain species are distinguished by a high density of individuals, forming herds, herds, flocks, and prides.

Termites mainly feed on dead plants. They erect gigantic structures reaching 3-4 m in diameter and up to 7 meters in height. Millions of termites take part in construction. Termite mounds consist of soil particles that are held together by insect excrement and secretions from the salivary glands. Often the number of termite mounds reaches 2000 per hectare, forming a characteristic feature of savanna landscapes.

Savannah animals were forced to adapt to survive in drought conditions. Many animals and birds feed on savannah plants: warthogs, zebras, giraffes, elephants, guinea fowl, ostriches. Food competition among herbivorous animals is reduced by the use of different food items and differences in places and times of feeding. Large herbivores, such as giraffes, zebras, wildebeest, elephants and rhinoceroses, are able to travel great distances and, if a place becomes too dry, they go to where it rains and where there is plenty of vegetation. It is difficult for small animals to go on long journeys in search of water, so they prefer to hibernate throughout the dry season.

As a result of evolution, a clear specialization in the use of food resources has developed among savannah animals. For example, warthogs eat underground parts of plants (roots and tubers). Zebras eat grass at some distance from the ground. Fans of foliage and branches carefully “trim” bushes and trees in different tiers; the giraffe feeds in the upper tier.

Predators, as elsewhere, maintain biological balance in savannas. Predators such as lions, leopards, and cheetahs hunt wandering herds of herbivores, and the remains of their meals and carrion go to hyenas and vultures.

The life of the entire savanna is directly dependent on its weather. With every drought, it loses its brightness, turning into a sea of ​​sultry despondency and dried grass. Moreover, after a few days of rain, nature becomes completely unrecognizable. This article will look at the most common savannah plants in Africa.

Description

Savannas are found in places where the dry period lasts up to 8 months per year. The thick bark of very thick, short trees can sometimes reach 30 millimeters or more. It prevents rapid loss of moisture and also protects plants from fire. With frequent fires, savannah plants are practically not damaged; only the outside of the bark is charred. The above-ground organs of the bushes burn out during fires, and those located near the soil surface form new shoots, thus rising from the ashes. The second feature of trees is their flattened umbrella-shaped or disc-shaped crowns.

Plants also survive drought in another way - they store water. Thus, trees that have learned to do this on their own have an interesting appearance: very thick branches and trunks, as well as fleshy leaves. These organs are reservoirs in which plants save the moisture they need so much in such harsh conditions.

Cereals

When considering cereal plants, it is worth highlighting elephant grass. It got its name due to the fact that elephants love to feast on its shoots. In those places where the rainy season is longer, the height of the grass reaches three meters. During drought, the above-ground part of the shoot dries out and is very often completely destroyed by fires, while the underground part is preserved, giving them new life after the rains.

Acacia savannas

Acacia savannas are also common in Africa. These are mainly whitish, Senegalese, giraffe acacia. Thanks to its crown, which has a flattened shape, the tree began to be called umbrella-shaped. The adhesives contained in the bark are widely used in industry, and the wood is used to create expensive, high-quality furniture.

Baobab

Continuing to talk about savannah plants, it must be said that its calling card is that it reaches a height of 25 meters, has a thick trunk (up to 10 meters in diameter), as well as a spreading huge crown. Not long ago, a giant baobab with a trunk diameter of 44 meters and a height of 189 meters was discovered in Africa. Such savannah plants are long-lived, some reaching 5,000 years old. The baobab blooms for several months, and each flower lives only one night. They are pollinated by bats.

Oil palm

Savannah plants are quite diverse. Among them is this plant. Its lifespan reaches 120 years. It is worth mentioning that the pulp of its fruit contains about 70% of the oil used in soap making. When the inflorescence is cut, the juice is obtained, which is used to make wine.

Features of the animal world

Plants and animals of the savannah are always interconnected. The plant diversity listed above provides food for the majority of herbivores. The main part of them are antelopes:

• oryx;
• kongoni.

Around the wildebeest you can always see herds of Grant's and Thompson's gazelles and zebras. All herbivores are excellent prey for various predators. Cheetahs, lions, hyenas and leopards maintain the balance at the top of this food chain.

On different continents, savannas differ in their floristic composition, but are united by the similarity of some features: the presence of a main herbaceous layer with an abundance of xerophilic grasses, as well as an upper sparse layer of trees and shrubs that grow singly or in small groups.

They rest in the shade of spreading acacia trees. The largest animals on land, elephants, tear off branches with their trunks. And monkeys scream in the treetops. And also a huge number of species of insects, snakes, birds...

Animals of the African savannah

No one can escape the cheetah. Even fast gazelles are doomed if he gives chase. The cheetah is the fastest animal on Earth. Over a short distance, it can run at speeds of up to 120 km per hour. Has sharp vision. It lives alone or in pairs. In a deserted, secluded place, the female gives birth to 1–5 cubs. However, they are often killed by leopards, lions and hyenas. And adult cheetahs are from poachers. Cheetahs were once found throughout almost all of Africa, Western Asia, Turkmenistan and India. Now they have survived only in nature reserves. The animals are well tamed, but do not breed in captivity. In ancient times, cheetahs were kept in special nurseries and used instead of greyhounds during hunting by noble Arabs and Indian rajahs. Now this is prohibited.

African buffalo

Ruminant bovid animal. Lives south of the Sahara. The large African bull is Kaffir, or black. The buffalo easily adapts to its surrounding conditions. With its huge horns it can repel the attack of a lioness. The buffalo herd is gradually decreasing. The buffalo became an object of hunting only for its meat and skin. However, many hunters died from the horns and hooves of buffalo. A wounded or enraged Kaffir bull becomes especially dangerous.

Greater Kudu

Among all the antelopes living on the African continent, large kudu have the most striking and memorable appearance. These tall and majestic animals grow up to one and a half meters at the shoulders and can weigh more than three hundred kilograms, thus being one of the largest antelopes in the world.

Their native home is the eastern and central regions of Africa. Here, depending on the season, they inhabit bush-covered plains, savannas, forests, and occasionally desert hillsides, and in the dry season they gather along river banks. When choosing places to live and search for food, large kudu prefer bushy thickets.

Greater kudu's gray-brown coat is adorned with bright white stripes on their sides, white cheek markings, and diagonal stripes between the eyes called chevrons. The fur of males is dark, with a gray tint, while females and cubs are painted in beige tones - this makes them more invisible among the savannah vegetation.

The main advantage of male great kudu is their large helical horns. Unlike deer, kudu do not shed their antlers and live with them all their lives. The horns of an adult male are twisted in two and a half turns and grow strictly according to a certain schedule: appearing in the first year of a male’s life, by the age of two they make one full turn, and take their final shape no earlier than the age of six. If the horn of a large kudu is pulled out into one straight line, its length will be slightly less than two meters.

The African savannah elephant is the largest land mammal in the world. These animals grow up to 3.96 m at the withers and can weigh up to 10 tons, but most often have a size at the withers of up to 3.2 m and a weight of up to 6 tons. They have a long and very flexible trunk that ends in nostrils. The trunk is used to capture food and water and transfer it to the mouth. On the sides of the mouth there are two long teeth called tusks. Elephants have thick, gray skin that protects them from the deadly bites of predators. This species of elephant is common in African savannas and grasslands. Elephants are herbivores and eat grasses, fruits, tree leaves, bark, shrubs, etc. These animals have an important job on the savannas. They eat bushes and trees, and thereby help the grass grow. This allows many herbivorous animals to survive. Today there are about 150,000 elephants in the world and they are endangered because poachers kill them for their ivory.

The giraffe is the tallest animal on our planet. The height of this majestic mammal can reach 6 meters. 1/3 of its height comes from its long neck. And the weight of an adult animal can exceed a ton.

A giraffe simply needs a long neck in order to survive in the savannahs of Africa. It would be logical to say that with the onset of drought, food became less available, and only those giraffes with a long neck could reach the tops of the trees. And accordingly, giraffes with short necks had hundreds of times less chances for survival and reproduction. But Namibian zoologist Rob Siemens suggests that giraffes' long necks are a consequence of neck battles between males. After all, the winner always has more attention from females, and accordingly he will have more offspring. It’s difficult to say who is right and who is wrong.

Despite the fact that the neck of giraffes reaches two meters in length, it has only 7 cervical vertebrae, just like a human. And when, during the rare hours of sleep, the giraffe decides to lie down, it rests its head on its back or hind leg for a long time. A giraffe sleeps only two hours a day. And he spends almost all his time on food (16-20 hours a day).

A female giraffe can be recognized not only by her height (she is shorter and lighter than the male), but also by her feeding style. Males, as leaders, always reach for leaves that are taller than their height, while females are content with what grows at the level of their heads.

Not only does the giraffe’s neck, but also its muscular tongue help it get leaves from hard-to-reach branches of a tall tree. After all, a giraffe can stretch it to 45 cm.

Monkeys

These small, fragile, long-tailed monkeys live throughout the tropical forests. Their bright colors help the monkeys not to lose sight of their relatives while traveling in the treetops. They feed on a variety of fruits and leaves, do not neglect insects and lizards, and happily eat bird eggs and chicks. The female gives birth to only one cub, which she constantly carries with her, clutching it to her chest. Over time, the cub itself holds tightly to the mother’s fur during her desperate jumps. It feeds on milk for up to six months. Because of their bright and varied appearance, different types of monkeys received corresponding names: green, mustachioed, white-nosed, etc.

Grant's Gazelle

This is a large group of animals that inhabit savannas, deserts, coastal plains, sand dunes and mountainous areas. They feed on grass and acacia leaves. The back of gazelles is sand-colored, so the animal seems to merge with the surrounding space and becomes invisible to predators. Males have significantly larger horns than females. During the dry season, they gather in herds and roam in search of a watering hole. They may not drink for a long time. Gazelle are unpretentious in their choice of food; they feed equally on grass, leaves and shoots of bushes, and often go to graze on millet and other crops. The number of some species is very small, as people hunt animals and simply destroy them.

The African wild dog lives in the grasslands, savannas and open woodlands of eastern and southern Africa. The fur of this animal is short and colored in red, brown, black, yellow and white. Each individual has a unique coloring. Their ears are very large and rounded. Dogs have a short muzzle and have powerful jaws. This species is perfectly suited for chasing. Like greyhounds, they have a slender body and long legs. The bones of the lower front legs are fused together, which prevents them from twisting when running. African wild dogs have large ears that help conduct heat away from the animal's body. The short and wide muzzle has powerful muscles that allow it to grasp and hold prey. The multi-colored coat provides camouflage to the environment. The African wild dog is a predator and feeds on medium-sized antelopes, gazelles, and other herbivores. They do not compete with hyenas and jackals for food, as they do not eat carrion. Humans are considered their only enemies.

This huge pachyderm lives in both Africa and South and Southeast Asia. There are two species of rhinoceroses in Africa, distinct from the Asian ones. African rhinoceroses have two horns and are adapted to habitats characterized by large spaces with very few trees. The Asian rhinoceros has only one horn and prefers to live in forest thickets. These animals are on the verge of extinction because they are ruthlessly hunted by poachers for their horns, which are in high demand in some countries.

A female rhinoceros usually gives birth to one calf every two to four years. The baby stays with his mother for a long time, even when he grows up and becomes independent. Within an hour, a newborn calf can follow its mother on its own legs; moreover, it usually walks either in front of her or on the side. It feeds on mother's milk for a year, and during this time its weight increases from 50 to 300 kilograms. A rhinoceros's eyesight is poor; it sees only close up, like a nearsighted person. But he has the finest sense of smell and hearing; he can smell food or an enemy from afar. A rhinoceros horn can reach a length of 1.5 meters.

Large flocks of these beautiful birds live near bodies of water. They feed on small invertebrates. To do this, the bird lowers its head under the water and uses its beak to look for prey on the marshy bottom. The bird's tongue is like a piston that filters water through rows of horny plates located along the edges of the beak. The bird swallows small crustaceans and worms that remain in the mouth. It builds nests from silt and shells in the form of small towers about half a meter high. Lays 1–3 eggs. Parents feed the chicks by regurgitating semi-digested food. A flock of flying flamingos presents a striking, unforgettable sight - against the backdrop of the reddish-yellow seashore, its blue surface and pale blue sky, a chain of large pink birds stretches. Flamingo chicks are born sighted, with a straight beak, and covered with down. Their beak becomes bent only after 2 weeks.

The natural environment in which the ostrich lives determined the final adaptability of this bird, the largest of all: the ostrich's mass exceeds 130 kilograms. The long neck increases the ostrich's height to two meters. A flexible neck and excellent vision allow him to notice danger from afar from this height. The long legs give the ostrich the ability to run at speeds of up to 70 kilometers per hour, usually fast enough to escape predators.

Ostriches do not live alone, but in groups of varying numbers. While the birds are looking for food, at least one stands guard and looks around the area to spot enemies, primarily cheetahs and lions. The ostrich's eyes are surrounded by long eyelashes, which protect them from both the African sun and dust raised by the wind.

Ostriches build a nest in a small depression, digging it in sandy soil and covering it with something soft. The female incubates the eggs during the day because her gray coloration blends well with her surroundings; the male, with predominantly black feathers, incubates at night.

Females lay from three to eight eggs in a common nest, and each of them takes turns incubating the eggs in turn. One egg weighs more than one and a half kilograms and has a very strong shell. Sometimes it takes a baby ostrich a whole day to break the shell and hatch from the egg.

The ostrich's beak is short, flat and very strong. It is not specialized for any particular food, but serves to pluck grass and other vegetation and grab insects, small mammals and snakes.

Black Mamba

The black mamba is a highly venomous snake found in savannas, rocky and open forest areas of Africa. Snakes of this species grow about 4 m in length and can reach speeds of up to 20 km/h. The black mamba is not actually black, but rather brownish-gray, with a light belly and brownish scales on its back. It got its name because of the purple-black color of the inside of its mouth. Black mambas feed on small mammals and birds such as voles, rats, squirrels, mice, etc.

A snake can bite a large animal and release it. She will then chase her prey until she is paralyzed. The mamba bites smaller animals and holds them, waiting for the toxic venom to take effect. Black mambas are very nervous when a person approaches them and try to avoid it in any way. If this is not possible, the snake shows aggression by raising the front part of its body and opening its mouth wide. They quickly attack and inject their prey with their poison, and then crawl away. Before antivenoms were developed, a mamba bite was 100% fatal. However, to prevent death, the medicine should be administered immediately. They have no natural enemies and the main threat comes from habitat destruction.

Zebra belongs to the equine family of the equid order of the equid class of mammals. These animals live in groups - herds. There is only one adult male in one herd. All other “participants” are females with cubs. The male is the leader and is the father of all foals. But it is not the male who leads the herd, but the oldest female. Her cubs follow her, and then the rest of the females with their foals.

Newborn “minke whales” begin to walk within 20 minutes after birth. And after 45 minutes they are jumping briskly and running after their mother. They reach maturity at 1-1.5 years. Young males at this age or a little later (up to 3 years) leave their herd, first ending up in bachelor groups or staying alone. They acquire their herd at the age of 5-6 years. Young females begin to bear offspring at the age of 2.5 years.

Like all herbivores, zebras flee from danger by running. The main thing is to see the enemy, the lion. Therefore, they willingly accept other animals into their society: antelopes, giraffes, gazelles and even ostriches. The more eyes, the greater the chances of noticing danger and retreating in time.

Stripes that appeared in the process of evolution. probably also served as camouflage from predators: they make it more difficult to assess the outline of the body. According to another hypothesis, stripes appeared as a means of camouflage from horseflies and tsetse flies, which, as a result of such coloring, perceive the zebra as flashing white and black stripes. Each zebra has a unique set of stripes, like fingerprints, unique to each individual. Thanks to him, the foal remembers its mother. Therefore, after the baby is born, the zebra mother shields it with her body from other zebras for some time.

Oryx

Oryx (oryx) the size of a deer. It has straight or slightly curved long horns. It can go without water for weeks, making long journeys in search of favorable habitats. In the open areas where these antelopes live, it is difficult to hide, so predators can easily spot them.

Oryx lead a herd lifestyle. They graze early in the morning, in the evening and at night.
The long, beautiful, pointed horns of the white oryx are a coveted hunting trophy. At one time, these animals inhabited the entire Arabian Peninsula and Palestine; now there are only a few hundred of them.

The caracal is a species of mammal from the cat family, widely distributed in the savannas of Africa. The body type is similar to a regular cat, but the caracal is larger and has larger ears. Its coat is short and the color varies from brown to reddish-gray, sometimes even becoming dark. His head is shaped like an inverted triangle. The ears are black on the outside and light on the inside, with tufts of black hair at the tips. They are active at night, mainly hunting small mammals such as rabbits and porcupines, but sometimes large animals such as sheep, young antelope or deer become their victims. They have special skills for catching birds. Their strong legs allow them to jump high enough to actually knock down flying birds with their large paws. The main threat to caracals is people.

Blue wildebeest

The blue wildebeest is one of the few antelopes that have survived in large numbers in Africa to this day, and not only in protected areas of national parks and reserves. In the Serengeti Park, for example, there are now more than 300,000 wildebeest, and 14,000 animals graze in the Ngoro Ngoro Crater (an area of ​​250 km2). On both sides of the highway that runs south from Nairobi to Na-manga and passes through unguarded areas, dozens or even hundreds of wildebeest are constantly visible.

The blue wildebeest is a fairly large animal; the height of adult males reaches 130-145 cm at the withers and weighs 250-270 kg. The general color tone of the short, smooth coat is bluish-gray, dark transverse stripes run along the sides of the animal, and the mane and tail are blackish. The blue wildebeest inhabits East and Southern Africa, almost never going north beyond the latitude of Lake Victoria. The wildebeest's favorite habitats are typical savannas and vast low-grass plains, sometimes flat, sometimes slightly hilly. However, it is by no means uncommon to find wildebeest among thickets of thorny bushes and in dry, sparse forests. Wildebeest feed on certain types of grasses. Therefore, in most places, wildebeest herds lead a nomadic lifestyle, migrating twice a year to where there has been rain and there are suitable food plants. Migrating wildebeest, stretching in regular, endless chains from horizon to horizon, or scattered in countless masses across the steppe, are an exciting and unique sight.

A leopard is a species of predatory mammal of the cat family, one of four representatives of the panther genus, which belongs to the subfamily of big cats.

A large cat, however, is significantly smaller in size than a tiger and a lion. The body is elongated, muscular, somewhat laterally compressed, light and slender, very flexible, with a long tail (its length is more than half the total length of the body). The legs are relatively short but strong. The front legs are powerful and wide. The head is relatively small and rounded. The forehead is convex, the facial parts of the head are moderately elongated. The ears are small, rounded, and set wide apart.

The eyes are small, the pupil is round. There is no mane or elongated hair on the upper part of the neck and on the cheeks (sideburns). Vibrissae are represented by black, white and half-black and half-white elastic hair up to 110 mm long.

The size and weight of leopards depend on the geographic area of ​​their habitat and vary greatly. Individuals inhabiting forests are usually smaller and lighter, while those living in open areas, on the contrary, are larger than their forest counterparts. But on average, males are a third larger than females.

The leopard feeds mainly on ungulates: antelopes, deer, roe deer and others, and during periods of starvation - rodents, monkeys, birds, and reptiles. Sometimes attacks domestic animals (sheep, horses). Like a tiger, he often kidnaps dogs; Foxes and wolves suffer from it. It does not disdain carrion and steals prey from other predators, including other leopards.

Egyptian mongoose

The Egyptian mongoose is the largest of all mongooses in Africa. The animals are common in scrubland, rocky regions and small areas of savannah. Adults grow up to 60 cm in length (plus a 33-54 cm tail) and weigh 1.7-4 kg.

Egyptian mongooses have long fur that is typically gray with brown dots. They are primarily carnivores, but will also eat fruit if it is available in their habitat. Their typical diet consists of rodents, fish, birds, reptiles, amphibians, insects and larvae. Egyptian mongooses also feed on the eggs of various animals. These representatives of the fauna can eat poisonous snakes. They hunt birds of prey and large carnivores of the savannah. Egyptian mongooses benefit the environment by killing animals (such as rats and snakes) that are considered pests to humans.

In the appearance of the warthog, nature surprisingly mixed ugliness and charm. To say that he is unique is to say nothing. The legs are high, the tail is a tassel on a long thin cord, a disproportionately small, almost naked body the color of slate or clay and a huge head with a snout stretched in length and width, on the sides of which growths called “warts” and sickle-shaped fangs stick out. A disheveled black mane with bangs falling over his eyes and sparse white sideburns complete the portrait of the “monster.” It’s not for nothing that such a miracle was filmed in the prologue of the good old (not to be confused with fresh French ridicule!) film “One Million Years BC”. At the same time, there is some strange attractiveness in his appearance. Perhaps thanks to the amazing neck. When the animal is alarmed or frightened, the heavy head rises high up, and the neck allows it to be rotated to the sides by 40-50 degrees even while running, which other pigs are not able to do.

Compared to most of its ungulate neighbors, the warthog is small - on average 75 cm at the withers, however, with a weight of 50-150 kg, it cannot be called small. The body length is up to one and a half meters, the tail is up to 50 cm. Boars are noticeably larger than pigs, but their tails are shorter. But the fangs are longer. In old males they grow up to 60 cm and bend three-quarters of a circle. Another sexual difference is those same “warts,” skin growths that give the animal its name in all languages. Males have four of them - two on each side of the muzzle, with the upper ones extending up to 15 cm in height; in females there are only two and small ones. “Warts” have neither a nucleus nor a bone base, and one can only guess what their purpose is. Perhaps they serve as shock absorbers in ritual fights, but this is just one hypothesis.

There are many predators in the African savannas. Among them, the first place undoubtedly belongs to the lion. Lions usually live in groups - prides, which include both adult males and females, and growing youth. Responsibilities between the members of the pride are distributed very clearly: the lighter and more agile lionesses provide the pride with food, and the larger and stronger males are responsible for protecting the territory. The prey of lions includes zebras, wildebeest, and kongoni, but on occasion, lions willingly eat smaller animals and even carrion.

The Kaffir horned raven is the largest species of the hornbill family, one of two species included in the genus Hornbill. It lives in the African savanna, south of the equator.

A large bird, from 90 to 129 cm in length and weighing from 3.2 to 6.2 kg. It is distinguished by black plumage and bright red patches of skin on the front of the head and neck. In young birds these areas are yellow. The beak is black, straight, and has a helmet, which is more developed in males.

Inhabits open spaces with sparse bushes. The main range is southern Kenya, Burundi, southern Angola, northern Namibia, northern and eastern Botswana and northeastern and eastern South Africa. It nests in hollow stumps or hollows of baobab trees - the nest is not walled up, and the female leaves the nest daily to defecate and groom herself.

Horned crows spend most of their time on the ground, collecting food while walking slowly across the savannah. These birds are capable of eating almost any small animal that they can catch. Quickly grabbing prey from the ground, they throw it into the air to make it easier to swallow, and kill it with strong blows of their beak.

Horned crows hunt in groups of 2-8 birds (up to 11); they often pursue large prey together. They are the only hornbills that can pick up several food objects into their beaks without swallowing them and carry them to the nest. Sometimes they eat carrion, feasting on carrion-eating insects at the same time. They also eat fruits and seeds.

The Nile crocodile can grow up to five meters in length and is common in freshwater swamps, rivers, lakes and other watery places. These animals have long snouts that can capture fish and turtles. Body color is dark olive. They are considered the most intelligent reptiles on earth. Crocodiles eat almost anything in the water, including fish, turtles or birds. They even eat buffalo, antelope, big cats, and sometimes people when given the chance. Nile crocodiles skillfully camouflage themselves, leaving only their eyes and nostrils above the water. They also blend well with the color of the water, so for many animals that come to a pond to quench their thirst, these reptiles pose a mortal danger. This species is not endangered. They are not threatened by other animals except humans.

Guinea fowl

Guinea fowl (kanga, genefal) is a domesticated bird with an almost horizontal body covered with cream, gray-speckled, white or spotted blue plumage, a naked bluish head with a triangular horny “helmet” on the crown having a yellowish tint, and a red beak with two leathery “earrings” on the sides from the Guinea fowl family. Males of this species differ little from females: they only have a slightly higher growth on the head, the body is more vertical, and the cry is monosyllabic (in females it sounds like “chikele-chikele-chikele”).

The wild ancestor of agricultural birds, the helmeted guinea fowl and 6 other species of this family, are still found on the island of Madagascar and in Africa, south of the Sahara. The first attempts to keep this bird by humans were made long before our era, and this happened, as follows from the African epic, in its homeland in Guinea. There are also Egyptian references to domestic guinea fowl dating back to the 15th century BC. In antiquity, guinea fowl were bred in the Mediterranean for cult purposes - they were considered the sacred messengers of the goddess Artemis.

Guinea fowl also appeared in Europe over 2 thousand years ago, where they came from the African state of Numidia, but no information about this event has been preserved in history. Presumably, for a number of reasons, all the individuals and their offspring died and people forgot about the existence of exotic birds. The Portuguese discovered and brought guinea fowl to the European continent for the second time at the end of the 14th century. In Russia, they began to be bred in poultry farms in the 18th century and, for the excellent taste of the meat, the birds were nicknamed guinea fowl, because this word comes from the ancient Russian “tsar”.

The fauna of Africa is rich and diverse. Among the African fauna, one can distinguish the spotted hyena. Of course, not everyone loves this type of animal. People personify hyenas with such qualities as bloodthirstiness, treachery, and insidiousness. In the famous Disney cartoon “The Lion King,” hyenas are presented as negative characters who only cause hostility. Indeed, a hyena can hardly be called attractive and graceful. However, this does not prevent her from developing a rapid speed while running - sixty-five kilometers per hour. And these animals feel very comfortable in their environment, thanks to their excellent hunting skills and ability to survive even in the harshest conditions.

Spotted hyenas are a collective animal. They live in clans. The highest steps of the hierarchy are occupied by females. Males occupy lower positions. Such a clan includes from ten to one hundred hyenas. Like many other animals, each clan is assigned a certain territory, which they defend from opponents and mark with feces. Communication between individuals is carried out using sounds. Many people have probably heard this unpleasant hum, reminiscent of laughter.

The diet of hyenas includes not only carrion; spotted predators are excellent hunters. They easily catch antelopes, hares, porcupines, as well as young giraffes, hippos and rhinoceroses.

Striped hyena. It can be found throughout North Africa, as well as throughout much of Asia, from the Mediterranean Sea to the Bay of Bengal. In the wild, the striped hyena practically does not overlap with the spotted hyena.

Animals of the American Savannas

The jaguar is the third largest in the world and the largest representative of the cat family in the New World. The body length of a male jaguar is 120-185 cm, tail length is 45-75 cm, weight is 90-110 kg (females are smaller and weigh 60-80 kg). The jaguar's body is heavy and strong, and its limbs are short and powerful, which is why it looks squat and even clumsy. The disproportionately massive head of this predator is striking; its size is associated with the extraordinary power of its jaws, allowing it to easily gnaw even the hard shells of turtles. The color of the jaguar's coat, although spotted, like many other cats, is still unique: the spots are collected in so-called rosettes.

Jaguars prefer to live in places close to water - they are excellent swimmers and love water very much. Like other cats, they mark their territory with urine. Unlike many other members of the family, the jaguar is a true universal predator. A variety of animals can become its prey: capybaras, deer, peccaries, tapirs, fish, turtles and their eggs; it also attacks birds, monkeys, foxes, snakes, rodents and even alligators. This most dangerous predator in South America is able to cope with prey weighing up to 300 kg.

For a den, a female jaguar chooses a place among stones, in thickets of bushes or in tree hollows. After a 90-110 day pregnancy, she gives birth to two to four cubs. Their pattern contains more black than that of their parents, and it does not consist of rosettes, but of solid spots. Young jaguars spend six weeks in the den, and three months after their birth they already accompany their mother during the hunt. However, they are separated from it only at the age of two.

The ocelot is the third largest American cat after the jaguar and puma. This graceful predator lives in most of South America (Brazil, Argentina, Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador, etc.) and Central America, up to the American states of Arizona and Arkansas. Throughout the entire range there is intraspecific variability, which is why 10 subspecies of ocelot are distinguished.

The name of the cat is translated from Latin as “like a leopard.” Indeed, there are some similarities between them, but to a greater extent the ocelot is similar to its closest relative - the margi cat. Its body is long (up to 1.3 meters), its legs are quite short and powerful. On an elongated neck rests a somewhat flattened head with rounded ears and large eyes.

The ocelot has one of the most beautiful colors of all cats. The background color of the fur is yellow-golden above and on the sides, white below. Scattered across the entire surface of the body are countless spots, stripes, stains and black dots, which together form an intricate pattern.

Despite the fact that the ocelot itself is a predator, it leads a very secretive lifestyle. This cat can only be found in dense tropical jungles and bushes, and never in open areas. Basically, the animal leads a terrestrial lifestyle, but if necessary, it climbs trees and rocks well, and also swims well.

Agouti

Agouti is a rodent from the tropical forests of Central and South America, similar to a large guinea pig. Its coarse fur is coated with an oily substance that acts as a protective cloak. On the back of the body, the coat is longer. Agoutis have five toes on their front feet and three on their back feet. Like many rodents, they walk gracefully on their toes rather than on their entire foot. Although difficult to see, the agouti does have a tail: it is very small, similar to a dark bean, glued to the back of the animal's body.

The maned or maned wolf or guar, aguarachai, belongs to the carnivorous mammals of the canidae family. In South America, the maned wolf is a large representative of the family with an unusual appearance that makes it look like a fox. The height of the wolf at the withers is 74-87 cm, body length is 125-130 cm, weight is 20-23 kg. The elongated muzzle, short tail and high ears emphasize the external disproportion of the animal.

The long legs of the wolf are the result of evolution in matters of adaptation to the habitat; they help the animal to overcome obstacles in the form of tall grass growing on the plains.

The tall and soft hair of the wolf is yellowish-red in color, the tip of the tail and chin are light. There is a dark stripe from the head to approximately the middle of the back. The wolf's limbs are dark in color, and dark spots can also be found on the face. On the top of the neck and on the scruff of the neck there is long hair that forms a mane. In an excited or aggressive state, the hair on the mane stands on end, which gives the animal a terrifying appearance.

Giant anteater

The name is associated with the favorite food of this animal - ants. It has an elongated snout that resembles a tube. This unique animal of South America is the largest of the order of edentates. The Giant Anteater is similar in size to the Golden Retriever, but its thick, bushy hair makes it appear more massive. The gray hairs of the anteater feel like straw and are especially long on the tail (up to 40 centimeters). It has a stripe of white, tan or gray that starts on the chest and extends to the middle of the back. Below this stripe is a dark collar. The hairy and bushy tail is often used as a blanket or umbrella. The giant anteater's elongated head and nose are excellent for catching ants and termites.

The puma is the largest representative of the cat family in the New World. Previously, it was classified in the same genus to which ordinary cats and lynxes belong. But, since the puma is not similar in appearance to either one or the other, it was separated into a separate genus, which includes a single species.

The puma's body is longer than that of other cats, its paws are strong, and its head is relatively small. It is characteristic that the puma has a very long and powerful tail, which acts as a balancer when jumping.

Her fur is thick, but very short. The puma is one of the few cats that does not have a distinct pattern. The overall tone of its coat is sandy, for which this animal is sometimes called a mountain lion, but unlike a lion, the puma’s nose is pink. Animals of this species are characterized by a variety of shades of skin: northern populations have a light yellow and even gray color, while southern populations are brown or bright red. The fur on the belly is whitish, while on the ears, on the contrary, it is black.

The puma's range extends from the Rocky Mountains of North America to Patagonia in South America. Throughout its range, this predator inhabits a variety of landscapes: it can be found in mountains, lowland forests, tropical jungles and even swamps. This animal only avoids very open places. Like all cats, the puma leads a solitary lifestyle. She is secretive and rarely reveals her presence with her voice. Pumas are very flexible and dexterous cats: they climb trees perfectly and are capable of making huge leaps in length and height.

Armadillos have a really strange appearance. Although most armadillo species appear bald, they have hair on their sides and bellies (for example, the nine-banded armadillo). These animals have a shell that consists of stripes. The number of stripes depends on the type of animal. Although the stripes are as tough as fingernails, the shell is flexible, with softer skin that expands and contracts between the stripes. Armadillos also have long claws for digging and searching for food. Their favorite foods are termites and ants.

Vizcacha

One of the cutest representatives of the chinchilla family, viscacha, has an extremely interesting appearance. The appearance of the rodent simultaneously resembles the appearance of a kangaroo and a rabbit, which has a long squirrel tail.

Whiscacha belongs to the order of rodents and is characterized by a rather large size. Moreover, height and weight depend on the habitat of the animal. Thus, the body length of a male plain viscacha reaches 65-80 cm, and weight varies from 5 to 8 kg.

In this case, you should additionally take into account the length of the tail - at least 15 cm. Females weigh 3.5-5 kg, and the length of the body is 50-70 cm. The tail of females is also 2-3 cm shorter than that of males.

But mountain whiskey, or as it is also called, Peruvian whiskey, has slightly smaller dimensions. The rodent's body length is 30-40 cm. Weight does not exceed 1.5 kg.

The head of the viscacha is distinguished by its massiveness, fairly large ears and wide eyes. The forelimbs are short and weak, but the hind limbs are long and powerful.

The animal has rather short and soft to the touch gray-brown fur on its back. On the sides the color is paler, and on the belly the color becomes white. A peculiarity is the dependence of the color on the color of the soil where the rodent lives. The darker the tone of the soil, the richer the color of the animal’s fur.

Regardless of gender, the animal has white and black markings on its head. But differences between the sexes have still been identified - males are distinguished by a more massive structure and a clearly defined mask on the muzzle.

Nandu

The rhea ostrich lives in the vast expanses of South America, in the steppes of Brazil and Argentina. This bird has long powerful legs and develops great speed. Its weight is about 30 kilograms, and its height can reach 130 centimeters. The plumage of the bird is inconspicuous, gray, and it is the same in both females and males. The head and neck appear bald. The small feathers on these areas of the body barely cover the bird's skin.

The plumage on the wings does not look lush, and on the tail there is none at all. The feet have three toes. The bird feeds on plant foods (fruits, plant seeds and grass), and only occasionally consumes animal food (invertebrates, worms, rodents). They live in small groups. The male has a harem of several females. During the breeding season, it digs a hole in the ground. This is the nest where the females will lay their eggs.

One such nest can contain up to 50 eggs. The male is an excellent father and family man - he incubates the eggs and protects the hatched chicks. Chicks are born sighted, feathered, able to move and get food from the first days of life. At the beginning of the 20th century, Rheas had a large population. Because of the tasty meat and hearty eggs, a real massive hunt began for the birds. And now they are on the verge of extinction. Today they can be seen on private farms and zoos. People are starting to correct their mistakes...

Tuco-tuco

These animals got their name because they communicate with each other using sounds such as “tuco-tuco-tuco.”

Outwardly, these animals very vaguely resemble bush rats. However, some distinctive features, such as small eyes located high on the head and ears almost hidden in the fur, indicate the leading lifestyle of this rodent underground.

In addition, morphological characteristics include a massive physique and a large head connected to a thick and short neck. The muzzle of the tuco-tuco has a somewhat flattened shape. These rodents have muscular and short limbs, with the forelimbs being slightly shorter than the hind limbs, but the powerful claws on the front paws are much more developed. The foot is covered with hard hairs similar to bristles. Due to the bristles, the foot grows larger, and in addition, when cleaning fur, the bristles act as a comb.

The weight of an adult can vary from 200 to 700 grams. These animals can grow up to 25 cm in length, and their tail up to 11 cm.

Rodents of this species very rarely come to the surface of the earth. Under the ground, usually in areas with loose or sandy soil, they have a complex system of underground burrows that communicate with the central chamber of the nest. These rodents push the earth that appears while digging holes to the surface with their hind limbs. There are separate burrows for food supplies. Active life activity of tuco - tuco occurs in the evening hours and early morning.

Animals of the Australian savannah

The Komodo dragon is an amazing and truly unique animal, which is not without reason called a dragon. The largest living lizard spends most of its time hunting. It is an object of pride for the islanders and a constant source of interest for tourists. Our article will tell you about the life of this dangerous predator, the characteristics of its behavior and characteristics characteristic of the species.

These animals are indeed comparable in size. Most adult Komodo dragons reach 2.5 meters in length, while their weight barely exceeds half a centner. But among the giants there are record holders. There is reliable information about the Komodo dragon, whose length exceeded 3 meters and weight reached 150 kg. Only a specialist can visually distinguish a male from a female. Sexual dimorphism is practically not expressed, but male monitor lizards are usually slightly more massive. But any tourist arriving on the island for the first time can determine which of the two monitor lizards is older: young animals are always brighter in color.

Monitor lizards are diurnal and prefer to sleep at night. Like other cold-blooded animals, they are sensitive to temperature changes. Hunting time comes at dawn. Leading a solitary lifestyle, monitor lizards are not averse to joining forces while chasing game. It may seem that Komodo dragons are clumsy, fat creatures, but this is far from the case. These animals are unusually hardy, agile and strong. They are capable of reaching speeds of up to 20 km/h, and while they run, the earth, as they say, trembles. Dragons feel no less confident in the water: swimming to the neighboring island is not a problem for them. Sharp nails, strong muscles and a tail-balancer help these animals to climb trees and steep rocks perfectly.

Ostrich Emu

Emu is the fastest, largest, non-flying bird. Australia is located far from other continents. This has had a beneficial effect on the conservation of some animal species. These include the Australian ostrich. An amazing creature, the emblem of this country.

The emu was first mentioned at the end of the 16th century in the reports of European explorers. In the middle of the 17th century, he was seen on the east coast of the continent. The origin of the name is not exactly known. There are consonant words in Portuguese and Arabic, the translation sounds like “big bird”. There is an assumption that the birds are named after the shrill cry of “E-m-uu”. Ornithologist John Latham first described them in Arthur Philip's Voyage to Botany Bay in 1789. At that time, there were six species of ostrich, but the first settlers from Europe mercilessly destroyed them for competing with sheep and cows for food.

Appearance Emus are relatives of ostriches and cassowaries. They reach a height of average human height and a body height of up to a meter. They have a dense body and a small head on a long neck. Round eyes framed by fluffy eyelashes and a pink beak with a slightly curved tip, no teeth. The wings are underdeveloped, like those of all non-flying ratite birds, up to 25 cm long. At the tips there is a growth like a claw. Strong legs that can easily break the bone of an adult. Soft brown feathers that aid in camouflage and regulate body temperature. Representatives of both sexes are equally colored.
Wombat

The wombat is a marsupial herbivore. This large animal, which looks like a bear cub, digs long tunnels, working quickly with short paws with strong claws. By digging up the ground like small bulldozers, wombats damage crops. Therefore, farmers destroyed them for a long time. Now wombats have become rare animals and are listed in the Red Book. Wombats live alone, they are secretive and cautious.

They go out in search of food, feeding on grass, bark and roots of plants. Like beavers, they are capable of felling trees, gnawing trunks with strong front teeth like their namesakes in South America, and feed on ants and termites using a long tongue. These animals do not have a brood pouch. The tiny, underdeveloped cubs that are born hide in the fur on the mother’s belly, holding onto her nipples. When the cubs are a little older, the mother takes them to the hole.

Anteaters are close relatives of sloths and armadillos. In nature, there are giant, dwarf, tamandua and marsupial anteaters.

All these anteaters live in Central and South America, and the marsupial, numbat, lives in Australia.

The size of the anteater depends on the species to which the animal belongs. The largest is the two-meter-long giant anteater, weighing 35 kg, and the tiniest is the dwarf anteater, less than 20 cm long and weighing only 400 grams. The marsupial anteater, the nambat, has approximately the same parameters. Tamandua is larger than the dwarf one. Its body length reaches less than 60 cm, and its weight is about 5 kg.

All American anteaters are toothless, the front part of the head is elongated, and the fused jaws resemble a pipe. A distinctive feature of all anteaters is their longest tongue among all land animals, reaching 60 cm, with the help of which the anteater obtains small insects, mainly termites. The marsupial anteater has teeth, but they are very small. This animal also uses its ten-centimeter tongue to extract termites, which it feeds exclusively on.

Echidna vaguely resembles a hedgehog with a very large beak. It is distinguished by an awkward, flattened body, which is covered with fur mixed with sharp spines. The echidna has a cylindrical beak, no teeth at all, instead of them it has sharp horny needles. The tongue of this animal is long and worm-shaped; it extends far out of the small mouth slit, like that of an anteater. The echidna has strong, short legs with large claws adapted for digging. The tail is very small and blunt.

When an echidna lays an egg, it carries it in a fold of leather (pouch) on its belly. The interesting thing is that after the cub grows up, the bag itself disappears. There are two types of echidnas. The first one is spiny echidna with five-toed feet and clawed toes. Typical representatives of this genus are the Australian, Papuan and Tasmanian echidnas. All these animals are no more than 50 centimeters in length and their fur is densely mixed with long thick needles.

Spiny echidnas live in mountainous dry forests. During the day they hide in burrows and at night they look for food. These animals dig the ground in search of worms, insects and ants. In case of danger, the echidna instantly curls up into a spiny ball. If you grab it, you can be seriously injured by the sharp needles. Indians often hunt echidnas and claim that fried echidna is a very tasty dish. In captivity, echidnas are very affectionate and not aggressive. They love to sleep and can sleep for 50-70 hours straight.

These are very strange animals. They live only in Australia and the islands adjacent to this continent. They are also called bird-animals because, on the one hand, they resemble animals, are covered with fur, feed their young with milk, have four legs, and on the other hand, lay eggs, just like birds. By the way, they do not have a nose, but a beak, like waterfowl.

Lizard Moloch

Moloch's habitat is the semi-deserts and deserts of the central and western regions of Australia. The body of the moloch is wide and flattened, reaching 22 centimeters in length.

It is abundantly covered with many short and curved horny spines, which take the form of horns above the eyes and above the pillow-like neck outgrowth. The head of the moloch, on the contrary, is small and quite narrow.

Brownish-yellow coloration covers the upper body of the moloch, it can also have reddish-brown shades with dark spots and a narrow yellowish stripe. An amazing feature of this animal is its ability to change its color. This can occur due to many factors, be it temperature, lighting or the physiological state of the body.

The peak of Moloch activity is during the daytime. Its method of movement is quite unusual: it slowly walks with outstretched legs and practically does not touch the ground with its tail. Being related to lizards, molochs, having found soft soil, dig holes. However, they can also completely submerge themselves in the sand to a relatively shallow depth, thereby imitating the behavior of some Asian and American lizards.

If the moloch is frightened, then its improvised horns become a means of defense. By bending his head down and exposing his horny outgrowths located on the back of his head, the moloch confronts his offenders. A fairly large growth on the back of the head imitates the so-called false head, thereby confusing the predator.

Dingo dog

Looking at a photo of a dingo dog, you can’t tell that it’s a wild dog. In addition, purebred dingoes cannot even bark, they just growl and howl.

There are many legends and versions about the origin of this species. Some believe that this dog was brought to Australia by immigrants from Asia. Others say that dingoes are descended from Chinese crested dogs. There is also a version that dingo dogs are descendants of the blood of Indian wolves and Pario dogs.

In appearance, this is an ordinary dog ​​with some characteristics of wild dogs. She has a wide head, erect ears and long fangs. These predators try to be nocturnal. They can be found in dry eucalyptus thickets or on the edges of forests. But dingoes can establish their home in a mountain cave, as long as there is water somewhere nearby.

These dogs can live in packs of more than 12 individuals. In such family communities there is a very strict hierarchy: the dominant place is occupied by the couple, which dominates all other members of the pack.

The dingo's diet includes food of both plant and animal origin. They hunt rabbits, small kangaroos, a variety of reptiles, fish, crabs, rats and birds. Sometimes they also eat carrion. It happens that dingoes encroach on the household: they steal chickens.

Opossum

Marsupials once lived all over the planet. These animals replaced more primitive oviparous animals from Olympus. After all, there used to be a land bridge between Australia and Asia, thanks to which animals and plants spread. As ocean levels changed and continents moved, this bridge disappeared. Several million years have passed, the once thriving order has almost completely disappeared, and only on the lost continent of Australia does marsupial life continue to flourish.

These isolated animals evolved, and among them predatory, herbivorous and insectivorous animals, jumping, climbing and running forms gradually emerged. They are found on plains and in forests, underground and in the mountains; there are semi-aquatic and gliding forms. Inhabiting the continent and the islands closest to it, they occupied almost all the ecological niches of their habitat, and basically they are not similar to each other either in appearance or size. The rat's marsupial relative is the kangaroo rat, native to Australia and New Guinea. It belongs to the marsupial family of mammals. In total, four genera of these marsupial rodents have been identified.

So, the first genus of these marsupials is large rats with bluish-gray fur and a tassel at the very tip of the tail. This marsupial rat got its name precisely thanks to this brush (brush-tailed rats). This genus includes the tafa (tree rat), a predator that cannot be tamed, as well as the small marsupial rat, which is a very rare animal that is protected.

The tafa or greater marsupial rat is a rodent about the size of the carnivorous arboreal marsupial Dasyuridae. It is distinguished by a tuft of silky black hair on its tail. Males of this species do not live long, their age reaches only one year, since they die after breeding.

The comb-tailed marsupial rat is an animal with paws that do not have a thumb. This is a genus of marsupial mammals in which the pouch is practically absent. There is 1 species in the genus, whose name is similar to the name of the entire genus. These animals are considered relatives of comb-tailed mice and have great similarities with them.

Marsupial mole

The Australian continent is inhabited by many species of animals that are found nowhere else in the world. One of the representatives of this kind of fauna is marsupial moles.

These animals, well known to the Australian aborigines, became known to science only in 1888, when one of their representatives was found sleeping under a bush by one of the migrant farmers from Europe. Despite the fact that marsupial moles are very similar to golden moles living in Africa, these two species of animals belong to completely different systematic groups.

Marsupial moles are mammals. There are two types: Notoryctes typhops and Notoryctes caurinus. The difference between them is only in size and some details of the body structure. Marsupial moles are very different from other types of marsupial animals, and for this reason, zoologists have identified them as a special family.

The body of marsupial moles is oblong, resembling a roller, and has a length of 15 to 18 centimeters. The weight of these animals ranges from 40 to 70 grams. Marsupial moles dig the soil with their front paws, which have powerful triangular claws. Their hind limbs are adapted for throwing sand to the side. The body of these representatives of the Australian fauna is covered with thick and beautiful hair, the color of which can vary from snow-white to brown.

The head of a marsupial mole has the shape of an elongated cone, at the end of which there is a nose, covered with a kind of shield, with the help of which the animal quickly pushes the sand apart.

The red kangaroo lives throughout almost all of Australia. It has a 3-meter body length (of which the tail is about 90 cm long), and weighs up to 90 kg. Females are smaller than males, and their weight is 30 kg. The animal has a powerful body, strong muscular hind legs, and a strong and thick tail. Thin but very grasping front legs, which are much shorter than the hind legs.

The front paws have five toes, the hind paws have four, with very sharp long claws. The head is small and elongated towards the nose, with attentive eyes, with large ears that hear everything well. The color is brown-red or smoky blue, the paws and tail are almost white, and the belly is lighter than the main tone.

They feed on plant foods: grass, leaves, fruits and grains. They are well adapted to drought conditions and can go many days without water. To escape the wild heat, kangaroos often breathe with their mouths open and try to move less.

They lick their paws, which also cools the body. It was noticed by observers that during a long drought, they dig small holes in the sand where they hide from the scorching sun. During the day they hide in the shadows and doze, and at dusk they go out to pastures.

The red kangaroo is a cautious and timid animal. In case of danger, it runs away at speeds of up to 50 km/h. But he cannot maintain a high pace for long and gets tired quickly. He jumps 10 meters in length, and can even set a record - 12 meters.

Plants in southern Africa are the most widely studied. The flora of the central and northern parts of the continent is less known.

The desert biome is the driest of Africa's biomes and is considered one of the driest places on Earth. The largest desert region is the Sahara, in northern Africa. It stretches from the west coast of Africa to the Arabian Peninsula and is part of the world's largest desert system, which extends into southern Central Asia.

The smaller desert region of southern Africa includes the Namib Desert, located along the western half of southern Africa, especially near the coast, and the Kalahari Desert, which lies mostly inland and east of the Namib Desert.

Where there is more moisture, pastures predominate, and with increasing rainfall, the meadows gradually turn into tropical savannas. The difference between grassland and savanna is subjective, but is determined in part by tree growth, with more trees characterizing a savanna. The grassland/tropical savanna biome forms a broad band across much of central Africa and dominates the eastern and southern parts of the mainland.

Rainforests occupy a much smaller portion of Africa than the other two biomes. They are most common in parts of central Africa where there is no dominant grassland/tropical savanna biome, and are found close to the coast of central West Africa. Scattered areas of rainforest also occur along the major river systems of West Africa, from the equator almost to the southern part of the continent.

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Tropical deserts of Africa

The Sahara and Namib deserts are dominated by sand dunes or rock formations, but most deserts have a noticeable amount of plant cover.

The Sahara is characterized by widespread plant species that occur in similar habitats. The deserts of southern Africa have more distinctive flora, and many species are endemic to specific local areas.

Mesembryanthemum

To survive in the harsh desert climate, plants use several adaptations. Mesembryanthemum is a genus of flowering plants, widespread in all African deserts. These plants usually have thick, succulent leaves.

These succulents store water in their leaves or stems. Most plants open their stomata (small holes in their leaves) during the day to take in carbon dioxide from the surrounding air.

This will cause a lot of water loss in a desert environment, which is why succulents open their stomata at night. Through a biochemical process, they store carbon dioxide until the next day, when it is released inside the plant, so can occur without opening the stomata.

Barnyard grass

To prevent water loss, many succulents have no leaves at all. Barnyard grass ( Anabasis articulata), found in the Sahara Desert, is a naked succulent with articulated stems.

spurge spurge

Euphorbia-thorn ( Euphorbia echinus) another Saharan plant, has succulent, comb-like stems with thorns. This evergreen shrub reaches 1 m in height. Its stems are branched and covered with short white spines.

Water dependent desert plants

Water-dependent plants are limited to areas near a permanent water source such as a river, lake, or stream.

Date palm

Date palm trees usually reach a height of 21-23 meters. The leaves are 4-6 meters long, with spines on the petiole. The fruit of this tree is the date.

Tamarinds and acacia trees are common where water is available. A variety of different sedges and rushes are found wherever there are abundant constants, the best known of which is the reed.

Desert Ephemera

Annual plants whose seeds germinate when moisture becomes available and quickly mature, leave their seeds and die are called ephemeral. These plants make up a significant part of the African desert flora.

Most ephemeral plants are herbs. Ephemera are entirely dependent on seasonal or sporadic rainfall. Within a few days of significant rainfall, the desert turns bright green, and after a few more days flowers appear, often in abundance.

cushion plant

Some ephemerals germinate with astonishing speed, such as cushion plants, which germinate and produce actively photosynthetic seed leaves within 10 hours of being wetted.

Savannah

Are situated in . They are covered with herbaceous vegetation, but trees and shrubs grow chaotically. The most common type of savanna in Africa is savanna-woodland, consisting of tall, moisture-loving grasses and tall, deciduous or semi-deciduous trees that are unevenly distributed.

Savannah grasses

Grasses make up most of the plant cover under and between trees. In some types of savanna, grass can be taller than 1.8 m. Despite much debate, two factors seem to perpetuate the dominance of grasses: seasonal wetness with long intervening dry periods and periodic fires.

Given the excess moisture and lack of fire, savannas seem inevitably to become forests. Human activities, such as grazing or cutting down trees, contribute to the dominance of grasses.

Various varieties of grasses exist in the savanna, but it is difficult to distinguish them except during flowering periods. Many grow best immediately after a fire, when exposed to sun and potential pollinators.

Savannah trees and shrubs

African savanna trees often have relatively wide branches that end at approximately the same height, giving the trees a distinctive appearance. Many of them belong to the legume family, namely Brachystegia, Julbernardia and Isoberlinia.

There are a particularly large number of acacia species, ranging from shrubs to trees, many of which have thorns. Some also have a symbiotic relationship with ants, which protects them from herbivores.

Baobab

The baobab is known for its large size, unusual appearance, and is found in many savannah regions. The tree has an extremely thick trunk with smooth, gray bark. The baobab tree can live for two thousand years.

Tropical evergreen rainforests

The main characteristics of African tropical rainforests are their extremely lush growth, high species diversity and complex structure. The diversity is often so great that one tree species cannot be identified as dominant within an area.

Relatively large trees such as ironwood, iroko and sapele predominate. Forest trees grow so close that their crowns overlap each other, forming a canopy that limits the amount of light falling underneath them. Several large trees, called emergent trees, emerge above the thick canopy.

A layer of smaller trees grows beneath the main canopy. A few small shrubs and grasses grow near ground level, but most herbaceous plants and other perennials are epiphytes, growing on other plants.

Almost every available space, trunks and branches of trees have epiphytes that create a unique . All this dense plant growth is supported by a monsoon climate, which receives more than 1500 mm of rainfall annually, most of it in the summer.

Lianas

Vines are large, woody vines that cling to trees, and many of them hang to the ground. They were made famous in the Tarzan films. The fruits are eaten by birds or monkeys and the seeds are deposited in their feces on branches high in the canopy. The seeds germinate and the stem heads down towards the ground. Once the stem reaches the ground, it forms a root system; additional stems then develop and grow upward along the tree trunk.

Strangler ficus

After many years, the strangler ficus can become so thoroughly entwined in a tree that it does not allow water and nutrients to reach its “victim.” Eventually, the host tree dies and rots, leaving a hollow trunk.

Epiphytes

Epiphytes are plants that grow or are permanently attached to other plants - phorophytes.

Mosses or Bryophytes

The most common epiphytes are bryophytes - lower plants associated with mosses and lichens, a symbiotic combination of algae (or cyanobacteria) and fungus.

Ferns

The most numerous higher plants are ferns and orchids. As these plants colonize tree branches, they gradually trap dust and decaying materials, eventually creating a thin layer of soil that other plants can use.

Grasses are almost completely absent from the forest floor of the African rainforest; those that grow there have much wider leaves than usual. Some forest floor grasses are capable of growing in deep shade under canopy, sometimes so adapted to low light that they can be damaged when exposed to direct sunlight.

Some of the popular houseplants are descended from them, so they don't need intense sunlight to survive. However, the largest number of plants grow under breaks in the canopy, where more light penetrates.