Ecosystems

Animals of the savannah

A large amount of large-sized herbivores live in the savannah (gnus, zebras, antelopes, giraffes, rhinoceroses and elephants in Africa; deer, elephants and gaurs in India) and in the dry season migrate to more humid areas hundreds of kilometres away. Sometimes herds of different species form. Most of the offspring of the herbivores of the savannah are very precocious: a gnu, for instance, can walk a few minutes after birth. This is because they must not be left behind by their herd, which protects them from predators. The carnivores of the savannah are also social: lions, hyena-dogs, hyenas and jackals hunt in groups according to specific strategies. The savannah is also inhabited by large birds, the Ratitae (ostrich, rhea) and other terricolous birds (great bustard, guinea-fowl, marabou). Nevertheless, the savannah is mostly inhabited by insects, including ants, termites and grasshoppers, which migrate far away during the dry season. These animals feed on local vegetation to which these huge swarms of insects cause extensive damage.