Tropical Savanna

By Ryan & Mike

Climate

• A tropical wet and dry climate predominates in areas covered by savanna growth. Mean monthly temperatures are at or above 64° F and annual precipitation averages between 30 and 50 inches. For at least five months of the year, during the dry season, less than 4 inches a month are received. The dry season is associated with the low sun period.

Dry season (winter)

• In the dry season only an average of about 4 inches of rain falls. Between December and February no rain will fall at all. Weird enough but it is actually a little cooler during this dry season. But its not time to wear a long sleeve shirt, considering there winter temperature is 70° F.

Wet season ( Summer)

• In the summer there is lots of rain. In Africa the rains begin in May. An average of 15 to 25 inches of rain falls during this time. It gets hot and very humid during the rainy season. Every day the hot, humid air rises off the ground and collides with cooler air above and turns into rain. In the afternoons on the summer savanna the rains pour down for hours.

• A savanna is a rolling grassland scattered with shrubs and isolated trees, which can be found between a tropical rainforest and desert biome. Not enough rain falls on a savanna

to support forests. Savannas are also known as tropical grasslands. They are found in a wide band on either side of the equator on the edges of tropical rainforests.

• Plants of the savannas are highly specialized to grow in this environment of long periods of drought. They have long tap roots that can reach the deep water table, thick bark to resist annual fires, trunks that can store water, and leaves that drop off during the winter to conserve water. The grasses have adaptations that discourage animals from grazing on them; some grasses are too sharp or bitter tasting for some animals, but not others, to eat.

Vegetation

Animals• There are many kinds

of animals that live in the savanna area. The largest population of hoofed animals live there such as zebra, rhino’s, giraffes, and The Roan Antelope. Many of the animals live in herds for protection.

Dangerous Animals

The Black Mamba is the most dangeroussnakein the world. They grow 14 feet in length, and can travel at speeds of up to 12 mph.

They have a head shaped like a coffin. The Black Mamba is not actually black.

The lion is the powerhouse of the savanna, weighing in at 265-420 pounds and up to 10 feet long. The lion is a powerful predator Imagine a powerful looking beast that looks like your average house cat. But its bigger, faster, and stronger

Bibliography

• www . thewildclassroom.com • http://www.radford.edu/swoodwar/

CLASSES/GEOG235/biomes/savanna/savanna.html

• http://www.blueplanetbiomes.org/savanna.htm