The climatic region located in the subequatorial zone, with characteristic herbaceous vegetation and small patches of trees and shrubs, is called savanna.
African savannas occupy more than 40% of the continent's area. They are distinguished by diverse fauna and flora. Moreover, according to scientists, this is one of the most environmentally friendly regions of the planet.
Savannah vegetation of Africa
To survive, savannah trees acquired certain specific properties that protect them from drought and heat. The most striking representative of the savanna flora is the baobab. The diameter of its trunk often reaches 8 meters. This giant grows up to 25 meters in height.
The thick baobab trunk and bark are capable of accumulating moisture like a sponge. Long and powerful roots absorb moisture from deep in the soil. Africans learned to use baobab shoots and leaves for food, and to make various tools from the bark.
Despite not the most favorable conditions, the flora of the savannah (Africa and other continents) is quite diverse. Here you can find plants that are better adapted than others to drought, which lasts for more than one month.
Amazing plants
The main characteristic of savannas is long dry months followed by periods of rain. It is this parameter that determines the life of plants in this strip. Most of them are perfectly adapted to frequent fires and can recover in a short time.
Millennial Elders
One of the main symbols of the savanna are amazing trees - baobabs. Establishing the age of the oldest specimens is difficult because these trees do not have annual rings, so it is not possible to establish their age using the standard method. According to general estimates by scientists, baobabs can live about a thousand years, but radiocarbon dating gives different figures - 4500 years. During their lifetime, they manage to grow a huge spreading crown. In the winter they shed their leaves, but not from the cold, but from drought.
The baobab blossom is an amazing sight. The process continues for several months, but each flower lives only one night, so it will not be possible to see a blooming baobab during the day. Since most insects sleep at night, these flowers are pollinated not by them, but by bats that live here.
The baobab has another amazing property that is rarely found among trees: after cutting down the main trunk, the baobab is able to take new roots and take root again. Often, trees that have been knocked down by a storm survive in this way and remain in a lying position forever.
Bleeding Dragons
Previously, the natives considered dragon trees to be enchanted monsters. The reason for this was the amazing property of dracaena: when its bark was scratched or cut with a knife, red resinous juice began to ooze, reminiscent of blood. The name “dracaena” itself translates as “female dragon”.
Previously, the resinous liquid was used for embalming, but now this juice is used on an industrial scale for the preparation of the production of red pigments, paints and varnishes. Dracaena has also found application in medicine and cosmetology: it is used as a component for the treatment of gastric diseases and skin problems.
The dragon tree grows very slowly, but over the decades some representatives reach enormous sizes. The amazing “umbrella” shape of the crown is formed only after flowering, and before that the dracaena grows with a single trunk. The foliage is very densely located in the crown, so at the foot of the dracaenas, people and animals tired of the heat often find rest in complete shade. From its natural habitat, the plant has spread throughout the world as a houseplant because it is very low maintenance but looks attractive and exotic.
elephant grass
Savannah is filled primarily with pampas grasses. But among them there are absolutely amazing representatives. This includes elephant grass. This plant can reach a height of 3 meters, creating barriers for large animals, and for small animals it serves as a reliable shelter and home.
Elephant grass grows near shallow bodies of water. When they dry out, it can die en masse from lack of moisture, blocking the flow of streams or small rivers. It is also afraid of cool weather, so the ground part dies off immediately with the first cold snap. The root system of this cereal penetrates very far into the soil, sending roots to a depth of 4.5 meters, where it draws water. After droughts, with the arrival of the first rains, it quickly grows again and serves as food for many animals: zebras, antelopes, giraffes and other herbivores.
People do not ignore it either, using elephant grass to prepare some dishes, using it in construction and growing it as an ornamental plant.
The savannas of the world keep many secrets. A traveler who decides to visit these lands will find many amazing discoveries that will allow him to understand the romance of safari and appreciate this harsh but attractive world.
sausage tree
Very unusual (for a European) is the sausage tree growing in these places. It got its name thanks to the unusual fruits that grow up to 50 cm in length. According to local residents, they are used in the treatment of rheumatism and syphilis. In addition, it is a mandatory attribute in rituals to expel evil spirits.
Looking at a photo of the African savannah, you will notice that there are many different palm trees in these areas. And indeed it is. There are several types of similar trees here.
In addition, the flora is rich in thorny bushes and mimosas - a favorite delicacy of giraffes.
It should be noted that during a period of drought in the savanna, all vegetation seems to freeze: often during this period, trees completely shed their leaves, and the grass sometimes completely burns out under the hot sun. There are frequent fires here, which damage the vegetation.
But when the rainy season comes, the nature of Africa comes to life again. Fresh, lush grass appears and various plants bloom.
Animals of Africa (savannah)
The vast expanses of the savannah are home to many representatives of the fauna that came to these regions due to migration phenomena, which are primarily associated with changes in climatic conditions on Earth.
Millions of years ago, Africa was covered with rain forests, but gradually the climate became drier, and therefore huge areas of the forest disappeared forever. Their place was taken by open forests and fields overgrown with herbaceous vegetation. In turn, this contributed to the emergence of new animals that were looking for favorable conditions for life. According to scientists, giraffes were the first to come from the jungle, followed by elephants, antelopes of various species, monkeys and other herbivores. It is quite natural that predators - servals, cheetahs, lions, jackals and others - followed them into the savannah.
Character
These cats are also distinguished by their gaze: very smart, studying. Since this is the most intellectually developed cat breed. The Savannah cat is active and calm, playful and inquisitive.
Its character resembles a dog: it becomes attached to its owner, follows on his heels, can be trained, and can walk on a leash. Leaving it to someone and going on vacation will not be easy - devotion to the owner will affect it.
Usually tries to find a common language with other pets and people, gets along well with children.
But the character may change before reaching the age of 3 years: sometimes the features of a wild animal appear. Therefore, it is not recommended to leave the savanna with small children unattended.
Giraffes
Photos of the African savanna that we see in textbooks and advertising brochures of travel companies always show us one of the typical representatives of the fauna of these places - giraffes. Once the number of these animals was very large, but they were the first to suffer from the white colonists - their skins were used to make coverings for carts. Now giraffes are protected, but their numbers are small.
Elephants
They are the largest land animals in Africa. It is impossible to imagine savannahs without huge steppe elephants. They differ from their forest counterparts in their powerful tusks and wider ears. By the beginning of the 21st century, the number of elephants had greatly decreased, but thanks to conservation measures and the creation of reserves, there are more elephants today than in the last century.
Hyenas
For a long time it was believed that this was a cowardly, sedentary animal that did not hunt on its own and was content only with the leftovers of the lions’ meal. As modern scientists have found out, this is far from true. Hyenas hunt at night and can easily kill even large animals such as zebra or antelope. And, what is most surprising, it is lions who “parasitize” hyenas more often, and not vice versa. Hearing their voices, the “kings of nature” rush to this place and drive the hyenas away from their prey. More recently, it became known that hyenas attack people and can be very dangerous.
Breeding
As already mentioned, it is better not to engage in independent breeding, since there are a large number of nuances of mating savannahs and their genera, which inexperienced breeders may simply not be able to cope with.
Savannahs are sensitive and meticulous in choosing a partner, so crossing with cats and cats of other breeds is difficult. The male from the first (F1) to the fourth (F4) generation is sterile, so Savannah cats are again crossed with other breeds. Second generation (F2) kittens still have strong features of their wild ancestors. This is manifested by aggression towards humans, poor learning ability and hunting habits.
Only by the fourth generation (F4) do savannas become manageable and friendly to humans.
The main nuance is that there is no exact gestation period, since this is a crossed species. In the ancestor of the Serval breed, the gestation period lasts 75 days, in other breeds it is 65-68 days; due to this discrepancy, kittens are often born premature. Serval litters are small and usually consist of 1-3 kittens.
If you are going to buy a pet, then get ready to see a rather large bill. The average price starts from 325,000 – 450,000 rubles, and this does not include the cost of transporting a cat.
How much a Savannah kitten will cost is primarily influenced by its generation:
- F1-F2 – up to $22,000, female kittens exclusively for breeding, Serval blood – 50% and 25% respectively.
- F3 – up to $4000, Serval blood – 12%.
- F4-F5 - about $1000, the parents of the kittens can be a Savannah cat of the 1st-3rd generation and a Serval, so that there is more “wild” blood.
Nurseries that sell savannah
In Russia, it is difficult to purchase a Savannah kitten for breeding, since many nurseries are located abroad. It is worth paying attention to the fact that you won’t be able to buy a pet right away; first, you should reserve it.
The most popular nursery abroad is A1 SAVANNAHS - Ponca City, Oklahoma, USA.
Russia:
- AMBIENTE – Moscow.
- L'UNICORNE – Moscow.
Birds
There are many insects and worms in the grass and soil, so the fauna of the savannah is distinguished by a large number of bird representatives. They flock here from all over the world. The most common species are storks, red-billed quilles, vultures, marabou, African ostriches, vultures, horned crows, etc. The savannas are home to the largest and, perhaps, one of the most beautiful birds in the world - ostriches.
The picture of the animal world of the African continent would be incomplete if we did not mention termites. There are dozens of species of these insects. Their buildings are a characteristic element of the savannah landscape.
It should be noted that animals are highly revered in Africa. It is not without reason that their images can be seen on the coats of arms of many African states: a lion - Congo and Kenya, a zebra - Botswana, an elephant - Cote d'Ivoire.
The fauna of the African savannah has developed over the centuries as an independent whole. The degree of adaptation of animals to specific conditions is unusually high. This includes a strict division according to the method of nutrition and the composition of feed. Some use shoots of young shrubs, others use bark, and others use buds and buds of plants. In addition, different animals take the same shoots from different heights.
Climatic conditions and soils
Savannahs are characterized by a subequatorial and tropical climate. According to its geographical location, the savannah zone is located between two tropics - parallels located at a distance from the equator, where the sun reaches its zenith. The phenomenon can be observed during the solstice. The temperature rises sharply, it becomes very hot and a large amount of water evaporates from the seas and oceans, which leads to heavy rains.
In the savannah there is no traditional division of the year into winter, spring, summer and autumn. In hot zones, nature provides a special plan that divides the year into rainy and dry periods.
The dry season, winter, lasts from November to April. The air temperature fluctuates around 21 degrees, and there is little precipitation. At this time, one can observe mass migrations of animals in search of water and food, and the savanna begins to somewhat resemble a desert.
The rainy season, summer, lasts from May to October. At this time it rains every day, mainly in the afternoon. Many animals breed in the summer because the survival rate of offspring increases.
Savannah is also rich in soils. They develop on ancient continental planation surfaces in a climate zone with an annual precipitation of 400–500 mm. Main types of soils:
- Red-brown.
- Brown tropical subarid.
- Black tropical. Blackening occurs due to the special bond between clay and organic matter.
The soils are rich in iron, calcium, magnesium, sodium, and humus. The most fertile lands with black soil are in Africa.
