African ... · African savannah fact cards illustrations © paul cheshire

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African savannah fact cards

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SEE PAGE 53 november 2008

LionMale lions are the only big cats that look different from females. The long, hairy mane makes them look larger and fiercer, and also protects the neck in a fight. Lions live in family groups called prides. There may be 30–40 lions in a pride. Male cubs stay with their mothers for about two years, while females usually stay forever.

ElephantThe African elephant has larger ears than elephants from other parts of the world. Its ears are so big they can pick up the sounds of other elephants 8km away. Because of their tremendous weight, elephants cannot run, canter or gallop. Their long white tusks are made of ivory. Elephants sometimes march long distances in a line, with each elephant using its trunk to hold the tail of the one in front.

CheetahThe cheetah is the world’s fastest land animal. It can run at 110km/h. Its legs are so strong it can cover several metres in one bound. Cheetahs only eat animals they have killed themselves. Cheetahs usually hunt in the morning or late in the afternoon, when it is not too hot. They are solitary animals and tend to live on their own rather than in a group.



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GazelleGazelles travel great distances each year in search of food and water. They live in herds and eat leaves and grass. They are fast runners to help them escape from predators like lions and cheetahs. One of the best-known types, Thomson’s gazelle, is brown and white with a black stripe on its side. Males have long, slightly curved horns, while females are shorter and thinner.

HyenaHyenas are very good pack hunters, although they are able to kill prey on their own. Hyenas are bold and will sometimes drive other animals, even lions, away from kills to eat it themselves. They do not like the hot midday sun, so only really come out at night to hunt. The call of the Spotted hyena sounds like someone laughing.

ZebraZebras are members of the horse family. The pattern on a zebra’s coat is different for each one. The stripes help it to hide from predators in the long grass. If water is scarce, zebra herds travel long distances to find something to drink, and they are able to dig their own waterholes. They can survive on grasses or bushes that are too tough for other plant-eaters.



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VultureVultures are most active during the day when they hunt for food left over by predators. They are able to smell dead animals even when they are flying high in the sky. A vulture’s broad wings help it to stay in the air for long periods, and it often flies very high. Vultures have the slowest wing beat of any bird, about one beat per second.

HippopotamusThe name hippopotamus means “river horse”. Hippos graze on grass for a few hours every night, but prefer to spend most of the day resting in water with just their nose and eyes above the surface. They can live for up to 40 years. They are able to open their mouths to 150° compared to the 45° that we humans can manage.

RhinocerosSeveral types of rhinoceros living in Africa are in danger of becoming extinct. The African rhino has two horns. They have very strong teeth at the back of the mouth for chewing grass and leaves. Although their senses of hearing and smell are good, rhinos have poor eyesight. They can live for up to 60 years. Many of them weigh as much as 3000kg.



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MeerkatThis small mammal is a member of the mongoose family. There are usually 20 meerkats in a group, but some have as many as 50. Meerkats feed mainly on insects, especially scorpions, but also eat lizards, snakes and small mammals. They stand on their back legs when keeping watch for danger. They live in burrows underground where it is cool and shady.

GiraffeThe giraffe’s long neck helps it to reach fresh leaves at the top of trees. Giraffes have strong lips and long tongues to help them gather plants. Male giraffes can be as tall as 5.5m. They drink large amounts of water, and as a result can spend long periods of time in dry areas. When attacked the giraffe defends itself with very strong kicks.

OstrichThe ostrich is a large, flightless bird found in Africa. They rarely need to drink as they get most of their moisture from the roots, leaves, flowers and seeds that they eat. Each foot has two toes, and they have strong powerful legs that make them good runners. They prefer to live in groups and can get very angry if they are threatened.

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African ... · African savannah fact cards illustrations © paul cheshire