The savanna

📖 In short

The savanna is a wide land covered in tall grass, with trees and bushes dotted far apart. Most savannas are in hot regions between deserts and rainforests, and the most famous is the African savanna, home to lions, giraffes and elephants.

🤩 Did you know?

The dry season on the savanna can last up to five months.
The savanna usually gets between 760 and 1000 millimeters of rain a year.
Natural fires happen on the savanna in the dry season and renew the grass.
There are savannas in Australia, South America and India too.

🔎 Find out more

🌟 Two seasons

The savanna has a rainy season when the grass turns green and tall, and a long dry season when the grass turns yellow and dries out, and the trees stop growing.

🔍 Patient trees

Savanna trees like the baobab and acacia can cope with drought: the baobab stores water in its huge trunk, and the acacia has long roots and thorns that protect it.

💡 The animal kingdom

Huge herds of zebras, wildebeest and gazelles live on the African savanna, hunted by lions, cheetahs and hyenas, while giraffes eat leaves from tall trees.