HideShark

Savanna & grassland

Savannas are tropical grasslands with a scattering of drought-tolerant trees and a sharp wet/dry season split. They support the largest land-mammal migrations on the planet.

16 animals in this habitat

Reptiles LC Black Mamba Dendroaspis polylepis The black mamba is Africa's most feared snake — long, fast, and armed with a fast-acting neurotoxic venom. Learn where the name comes from, how dangerous it really is, and why it usually flees. Read the guide →
Reptiles LC Frilled Lizard Chlamydosaurus kingii The frilled lizard of Australia and New Guinea snaps open a huge skin collar around its head when threatened, hisses, and sprints away on its hind legs — a bluff that is almost pure theatre. Read the guide →
Mammals LC Honey Badger Mellivora capensis The honey badger has loose armour-like skin, partial resistance to snake venom, and a documented talent for escaping any enclosure. Learn why it takes on cobras, lions, and beehives. Read the guide →
Birds LC Ostrich Struthio camelus The ostrich is the largest and heaviest bird alive, the fastest thing on two legs, and the layer of the biggest egg of any living animal. Learn how a bird this size survives on the African plains. Read the guide →
Mammals NT Plains Zebra Equus quagga The plains zebra is the most common wild horse, famous for stripes no two animals share. Learn what the stripes are actually for, why zebras were never tamed, and how their herds work. Read the guide →
Birds EN Secretary Bird Sagittarius serpentarius The secretary bird is a long-legged African raptor that hunts on foot, killing snakes and other prey by stamping with a force five times its body weight, delivered in a fraction of a second. Read the guide →
Mammals LC Spotted Hyena Crocuta crocuta The spotted hyena is Africa's most successful large predator — a skilled pack hunter, not just a scavenger, living in female-led clans of up to 130, with bone-crushing jaws and an eerie call. Read the guide →
Birds LC Toco Toucan Ramphastos toco The toco toucan has the largest bill relative to body size of any bird — a lightweight, honeycombed structure it uses as a fruit-picker, a weapon reach-extender, and a radiator that dumps body heat. Read the guide →
Mammals EN African Elephant Loxodonta africana The African elephant is the largest land animal alive, with a 40,000-muscle trunk and a 22-month pregnancy. Learn how herds are led by matriarchs and why ivory poaching still threatens them. Read the guide →
Mammals EN Chimpanzee Pan troglodytes The chimpanzee is one of our two closest living relatives, sharing about 98.8% of our DNA. Learn how chimp societies work, how they use tools and hunt, and why they're Endangered. Read the guide →
Mammals VU Giraffe Giraffa camelopardalis The giraffe is the tallest animal on Earth, with a heart built to pump blood two metres straight up. Learn how its neck, tongue, and blood pressure work — and why it faces a "silent extinction". Read the guide →
Reptiles EN Komodo Dragon Varanus komodoensis The Komodo dragon is the largest lizard alive, a venomous ambush predator found on just a few Indonesian islands. Learn how it hunts prey many times its size and why it's now Endangered. Read the guide →
Mammals VU Leopard Panthera pardus The leopard is the most adaptable big cat — a solitary, night-hunting climber that hauls its kills into trees. Learn how it survives almost anywhere and why it's still Vulnerable. Read the guide →
Mammals NT White Rhinoceros Ceratotherium simum The white rhino is the second-largest land animal and a conservation rollercoaster — saved from under 100 animals a century ago, then hammered by a poaching crisis for its horn. Read the guide →
Mammals VU Cheetah Acinonyx jubatus The cheetah is the fastest land animal, built entirely for the sprint. Learn how it hits 100 km/h, why the chase costs so much, and why only about 6,500 remain in the wild. Read the guide →
Mammals VU Lion Panthera leo The lion is the only big cat that lives in social groups. Learn how prides hunt, how cubs are raised, and why lion numbers have fallen by roughly half since 1990. Read the guide →