Most Incredible Grassland Animals
Grasslands are commonly known as prairies in North America, savannahs and veldts in Africa, pampas, llanos and cerrados in South America. Grasslands are dominated by tall growing grasses and and are found at all the places where there is too little rain for trees to grow in large numbers. These tall grasses provide home to large number of grazing animals such as giraffe, bison and zebra. The annual rainfall is between 10-30 inches and temperature ranges from -20 to 30 degrees centigrade.
Our vast environment is filled with many amazing species of animals. From foxes to tigers and everything in between, find out about amazing grassland animals, such as giraffes, horses, elephants, and zebras, in this list. You’ll take an amazing journey through the world’s most diverse grassy areas. Without leaving the comforts of your space, you can discover the rich diversity of some the world’s most fascinating animals.
1. Giraffe: Is the tallest mammal, the height of an average male is 17ft. They tend to eat leaves and live in Africa. The word giraffe, refers to the animal’s camel-like shape and leopard-like coloring.
2. Zebra: Zebra stripes come in different patterns. Zebras tend to live in groups. There are three types of zebra; The plain zebras, the grévy’s zebra, and the mountain zebra.
3. Buffalo: The American Bison is a type of buffalo that use to roam the American great plains in great herds and was sacred to the Native American tribes. Buffalo live in many different places, such as Africa, America, and Europe.
4. Elephant: The elephant is the biggest mammal in the world. They come from the family Elephantidae. There are African elephants as well as Asian elephants.
5. Antelope: These creatures are swift runners. They have many predators so they stay in herds. The antelope is neither; cattle, sheep, buffalo, bison, or goat. It is an old world species. The word antelope is French but has Latin roots.
6. Kangaroo: This animal carries its young in a pouch just below their midsection. A group of kangaroos is called a mob. Their diet usually consists of vegetation. Kangaroos are known for their jumping and can exhibit aggressive behavior.
7. Lion: Known as the king of the jungle, lions are carnivores. They come from the family Felidae. Commonly found in Africa, these big cats live in a group called a pride, and are famous for their exceptional group hunting skills. The West African lion is severally endangered.
8. Wolf: The timber wolf or gray wolf, is one of the most widely known species of wolves. The gray wolf is the largest of its family. The gray wolf is also an endangered species.
9. Fox: There are many types of foxes. Red foxes, gray foxes, and the bat-eared fox to name a few. Foxes are omnivorous and live on every continent except Antarctica
10. Sheep: Typically kept as livestock, sheep eat grass and other vegetation. Sheep are raised for fleece, meat, and milk. Females are called ewes and males are called rams.
11. Rabbit: Cottontail rabbits and hares live in above ground nest. Rabbits are herbivores. They are susceptible to many diseases, some of which can be transferred to humans. Their offspring are called kits.
12. Leopard: Similar to a jaguar, leopards are lightly built and smaller than most other big cats. A leopard can run 36 mph and is strong enough to move a carcass up a tree. As with wolves and other big cats, leopards are going extinct.
13. Horse: Another domesticated animal, the horse is known as one of the most beautiful animals in the world. They have a lifespan of up to 30 years. Female horses are called mares and can hold offspring for 11 months before giving birth.
14. The Bear: The most voracious omnivores, the bear has a great sense of smell. Bears are mostly solitary animals. They might be spotted at night or twilight hours.
15. Coyote: Native to North America. Coyotes are cousins of the gray wolf. Depicted as tricksters in Native American folklore, the coyote has both positive and negative aspects. They can weigh up to 25lbs and can reach almost 5ft in length.
16. Baboon: This is an old world monkey. They are too big to live in trees. Their diets consist of both plants and meats. They live in hierarchical groups which are known as troops.
17. Prairie Dog: Part of the rodent family, these creatures are herbivores. The different types of prairie dog are; Black-tailed, White-tailed, Gunnison’s, Utah, and Mexican prairie dogs. They live in burrows. A prairie dog’s warning call sounds similar to a dog’s bark.
18. Moose: This is the largest species of deer. They are solitary animals that do not form herds. The males compete for females during the autumn mating season. The moose population has been declining since 1990.
19. Goat: Closely related to the sheep, it is typically kept as a farm animal. The goat was among the earliest animal to be domesticated. Goats eat vegetation, usually leaves from trees. Some goats have horns, there have been incidence of goats having eight horns, but that’s genetically rare.
20. Gazelle: The name gazelle is derived from the Arabic language. This antelope is appreciated for its grace and beauty.
21. Possums: These pests eat just about anything and can be found all over. The possum is classified as a marsupial. There is over 100 species of possums.
22. Beaver: Primarily a night time animal, beaver are the second-largest rodent in the world. Their colonies create one or more dams to provide calm deep water in order to protect against predators, and to float food and building material. They are known for their alarm signal. When startled, a swimming beaver will rapidly dive while forcefully slapping the water with its broad tail, audible over great distances above and below water.
23. Klipspringer: The word Klipspringer means rock jumper. They are smaller than most antelope. They can stand on the tips of their hooves, and can fit all four hooves on a piece of cliff the size of a Canadian coin. Male Klipspringer horns are usually about 10 to 15cm
24. Meerkat: Just like a cat, a Meerkat has binocular vision. They use their sharp claws to burrow underground. They eat mostly insects. Meerkats forage in a group with one Meerkat on guard to watch for predators while the others search for food. This is called, sentry duty. It is approximately an hour long. A Meerkat can dig through a quantity of sand equal to its own weight in just seconds.
25. Tiger: These cats love water. Tiger is a Latin word meaning pointed or sharp, perhaps referring to an arrow which would resemble the speed with which a tiger launches itself at its prey. The tiger’s closest living relatives were thought to be lions, leopards, and jaguars.
26. Mongoose: These can be found in Eurasian, Africa, and Madagascar. They eat a vast variety of things such as, insects, crabs, earthworms, lizards, birds, rodents, venomous snakes, eggs, and carrion. Mongooses have a special chemical that protects against snake venom. They are one of four known mammalian species which possess these mutations.
27. Bison: The Bison is also known as American Buffalo. The average Bison is up to 6 ft (1.8 m) tall at the shoulder. It can weigh up to 900 kg. They mostly survive on grass, twigs and shrubs. They swallow their food without chewing it and later chew the cud to get rid of themselves of parasites.
28. Pronghorn: The Pronghorn are the fastest running mammals in North America and can achieve speeds of up to 65 km/h (40 mph). They are roughly 3 ft tall at the shoulder and weigh from 90 to 150 pounds (41-68 kg). They are mostly active during the day and eat shrubs and grass, spending most of their time grazing.
29. Badger: The Badger is a well built animal with a stocky, powerful build, having four short, strong legs and large, sharp claws. Badgers are mostly active during the night and are mostly found in tropical forests, plains, mountains and prairies in Asia, Europe, and North America. Male Badger is 21-29 inches long and female Badger is 17-26 inches long and their average weight is 9-27 pounds. Badgers eat rodents, frogs, snakes, small mammals, worms and insects.
30. Rhinoceros: The Rhinoceros is a fast moving with thick skin and and one or two nose horns. mammal Rhinoceros are from 3 1/2 feet to 6 1/2 tall at the shoulder and weigh from 2,400 to 5,000 pounds. Rhinos are hunted for their horns and are therefore in danger of extinction. They are herbivores and mostly survive on grass and other materials.
Our vast world has many different species that thrive throughout every continent. With so many animals thriving in our spectacular world, you never know what types of animals you will discover. From weird to beautiful, and everything in between. Our world is incredible and it is up to us to keep it that way.
We are responsible for preserving these animals. If we neglect to do so, ourselves, as well as our children will suffer for it. Everyday thousands of species are killed. Breaking this endless cycle is a difficult one. But it’s important to care, teach children to care about defenseless creatures by:
- Going out to see the world and its wonders.
- Educate children on the environment.
- Making smarter purchasing decisions.
Remember, it’s the decisions we make every day that have a lasting impact. Go out, see the world, and choose to make the right decisions. Pave the way for a better future by keeping the environment:
- Clean
- Beautiful
- Thriving
- Protected
