76 Animals and Habitats: Supplemental Guide 4A | Animals of the East African Savanna Habitat
Show image 4A-5: Zebras
Yikes, I’m surrounded by hooves! That’s because grass is food
for many of the larger animals, like elephants, zebras, gazelles,
and antelope. They chew on grass all day long.
I don’t think grass is all that tasty, to tell the truth, but these
animals depend on the nutrients in the grass to survive. It’s all they
need to eat.^5 It would seem that because so many animals eat the
grass in the savanna every day, there wouldn’t be very much grass
left after a while. But, remember that this grass grows back very
quickly, so there’s usually plenty for the different herbivores, like
zebras and antelopes, to eat!
Show image 4A-6: Giraffe eating from acacia tree
Grass is not the only important source of food in the savanna.
Many animals get their meals from the acacia [uh-KEY-shuh] tree.
Giraffes, with their long necks and tongues, are able to eat twigs
and leaves from the top of the acacia. Not only are giraffes’
tongues long, they are also very tough. It is a good thing, too,
because the twigs of the acacia tree are covered with sharp thorns
that the giraffes eat along with the twigs and leaves!^6
Show image 4A-7: Elephants
Elephants eat grass, and they like acacias, too. They rest in the
acacia’s shade and eat the acacia leaves, branches, and seeds.
They even like to strip off the bark and chew on it.^7 Show image 4A-8: Acacia tree^8
I think this acacia tree might be great to climb and get a better
look at the savanna, but don’t forget that it’s covered in prickly
thorns—ouch!^9 Acacias have adapted well to their habitat.
Acacias have small leaves that don’t dry out as quickly as larger
leaves would in the dry, hot months. The roots of an acacia grow
very deep into the ground, which allows them to collect water
from far underground when there is not much rainfall. And their5 [Review the words omnivore,
carnivore, and herbivore, and
tell students to use one of these
words to answer the following
question.] What do we call all of
these animals that eat only grass?
(herbivore)
6 [Review the words omnivore,
carnivore, and herbivore, and tell
students to use one of these words
to answer the following question.]
Which word best describes giraff es,
because they eat plants like the
acacia tree? (herbivore)
7 Elephants eat grass and parts of
the acacia tree. Are elephants
carnivores, herbivores, or
omnivores? (herbivore)
8 What do you see in this picture?
9 The thorns on the acacia tree are
small and very sharp.