The climatic region located in the subequatorial zone, with characteristic herbaceous vegetation and small patches of trees and shrubs, is called savanna.
African savannas occupy more than 40% of the continent's area. They are distinguished by diverse fauna and flora. Moreover, according to scientists, this is one of the most environmentally friendly regions of the planet.
Savannah vegetation of Africa
To survive, savannah trees acquired certain specific properties that protect them from drought and heat. The most striking representative of the savanna flora is the baobab. The diameter of its trunk often reaches 8 meters. This giant grows up to 25 meters in height.
The thick baobab trunk and bark are capable of accumulating moisture like a sponge. Long and powerful roots absorb moisture from deep in the soil. Africans learned to use baobab shoots and leaves for food, and to make various tools from the bark.
Despite not the most favorable conditions, the flora of the savannah (Africa and other continents) is quite diverse. Here you can find plants that are better adapted than others to drought, which lasts for more than one month.
Savannah care
You can have a savannah only if you have a large house and territory, since these cats are extremely active.
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It is necessary to research the breed before purchasing a kitten. These cats require a lot of communication, long walks, bathing twice a month, and daily brushing.
They cannot stand the cold. Breakable objects and poisonous plants must be removed.
The diet should consist mainly of meat, preferably beef, turkey, chicken, and offal. Fermented milk products and grains are undesirable for this cat, since the digestive system is not able to digest them.
Dry food should also not contain grains.
With proper care, a cat can live up to 20 years.
sausage tree
Very unusual (for a European) is the sausage tree growing in these places. It got its name thanks to the unusual fruits that grow up to 50 cm in length. According to local residents, they are used in the treatment of rheumatism and syphilis. In addition, it is a mandatory attribute in rituals to expel evil spirits.
Looking at a photo of the African savannah, you will notice that there are many different palm trees in these areas. And indeed it is. There are several types of similar trees here.
In addition, the flora is rich in thorny bushes and mimosas - a favorite delicacy of giraffes.
It should be noted that during a period of drought in the savanna, all vegetation seems to freeze: often during this period, trees completely shed their leaves, and the grass sometimes completely burns out under the hot sun. There are frequent fires here, which damage the vegetation.
But when the rainy season comes, the nature of Africa comes to life again. Fresh, lush grass appears and various plants bloom.
Animals of Africa (savannah)
The vast expanses of the savannah are home to many representatives of the fauna that came to these regions due to migration phenomena, which are primarily associated with changes in climatic conditions on Earth.
Millions of years ago, Africa was covered with rain forests, but gradually the climate became drier, and therefore huge areas of the forest disappeared forever. Their place was taken by open forests and fields overgrown with herbaceous vegetation. In turn, this contributed to the emergence of new animals that were looking for favorable conditions for life. According to scientists, giraffes were the first to come from the jungle, followed by elephants, antelopes of various species, monkeys and other herbivores. It is quite natural that predators - servals, cheetahs, lions, jackals and others - followed them into the savannah.
Character
These cats are also distinguished by their gaze: very smart, studying. Since this is the most intellectually developed cat breed. The Savannah cat is active and calm, playful and inquisitive.
Its character resembles a dog: it becomes attached to its owner, follows on his heels, can be trained, and can walk on a leash. Leaving it to someone and going on vacation will not be easy - devotion to the owner will affect it.
Usually tries to find a common language with other pets and people, gets along well with children.
But the character may change before reaching the age of 3 years: sometimes the features of a wild animal appear. Therefore, it is not recommended to leave the savanna with small children unattended.
Giraffes
Photos of the African savanna that we see in textbooks and advertising brochures of travel companies always show us one of the typical representatives of the fauna of these places - giraffes. Once the number of these animals was very large, but they were the first to suffer from the white colonists - their skins were used to make coverings for carts. Now giraffes are protected, but their numbers are small.
Origin story
The idea of getting a miniature leopard at home has always been in the air among nursery owners. Then American breeders set the task of breeding a pet capable of conveying the qualities of a wild animal and an affectionate domestic cat. At that time, Bengal cats had already been bred, which did not suit fans of wild cats because they were completely domesticated. They wanted to develop a completely new breed that could convey the spirit of Africa while getting along with people at home.
At the end of the 20th century, breeder Judy Frank wanted to crossbreed a male Serval and a domestic Siamese cat. What was surprising was that different members of the cat family liked each other. After crossing, on April 7, 1986, the first representatives of the Savannah breed (F1) were born - two small long-legged kittens. Judy gave one cat to the owner of a serval, who was later crossed with an Angora cat.
When new kittens began to be born, Susie Wood wrote several scientific articles. After which she applied for a new breed. But only in 2001, felinological organizations officially recognized the Savannah breed as self-sufficient and registered it in the international system.
In 2007, the enterprising company Lifestyle Pets passed off photographs of Savannah cats as a new breed of cat - the Asher. But a DNA test revealed the fraud. The price of an Ashera kitten reached 1.8 million rubles.
Elephants
They are the largest land animals in Africa. It is impossible to imagine savannahs without huge steppe elephants. They differ from their forest counterparts in their powerful tusks and wider ears. By the beginning of the 21st century, the number of elephants had greatly decreased, but thanks to conservation measures and the creation of reserves, there are more elephants today than in the last century.
Hyenas
For a long time it was believed that this was a cowardly, sedentary animal that did not hunt on its own and was content only with the leftovers of the lions’ meal. As modern scientists have found out, this is far from true. Hyenas hunt at night and can easily kill even large animals such as zebra or antelope. And, what is most surprising, it is lions who “parasitize” hyenas more often, and not vice versa. Hearing their voices, the “kings of nature” rush to this place and drive the hyenas away from their prey. More recently, it became known that hyenas attack people and can be very dangerous.
Breeding
As already mentioned, it is better not to engage in independent breeding, since there are a large number of nuances of mating savannahs and their genera, which inexperienced breeders may simply not be able to cope with.
Savannahs are sensitive and meticulous in choosing a partner, so crossing with cats and cats of other breeds is difficult. The male from the first (F1) to the fourth (F4) generation is sterile, so Savannah cats are again crossed with other breeds. Second generation (F2) kittens still have strong features of their wild ancestors. This is manifested by aggression towards humans, poor learning ability and hunting habits.
Only by the fourth generation (F4) do savannas become manageable and friendly to humans.
The main nuance is that there is no exact gestation period, since this is a crossed species. In the ancestor of the Serval breed, the gestation period lasts 75 days, in other breeds it is 65-68 days; due to this discrepancy, kittens are often born premature. Serval litters are small and usually consist of 1-3 kittens.
If you are going to buy a pet, then get ready to see a rather large bill. The average price starts from 325,000 – 450,000 rubles, and this does not include the cost of transporting a cat.
How much a Savannah kitten will cost is primarily influenced by its generation:
- F1-F2 – up to $22,000, female kittens exclusively for breeding, Serval blood – 50% and 25% respectively.
- F3 – up to $4000, Serval blood – 12%.
- F4-F5 - about $1000, the parents of the kittens can be a Savannah cat of the 1st-3rd generation and a Serval, so that there is more “wild” blood.
Nurseries that sell savannah
In Russia, it is difficult to purchase a Savannah kitten for breeding, since many nurseries are located abroad. It is worth paying attention to the fact that you won’t be able to buy a pet right away; first, you should reserve it.
The most popular nursery abroad is A1 SAVANNAHS - Ponca City, Oklahoma, USA.
Russia:
- AMBIENTE – Moscow.
- L'UNICORNE – Moscow.
Birds
There are many insects and worms in the grass and soil, so the fauna of the savannah is distinguished by a large number of bird representatives. They flock here from all over the world. The most common species are storks, red-billed quilles, vultures, marabou, African ostriches, vultures, horned crows, etc. The savannas are home to the largest and, perhaps, one of the most beautiful birds in the world - ostriches.
The picture of the animal world of the African continent would be incomplete if we did not mention termites. There are dozens of species of these insects. Their buildings are a characteristic element of the savannah landscape.
It should be noted that animals are highly revered in Africa. It is not without reason that their images can be seen on the coats of arms of many African states: a lion - Congo and Kenya, a zebra - Botswana, an elephant - Cote d'Ivoire.
The fauna of the African savannah has developed over the centuries as an independent whole. The degree of adaptation of animals to specific conditions is unusually high. This includes a strict division according to the method of nutrition and the composition of feed. Some use shoots of young shrubs, others use bark, and others use buds and buds of plants. In addition, different animals take the same shoots from different heights.
Description of the Savannah cat breed
This is the largest cat: up to 0.6 m tall, weighing up to 15 kg. It grows up to three years old, which is when it is considered an adult cat. The very concept of “standard” does not apply to it; there are only basic requirements.
Appearance depends on the percentage of blood of the wild relative - the serval. The cost also depends on this: the lower the percentage, the lower the cost.
The first generation from the Serval is designated F1. F1 is crossed with a domestic cat - F2 is obtained. And so on until F5. Males up to F4 are sterile.
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Main signs (can be seen in the photo of a Savannah cat):
- Oblong body with elongated neck.
- Long paws, the front ones are slightly shorter than the hind ones.
- Relatively small head.
- The ears are large, with rounded tips, set high, capable of turning, like radars, 180 degrees.
- The eyes are large, wide-set, yellow, golden or green.
- Black spots on the muzzle, located in the direction from the inner corner of the eyes to the mustache.
- The tail is of medium length and does not touch the floor if the animal is standing.
- Muscular, athletic build.
- The coat is short, smooth, with many spots.
Outwardly they resemble a cheetah.
The color of a Savannah cat depends on the breed crossed with the Serval, and can be: chocolate, golden, brown, red-brown, tabby, silver, and very rarely black.
