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Updated May 26, 2001 |
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Serengeti Habitats
The Serengeti is comprised of several habitat types: the short and long grass open plains in the southeast, the acacia savanna in the central Serengeti, the hilly and more densely wooded northern section, and the mountainous and densely wooded western corridor. Along the margins of these areas, and especially in the central Serengeti there are many ecotones or blending zones of habitats. Each habitat type supports its complement of animal life: wildebeest, zebra, antelopes and other antelope types frequent the grassy plains, giraffes almost exclusively in the acacia woodland, elephants on the margin of savanna and woodland. Predators follow their preferred food source.
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"The name Serengeti conjures up images of one
of the last remaining wildlife spectacles on earth. Those lucky enough
to visit this wilderness area come away with memories of vast herds of
antelope feeding on the plains, columns of wildebeest, head to tail,
trudging along their traditional migration routes, and prides of lions,
sometimes sleeping, sometimes alert and carefully stalking their prey.
The extensive grasslands are interspersed with 'kopjes' - rocky outcrops
like islands in the flat plain, each with their own wildlife
communities. Rivers flow through the Park, providing habitats for a
variety of birds, mammals, and reptiles.
"The Serengeti is one of the largest wildlife sanctuaries in the world, and the commitment to its preservation shown by the government of Tanzania is important in a country faced by land shortage and a rising population." Lota Melamari, Director General, Tanzania National Parks.
Whistling thorn or ant-galled acacia dominates the drier
wind-swept plains. It has a symbiotic relationship to the ants which
inhabit its galls. |
Serengeti National Park is nearly 15,000 square kilometers, the largest park in Tanzania and one of the largest in the world. The name comes from a Maasai word meaning "endless plains". And that indeed describes a major component of this ecosystem. The concentration of plains animals which gathers before migrating north is world renowned and unparalleled anywhere else on the planet.
As we approached the Serengeti from the east, coming down from the Ngorongoro highlands, our first view, as far as the eye could see, was the short grass plains. These plains are interrupted intermittently by copjes, an Afrikaans word for the rocky outcrops of granite. Pronounced copy, they have been eroded and weathered into rough and jumbled islands which stand out from the surrounding plain, where volcanic dust and ash has leveled the landscape.
The kopjes are habitat islands which provide refuges from the open plains for many plants and animals. [Copje panorama]
The Sound of Migration
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Dry Season
Rainy Season
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During the rainy season, from November through May, the plains are the feeding ground for immense herds of wildebeest, zebras, gazelles, and numerous others such as ostriches, eland, topi, hartebeest etc. But when the dry season begins and the grass withers, many of these animals, especially the wildebeest and zebra, must move on. This movement takes them generally north and west, where there is permanent water and thunderstorms more frequent. By the end of the dry season in July, most have ended up in the Maasai Mara in Kenya | ||
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The wildebeest is the
dominant herbivore in the Serengeti ecosystem. Its migratory population
ranges over a region of about 25,000 sq. km., of which about two thirds
is in the national park, the NCA, and the Kenya Maasai Mara Reserve.
Wildebeest are very efficient grazers, so much so that they exhaust the
available grass and must constantly move on to greener pastures. In May
and June lines of wildebeest up to 40 km long have been observed heading
north and west to the woodland areas.
It is also during this period that most of the cows are bred. Bulls can be seen and heard rounding up cows, cutting out bachelor males and bashing heads with territorial neighbors in an all out effort to breed with as many females as possible. Eight and a half months later the cows drop their calves after migrating back to the short grass plains. The vast majority of the calves are born during a two to three week period, providing so many calves that predators are overwhelmed and plenty are left over. The predators give birth to their young during this period as well, taking advantage of the abundant food supply. Populations of both predators and prey benefit from this adaptation. Another adaptation of the wildebeest is the prodigious ability to stand and run with the herd after only a few days. |
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Burchell's, or plains zebras, although
only one-sixth the numbers of the wildebeest in the Serengeti are still important in the the migration,
and in the grazing hierarchy. Zebras move in family units
containing up to a dozen females and young, and bachelor herds of mainly
immature males. Each family is controlled by a stallion, who
defends it against potential rivals as well as against predators. Most
foals are born in December and January during the wet season. Mares also
cooperate in defending the family and protecting foals against
predators, and remain in the herd in which they first became pregnant and
foal. Because of their cooperation, hyenas hunt in packs against zebras rather
than singly as they do with antelopes.
Left: Zebras like to roll in dust. |
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Grazers and Browsers The Predators |
The Grazing Succession:
A great variety of grazers
can coexist on the Serengeti plains and adjacent habitats because each
species occupies a slightly different, yet complementary niche. There is
a grazing succession in which heavy grazers such as elephants, buffalo,
and hippos eat and trample the large coarse grasses, paving the way for
lighter grazers such as zebras, topi, and wildebeest who in turn give
way to the lightest grazers, the gazelles and warthogs.
Above: Dik-dik, Ed Shelley |
Below: Elephants enjoy browsing on the tall coarse grasses. (John and Sandy Murdock)
Above: An Elephant family lines up to drink at a Serengeti water hole. |
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| The Seronera area is famous for the leopards, lions, and cheetahs which can usually be seen without difficulty. Leopards are usually seen in the branches of sausage or acacia trees near a watercourse. They often carry their prey up into the branches to get it away from other predators. They are solitary creatures, the male only associating with the female when she is in estrous. In the Seronera Valley leopards are known for being relatively placid, in contrast to their usual demeanor. They are always dangerous when they are with cubs. | |||
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Male lion, Sherry Sybesma
Two lions yawning, Jim Swan |
The Serengeti Lions
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You can readily distinguish the males from the females in a pride by their manes and larger size, and if you spend some time watching you can soon recognize individuals. Most lions have scars on their faces and ears, and some may have broken teeth. Also, the pattern of the 'whisker spots' is unique to each lion and is useful for identification because it never changes. Scientists in the Serengeti have specifically identified more than 200 individuals by these methods. | ||
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