lions at lunchtime. thompson’s gazelle
TRANSCRIPT
Thompson’s Gazelle
http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic-art/25653/26602/Thomsons-gazelles-use-a-ritualized-alert-signal-to-communicate-the
African Plains
http://photomural.wordpress.com/2008/02/07/african-plains-photo-mural/
Migration
Migration is the seasonal movement of a complete population of animals from one area to another. Migration is usually a response to changes in temperature, food supply, or the amount of daylight, and is often undertaken for the purpose of breeding. Mammals, insects, fish, and birds all migrate. The precise mechanism of navigation during migration is not fully understood, although for birds it is believed that sharp eyesight, sensibility to the Earth's magnetic field, and the positions of the Sun and other stars may play a role.
http://www.thefreedictionary.com/migration
Wildebeest migration
http://www.african-safari-journals.com/mara-river-crossing.html
The African Elephant is the largest living land animal (larger than the Asian Elephant). These mammals have very strong social bonds and live in family groups headed by a female (called a cow). Males (called bulls) occasionally join the group. Elephants are excellent swimmers. Elephants have few natural enemies except man, and they are in danger of extinction due to loss of habitat and poaching (they are killed for their ivory tusks). Anatomy: African elephants average about 10 feet (3 m) tall at the shoulder, weighing roughly 6 tons (5,400 kg). Males are larger than females. Both males and females have tusks (large, pointed ivory teeth). They have wrinkled, gray-brown skin that is almost hairless. Ears: African Elephants have large ears (up to 5 feet=1.5 m long) that are shaped like the continent of Africa. The ears not only hear well, but also help the elephant lose excess heat, as hot blood flows near the surface of the skin. Trunk: Elephants breathe through two nostrils at the end of their trunk, which is an extension of the nose. The trunk is also used to get water and food. To get water, the elephant sucks water into the trunk, then curls the trunk towards the mouth and squirts the water into it. The trunk has two prehensile (grasping) extensions at the tip, which it uses like a hand. Diet: Elephants eat roots, grasses, leaves, fruit, and bark. They use their tusks and trunk to get food. These herbivores spend most of their time eating. Bulls can eat up to 300-600 pounds (130-260 kg) of food each day. Classification: Kingdom Animalia (animals), Phylum Chordata (having a notochord), Class Mammalia (mammals), Subclass Eutheria (placental mammals), Order Proboscidae, Suborder Elephantoidea, Family Elephantidae (mammoths and modern elephants), Genera and species: Loxodonta Africana (African savanna elephants), Loxodonta cyclotis (African forest elephants, discovered to be a separate species in 2001).
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The giraffe is the tallest land animal. Can you draw a person next to the giraffe? Use the scale next to the giraffe when you draw, and you'll see how tall a giraffe is when compared
to a person. Anatomy:The giraffe is up to 19 feet (6 m) tall and weighs up to 2,800 pounds (1270 kg). A
baby giraffe (called a calf) weighs about 130 pounds at birth and is about 6 feet tall. Even though the giraffe's neck is extremely long, it has only seven neck vertebrae, the
same number that people and most other mammals have. The front legs are slightly longer than the rear legs. Different giraffe sub-species have different patterns, but most have brown polygons on a cream/tan background. The polygons are larger on the body and
smaller on the face and limbs and act as camouflage among the trees. Giraffes have two short horns; males have knobbed, hairless horns, females have thinner, tufted horns.
Protection from Predators: These herding mammals can see their enemies (like lions) from long distances. Giraffes can run up to 35 mph (56 kph) for short bursts.
Diet: Giraffes are plant-eaters, eating mostly leaves, twigs and bark from the tops of the thorny acacia plant. The giraffes carefully eat around the thorns, and their tough lips and
thick saliva protect them somewhat from the thorns. Water: Giraffes can go for days without water. In order to drink water, the giraffe has to
spread its front legs and bend its long neck to the water. This is a dangerous position for the giraffe since it can't see its enemies and can't get a fast start running.
Habitat: Giraffes live in African grasslands (savannas).
http://www.sacrs.org.za/ecm21/gallery/giraffes-01301813b.jpg
Zebras are large, fast-running mammals that live on African grassy plains (savannas). They can run up to 40 mph (65 kph) in
short bursts in order to escape from predators (like lions and hyenas). The zebra's life span is about 28 years. Zebras are
closely related to horses and donkeys. Families and Herds: Zebras are very social animals and live in large, stable family groups which are led by females. Stallions
(males) watch the rear of the group in order to help protect them from predators. Families will sometimes merge to form large
herds. Anatomy: Zebra fur has distinctive white stripes on a black
background. No two zebras have the same pattern. These stripes may help to confuse predators chasing the zebra, making them
misjudge distances. Zebras have hoofed feet. They are over 4 feet (1.2 m) tall at the shoulder and weigh over 600 pounds (270 kg). They have a long, upright, bristly, black and white mane. Large
eyes and ears help the zebra detect predators early, allowing it to run away.
Diet: Zebras eat grasses; they are nomadic herbivores. They spend most of their time grazing. Zebras need to drink water often
and usually stay close to a watering hole. Copyright ©1999-2010 EnchantedLearning.com
http://www.sacrs.org.za/ecm21/gallery/zebra-01300811b.jpg
Hyenas
http://www.sacrs.org.za/ecm21/gallery/hyena-pups-01300839b.jpg
http://www.sacrs.org.za/ecm21/gallery/rhino-01300102b.jpg
• The Gnu or Wildebeest is a fast-running plant-eater from eastern African grasslands. The name wildebeest means "wild beast" in the language Afrikaans. Wildebeests gather in enormous herds of up to a million animals. Newborn calves can stand about 3 to 5 minutes after they are born, and can them run with their mother and the herd. Wildebeests have a life span of up to 20 years in captivity.
Anatomy: The Wildebeest is up to 5 feet (1.5 m) tall at the shoulder and weighs up to 600 pounds (275 kg). Both males and females have sharp, curved, smooth horns. Males are slightly larger than females. They all have beards (white or black, depending on the subspecies), long manes, humped shouders, and long legs. Wildebeests have excellent hearing and a good sense of smell.
Predators: These herding mammals are preyed upon by lions, spotted hyenas, and wild dogs.
Diet and Water: Wildebeests are plant-eaters, grazing mostly on grass. They need to drink water every day.
Copyright ©1999-2010 EnchantedLearning.com ------ How to cite a web page
Wildebeest
http://www.sacrs.org.za/ecm21/gallery/wildebeest2-01300810b.jpg
Wildebeest
http://www.sacrs.org.za/ecm21/gallery/wildebeest-on-the-run-01300809b.jpg
Cheetah
http://www.sacrs.org.za/ecm21/gallery/king-cheetah-01300894b.jpg
Cheetahs
More Cheetahs
http://www.sacrs.org.za/ecm21/gallery/cheetahs-01300013b.jpg
• http://www.inmagine.com/african-wildlife-photos/aspireimages-pdep073
Honeyguide
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Wahlberg%27s_Honeyguide_(Prodotiscus_regulus).jpg
Beehive
Honey
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Honey
How do bees make honey?
• Last year, hardworking honeybees produced 155 million pounds of honey nationwide. Honeybees use nectar, a sticky liquid from plants, to make the sweet stuff. Here's how.
• A field bee carries nectar in its mouth. The field bee gives the mouthful of nectar to a house bee at the hive.
• The house bees put the nectar inside the hive's six-sided honeycomb cells. The nectar is mostly water.
• After the nectar is inside the cells, it must dry. The bees fan the cells with their wings.
• The bees cover the cells of the honeycomb with wax. The nectar dries for a few days.
• When the nectar thickens, it turns into honey.
http://www.timeforkids.com/TFK/kids/wr/article/0,28391,1598284,00.html
Honeycomb
Masai people
http://www.sfu.ca/~jld/masai.htm
Lions
• http://kids.nationalgeographic.com/Animals/CreatureFeature/Lion
http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/african-lion.html
