Grassland Animals

Around 25 percent of the total surface area of our planet is made up of the grasslands. These grasslands are found in all the continents of the world, except for the continent of Antarctica, with North America, South America and Africa having the major share of the same. The grassland biome covers approximately 50 percent of the total land surface of the African continent. The vast expanse of this biome gives you a rough idea of the tremendous diversity you are likely to observe in grassland animals and plants. Before we move on to grassland biome animals, and their adaptations, let's get well-versed with some general facts about this biome.

Grassland Biome Information

Basically, the grassland biome encompasses various regions of the world, wherein the vegetation is predominantly characterized by different types of grass and herbaceous plants. The grasslands are broadly categorized into two types - temperate grasslands and tropical grasslands, both of which differ from each other in terms of abiotic conditions. The great deal of diversity in plant and animal species prevailing in these two types can be attributed to the difference in abiotic conditions which prevail here. One of the most biodiverse biomes of the world, the grassland biome is known by different names in different regions of the world. The grasslands of North America are known as Prairies, while those of South America are known as Pampas. Similarly, these grasslands are known as Savannah in Africa and Steppes in Eurasia and Australia.

Grassland Animals Information

When we talk about the list of grassland animals, we start from invertebrates like the different species of beetles and end with large mammals such as the elephants. In between lie a wide range of animals coming from all genera, including insects, reptiles, birds, mammals etc. Given below are the details of these animals on the basis of the continent in which they are found.

North American Grassland Animals
Prairie dog	Coyote	Gray wolf	Red-tailed hawk
Red fox	Western meadowlark	Prairie chicken	American toad
Bison	Badger	White-tailed jackrabbit	Prairie rattlesnake
Pronghorn antelope	Elk	Tiger beetle	Lady beetle
Carrion beetle	Black-tailed jackrabbit	Burrowing owl	California condor
Eastern cottontail	Gopher snake	Northern grasshopper mouse	Ground squirrels

South American Grassland Animals
Armadillo	Puma	Jaguar	Geoffroy's Cat
Llama	Opossum	Pampas deer	Greater Rhea

African Grassland Animals
African bush elephant	Cheetah	Ostrich	African lion
Buffalo	Hippopotamus	Rhinoceros	Grevy's zebra
Hyena	Vulture	Aardvark	Leopard
Cape hunting dog	Wildebeest	African golden cat	Impala
Giraffe	Hartebeest	Jackals	Mongoose

European Grassland Animals
Corsac fox	Mongolian gerbil	Saiga antelope	Northern lynx
Saker falcon	Rabbits	Mice	Wisent

Australian Grassland Animals
Kangaroo	Dingo	Pygmy Blue-tongued Lizard	Wallaby
Koala bear	Wombat	Striped Legless Lizard	Emu

Asian Grassland Animals
Asian elephant	Asiatic water buffalo	Indian wolf	Indian rhino
Savanna nightjar	Pygmy hog	Asiatic cheetah	Leopard gecko

Grassland Animals Adaptations

When it comes to animal adaptations in grassland biome, migration is one of the most prominent example. Several animal species which inhabit the Savannah migrate thousands of miles in search of food and water during a particular time of the year. Similarly, many animals found in these grasslands have broad and flat-topped teeth which makes it easy for them to feed on grass. The small animals of these grasslands have no option but to seek shelter by burrowing in the ground. In order to make the task of burrowing easier, the front feet of these animals are armed with sharp claws. When it comes to the Prairies, one of the most fascinating adaptation is the ability of these animals to withstand the extreme climatic conditions, typically characterized by hot summers and cold winters, of this region. While these are the most prominent adaptations, other adaptations like a specially developed digestive system for herbivores and the ability of these animals to camouflage are also noteworthy.

That covered a significant bit of information about the grassland animals, with special reference to their general characteristics and adaptations. As in the case of various other animal species, several grassland of these grassland species are also bearing the brunt of large-scale poaching and human interference in their natural habitat. The list endangered grassland animals includes some of the most prominent names such as the Black rhino, Grevy's zebra, Northern hairy-nosed wombat etc. The need of the hour is to formulate proper wildlife conservation measures and implement them in these grasslands. If we don't take the necessary action at the earliest, we are bound to lose several animal species which inhabit these vast grasslands.