Nature and animals of Africa

Africa - an amazing continent, stretched hundreds of thousands of kilometers from the north to the south. Most scientists consider it the cradle of humanity. The most ancient human remains were found there. The animal world of Africa is extremely diverse. This is not surprising, because on the continent are located almost all climatic zones of the earth, with the exception of arctic deserts, tundra and taiga. There is a high altitude zone on this continent. Animals in Africa, despite the fact that the ecology of many localities is deteriorating because of the consequences of human economic activity and global warming, are still found in large numbers. Many countries equip nature reserves and national parks or proclaim the protection of certain species of animals in order to protect them from complete destruction.

Consider the amazing and rich world of a vast and diverse continent called Africa. The animals of the equatorial part live in the jungle. These are wet forests, often swamped, with mangrove thickets. Thanks to the hot climate and rainfall, the trees here reach a considerable height, and the forest closes its crowns into one large green roof.

The rainforest can be compared to a multi-storey building, and each floor has its inhabitants. On the upper floors live birds. The middle tier was chosen by monkeys - from orangutans, chimpanzees and gorillas to monkeys. Tree branches also serve as a home for large predators of the cat family - leopards and panthers, as well as numerous snakes. In the lower tier live small artiodactyls - boar-warthogs. In the basin of the Congo, okapi, one of the most interesting animals of the African jungle, resembles a cross between a zebra and a horse, but in fact it represents a separate species. These clean-cut animals have an extremely long tongue - so long that okapi can easily lick itself behind the ear.

From the north and south, the equatorial forests surround the savanna. This largest climatic zone occupies almost half of the entire Black Continent. In the savannah, the trees grow one by one, and the whole space is covered with grass. In these grassy seas, drifting herd animals confidently. Giraffes thanks to their long neck can reach the tall tree branches. In addition to the longest animal planet, the savannahs are home to the largest land representatives of Africa and the world - elephants. The African elephant reaches a height of about 4 meters and weighs more than 7 tons. These are extremely intelligent animals, living in small herds in which females predominate.

The world of savannas is inhabited by a large number of antelopes of various species, herbivores, small and large predators. There are only two pores of the year - dry and wet periods. Huge herds of gazelles, antelopes and zebras migrate for several thousand heads in search of green grass, and after them wander predator hunting. Wild animals of Africa, considered "the kings of beasts" - these are lions. They live in large families - pride. And the fastest animal on the planet also lives on this continent: it's a cheetah. It can reach speeds of up to 92 km per hour!

Deserts, despite the "lunar landscape", are fairly populated. Animals in Africa in the desert and semi-desert areas have evolved to adapt to the hot and dry climate. Many species lead a twilight and nocturnal lifestyle. The smallest foxes of the planet have huge ears, which protect the animal from overheating. A camel and saberogy Oryx can not drink for a long time, scooping scarce moisture only from the plants that feed.

The extreme north and south of the continent occupy the subtropics. The animals of Africa in this climatic zone resemble the European brethren. In the foothills of Atlas (North of the mainland) there are monkeys, and in the forest-steppe zone live dog-headed monkeys - baboons.