Which Omnivores Live in a Tropical Savanna?
Some of the omnivores in tropical or African savanna include lions, giraffes and leopards. Omnivores are defined as organisms that eat a variety of other organisms, such as plants, animals and fungi.
The African savanna is tropical, it is described as interspersed trees and groups of bushes that the sun shines through as there is no canopy. The savanna covers almost half of Africa and stretches through 25 African countries. Its eco-system is delicate and ever changing, maintained by a balance between man, omnivores, herbivores and scavengers. Omnivores are part of the savanna´s delicate food web, the hierarchy of plants and animals in the food chain.
Omnivores are a step above herbivores, animals that consume grass and vegetation. In the African savanna, cheetahs, leopards, lions and hippos and crocodiles feed on giraffes, antelopes, wildebeests, gazelle and Roan antelope.
Scavengers are a separate part of the chain as they only eat on dead animals. Vultures, hyenas and jackals feed off of the remains of the omnivores, and in rare cases, animals that have died of natural causes.
The eco-system of the African savanna is threatened by overgrazing, poaching and competition from man. It is used as a feeding ground for commercial livestock such as cattle, diminishing the food supply for herbivores. Frequent man-made fires cause major damage and change the natural balance needed for a healthy environment.
