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African Savanna

The African savanna teems with hoofed mammals, such as gazelles, antelopes, and buffalo. Hoofed mammals, or ungulates, range nearly worldwide, and the majority of large mammals that live on the ground are ungulates. All ungulates have hooves designed for fast movement, and their digestive systems have adapted to feeding on large quantities of relatively non-nutritious vegetation, like grasses, leaves, flowers, seeds, and tree fruits.
Over millions of years, hoofed mammals have evolved long, sturdy legs ideal for running. The long, fused bones in their feet are raised off the ground—they run on tiptoes—and their toenails have evolved into strong hooves. Gazelles, like all artiodactyls, have an even number of toes. Equids (horses and zebras), like all perissodactyls, have an odd number.
The tongue of the giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis), an artiodactyl, measures up to 21 inches in length.


"The whole plain seemed alive and appeared chequered black and white with their congregated masses . . . [their hoofbeats sounded like] the din of a tremendous charge of cavalry."
In 1811, naturalist William Burchell wrote these words describing herds of quagga (Equus quagga) roaming South African plains. In 1861, the last wild quagga was shot. Several survived in zoos for another 20 years; unfortunately, zoos had not yet begun breeding for conservation purposes. The quagga was very closely related to the common zebra (Equus burchelli), whose scientific name is a tribute to Burchell.
During the dry season in East Africa, wildebeest (Connochaetes taurinus) form herds tens of thousands strong to migrate more than 1,000 miles in search of food and water.

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