Is the African grassland endangered?

What do you know about african elephants and the african savanna/grassland?

• i was wondering if you know any of the following: -biotic factors/ animals that live in the african savanna/grassland who impact on the african elephant or who interact with it -any adaptions the african elephant has -'grazing animals' in the african savanna/grassland -any great resources to answer these questions i have done this great project answering these questions but i want to add a few more to make it better, as ive only done what is asked by the criteria and this is an important project thanks! xx this is for a year 11 (junior in america??) biology assingment

• Answer:

  1st source: Adaptation - Their large ears help them to cool themselves The ear serves a very important function for elephants in regulating its body temperature. Interestingly, temperature control for an elephant is a constant problem because it has a low surface to volume ratio; despite an elephant's relatively lower metabolic rate, it is more difficult to lose heat through radiation because of its small surface area compared to its volume. Although, the ear serves to help regulate an elephant's body temperature in both species of elephants, it is more effective in African elephants because of their larger ears. With a wide surface area of outer ear tissue, hot blood in the arteries is cooled as it is filtered through the vast network of capillaries and veins. Thus, the body temperature is regulated with the cooled blood returning to the main body. This is observed more frequently as the outside temperature rises. Actually, it increases a great deal in conditions of little to no wind, and temperatures above 25 degrees Celsius. Where it is windy, it is not uncommon to see an elephant will facing down find and extending its ears to allow the cool air to blow across the hot arteries. INTERACTIONS - Lions, crocodiles & Spotted Hyenas may try to prey on young elephants but they are very protective so this is rare. They dominate their environment getting first dibs at the watering holes and so any animal that lives on the savannah, will likely let them have their way. The last article is very cool...it talks about a relationship between browers like elephants and the trees they eat from. Grazing animals = zebras, gazelles, wildebeest