Home›Species›Ecosystem›SerengetiEcosystemSerengetiSavanna and GrasslandReference and ClassificationThoroughly VerifiedA savanna grassland ecosystem spanning northern Tanzania and southwestern Kenya, famous for hosting the largest overland animal migration on Earth: more than a million wildebeest, accompanied by hundreds of thousands of zebra and gazelle, follow an annual clockwise circuit driven by seasonal rainfall and fresh grazing, crossing crocodile-filled rivers along the way. This concentration of grazing herds in turn supports one of the densest large-predator populations in Africa, including lion, cheetah, leopard and hyena, and the African elephant ranges across the ecosystem's woodlands and grasslands alongside them. Most of the ecosystem lies within Serengeti National Park in Tanzania and the adjoining Maasai Mara National Reserve in Kenya, together forming one continuous protected landscape across the international border.FactsSerengetiConnectionsIn the Other AtlasesSourcesTake a Related QuizComments (0)Reader Challenges (0)FactsClassificationBiogeographic RealmWell-attestedAfrotropic 1Protected StatusWell-attestedStrictly Protected 1Area (sq km)Well-attested30,000 1SerengetiFilter Results15 entriesCommon GroupAllFlies (Diptera) (1)Snakes (Serpentes) (1)TaxonomyAllArtiodactyla (4)Canidae (1)Dendroaspis (1)Diptera (1)Felidae (1)Hyaenidae (2)Panthera (3)Perissodactyla (2)HabitatAllChaparral (1)Desert (3)Grassland (4)River (1)Savanna (7)Steppe (1)Tropical Rainforest (1)Conservation StatusAllCritically Endangered (1)Endangered (1)Least Concern (5)Near Threatened (3)Vulnerable (4)Everyday GroupAllFlies (Diptera) (1)Snakes (Serpentes) (1)DietAllCarnivore (5)Detritivore or Scavenger (3)Herbivore (6)Parasitic (1)Population TrendAllStable (1)System (Realm)AllFreshwater (1)Terrestrial (14)ThreatsAllBiological Resource Use (1)Relationship to PeopleAllAgricultural or Structural Pest (2)Disease Vector (1)Hunted or Fished (11)Used in Traditional Medicine (1)Venomous or Dangerous to Humans (1)Living or ExtinctAllYes (14)Where It LivesAllAfrica (15)Botswana (9)Colombia (2)Ecuador (2)Eswatini (8)Kenya (2)Lesotho (1)Mozambique (8)Namibia (9)Russia (1)South Africa (4)South Asia (5)Taiwan (1)Tajikistan (1)Turkmenistan (2)Ukraine (1)Uzbekistan (1)Zimbabwe (9)Show ResultsBrowseCompareSelect all 15African LionSerengetiAfrican Wild DogSerengetiBlack MambaSerengetiBlack RhinocerosSerengetiBlue WildebeestSerengetiCheetahSerengetiGerenukSerengetiImpalaSerengetiLeopardSerengetiLionSerengetiPlains ZebraSerengetiSpotted HyenaSerengetiStriped HyenaSerengetiThomson's GazelleSerengetiTsetse FlySerengetiConnectionsDemonstrated ByMigration, Natural Phenomena Well-attested Source Animal Migration (Wikipedia)DemonstratesDecomposition, Natural Phenomena Well-attested Source Encyclopaedia Britannicatier 1Nitrogen Cycle, Natural Phenomena Well-attested Source Encyclopaedia Britannicatier 1Wildfire, Natural Phenomena Well-attested The Serengeti grassland is a fire-adapted ecosystem: regular natural and human-set fires clear dead grass, recycle nutrients into the soil and maintain the open savanna structure the ecosystem grazing herds depend on.Source Encyclopaedia Britannicatier 1HostsAfrican Lion, Species Well-attested The Serengeti's own entity record names lion among the dense large-predator population its migration herds support.Source Encyclopaedia Britannicatier 1African Wild Dog, Species Well-attested Source African Wild Dog (Wikipedia)tier 2Black Mamba, Species Well-attested Source Black Mamba (Wikipedia)tier 2Black Rhinoceros, Species Well-attested Source Black Rhinoceros (Wikipedia)tier 2Blue Wildebeest, Species Well-attested Source World Wildlife FundCheetah, Species Well-attested Source World Wildlife FundGerenuk, Species Well-attested Source Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan Museum of Zoology: Animal Diversity Web: Litocranius walleriImpala, Species Well-attested Source Impala (Wikipedia)tier 2Leopard, Species Well-attested Source Leopard (Wikipedia)tier 2Lion, Species Well-attested Source Lion (Wikipedia)Plains Zebra, Species Well-attested Source Plains Zebra (Wikipedia)tier 2Spotted Hyena, Species Well-attested Source Spotted Hyena (Wikipedia)tier 2Striped Hyena, Species Well-attested Source Wikipedia: Striped hyenatier 2Thomson's Gazelle, Species Well-attested Source Thomson's Gazelle (Wikipedia)tier 2Tsetse Fly, Species Well-attested Source Wikidata: Tsetse FlyAdditional Source Serengeti (Wikipedia)Article textIn BiomeSavanna, Biomes Well-attested Source Encyclopaedia Britannicatier 1In the Other AtlasesFound InKenyaAlso in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.TanzaniaAlso in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.Sources1. Encyclopaedia Britannicatier 1Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc.britannica.com/place/Serengeti-National-Park, opening definition sentenceSerengeti National Park, national park and wildlife refuge on the Serengeti Plain in north-central Tanzania.Biogeographic realm: afrotropic (derived from location stated in entity description)Protected status (stated plainly in the entity own recorded description)Most of the ecosystem lies within Serengeti National Park in Tanzania and the adjoining Maasai Mara National Reserve in Kenya, together forming one continuous protected landscape across the international border.Demonstrates: Nitrogen CycleDemonstrates: DecompositionDemonstrates: WildfireIn Biome: SavannaHosts: African LionView the SourceWorld Wildlife FundWorld Wildlife FundHosts: Blue WildebeestHosts: CheetahView the SourceAnimal Migration (Wikipedia)Demonstrated By: Migration, Mammals passage, Serengeti great migration sentenceQuote, Demonstrated By: Migration, Mammals passage, Serengeti great migration sentenceMass migration occurs in mammals such as the Serengeti 'great migration', an annual circular pattern of movement with some 1.7 million wildebeest and hundreds of thousands of other large game animals, including gazelles and zebra.View the SourceLeopard (Wikipedia)tier 2Wikimedia FoundationHosts: Leopard, Social spacingQuote, Hosts: Leopard, Social spacingIn the Serengeti, males have home ranges of 33-38 km2 (13-15 sq mi) and females of 14-16 km2 (5.4-6.2 sq mi); but males in northeastern Namibia of 451 km2 (174 sq mi) and females of 188 km2 (73 sq mi).View the SourceImpala (Wikipedia)tier 2Wikimedia FoundationHosts: Impala, Ecology and behaviourQuote, Hosts: Impala, Ecology and behaviourA study of impala in the Serengeti National Park showed that in 94% of the males, territoriality was observed for less than four months.View the SourceSpotted Hyena (Wikipedia)tier 2Wikimedia FoundationHosts: Spotted Hyena, DimensionsQuote, Hosts: Spotted Hyena, DimensionsAdult male spotted hyenas in the Serengeti weigh 40.5-55.0 kg (89.3-121.3 lb), while females weigh 44.5-63.9 kg (98-141 lb).View the SourceThomson's Gazelle (Wikipedia)tier 2Wikimedia FoundationHosts: Thomson's Gazelle, Taxonomy and etymologyQuote, Hosts: Thomson's Gazelle, Taxonomy and etymologyTwo subspecies are identified: E. t. nasalis (Lönnberg, 1908), Serengeti Thomson's gazelle ranges from the Serengeti to the Kenya Rift Valley.View the SourcePlains Zebra (Wikipedia)tier 2Wikimedia FoundationHosts: Plains Zebra, ConservationQuote, Hosts: Plains Zebra, ConservationThe zebra can be found in numerous protected areas across its range, including the Serengeti National Park in Tanzania, Tsavo and Masai Mara in Kenya, Hwange National Park in Zimbabwe, Etosha National Park in Namibia, and Kruger National Park in South Africa.View the SourceBlack Mamba (Wikipedia)tier 2Wikimedia FoundationHosts: Black Mamba, VenomQuote, Hosts: Black Mamba, VenomThe black mamba is the most feared snake in Africa because of its size, aggression, venom toxicity and speed of onset of symptoms following envenomation, and is classified as a snake of medical importance by the World Health Organization.View the SourceAfrican Wild Dog (Wikipedia)tier 2Wikimedia FoundationHosts: African Wild Dog, Hunting and dietQuote, Hosts: African Wild Dog, Hunting and dietHowever, certain packs in the Serengeti specialized in hunting adult plains zebras weighing up to 240 kg (530 lb) quite frequently.View the SourceWikipedia: Striped hyenatier 2WikipediaHosts: Striped Hyena, Social and territorial behaviourQuote, Hosts: Striped Hyena, Social and territorial behaviourHome ranges in the Serengeti have been recorded to be 44-72 km2 (17-28 sq mi), while one in the Negev was calculated at 61 km2 (24 sq mi).View the SourceLion (Wikipedia)Hosts: Lion, Group organisationQuote, Hosts: Lion, Group organisationA study undertaken in the Serengeti National Park revealed that nomadic coalitions gain residency at between 3.5 and 7.3 years of age.View the SourceSerengeti (Wikipedia)Hosts: Tsetse Fly, Article textQuote, Hosts: Tsetse Fly, Article textTsetse fly populations now prevented any significant human settlement in the area.View the SourceBlack Rhinoceros (Wikipedia)tier 2Wikimedia FoundationHosts: Black Rhinoceros, Distribution and habitatQuote, Hosts: Black Rhinoceros, Distribution and habitatIn the Serengeti home ranges are around 70 to 100 km2 (27 to 39 sq mi), while in the Ngorongoro it is between 2.6 to 58.0 km2 (1.0 to 22.4 sq mi).View the SourceAnimal Diversity Web, University of Michigan Museum of Zoology: Animal Diversity Web: Litocranius walleriAnimal Diversity Web, University of Michigan Museum of ZoologyHosts: Gerenuk, Geographic RangeQuote, Hosts: Gerenuk, Geographic RangeLitocranius walleri inhabits the dry brushy region of east Africa from the Serengeti plain of Tanzania north along the coast through Kenya, Ethiopia, Eritrea, and into southern Somalia.View the SourceTake a Related QuizWetlands, Reefs and Deltas: New EcosystemsCovers this kind of entry.Comments (0)No comments yet. 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