The savannah is a grassy, windy, semi-dry biome. Grasses are the main form of plant life on the savannah. Animals that live in savannahs include small creatures such as grasshoppers and beetles to large animals like lions, giraffes and cheetahs. There are many different names used throughout the world for the savannah including grasslands, pampas, plains, steppes, and prairies.
Tropical rainforests are located along the equator and are filled with millions of plants and animals. Scientists estimate that the rainforests maintain more types of animals and plants than all the other biomes combined. Because of the location near the equator, the temperature is very high - and with lots of rain - year round.
The forest is made of three layers, the ground story, covered with foliage, roots and ground dwelling animals, the understory, where small plants, trees, and many animals live, the canopy, where large treetops, birds and other flying animals are found. Rainforests are the homes to many types of birds, monkeys, cat like mammals, reptiles, insects, diverse flowers, hard wood trees, and medicinal plants.
Found in the most northern climates of the earth, Tundra is a place too cold for many animals or plants to survive. Often the land is covered with snow most of the year, with much of the ground frozen year round. The summer season is very short and many animals hibernate to survive the cold winter. Bears, reindeer, moose, and birds live in the tundra
Deserts are known to be hot, dry biomes. But there are also "cold" deserts. In these deserts the nights are very cold, especially in the winter. As there is little rainfall, few types of plants exist. Some vegetation includes cactus Animals in the desert include several varieties of snakes and lizards. Many of these animals live underground for much of the day. They adapt to the heat by hiding under rocks when the sun is out.
Deciduous forests consist of trees that tend to lose their leaves once each year when the weather turns cold. Since they lose their leaves, sunlight can reach the ground and plants can grow underneath them. Grasses and flowering plants grow in these forests. Deciduous forests are home to many animals. The weather tends to be moderate. The summers are warm and the winters are cool. Some deciduous forests experience winter snowfall. Rainfall tends to be heavy.
Coniferous means cone bearing. A coniferous forest therefore, is one that has trees that reproduce by dropping cones. These cones contain seeds that grow into new trees. Cone-bearing trees are adapted to the cold weather since they have pine needles instead of leaves. The cold weather cannot get inside the needles to cause the trees to freeze. The forest floor has little growth since the large trees block out sunlight. Coniferous forests are home to many animals. Birds and other animals live in the trees. Larger animals live on the forest floor. Deer and bear make this area their home. During the winter, many of these animals hibernate or migrate to escape the long, cold winter months.