Home >> Science & Nature >> Animals & Science

Three Animals That Live in the Grassland

Grasslands are partly dry biomes with unpredictable precipitation that often lack trees and bushes as a result of fires and extended droughts throughout the year. Even so, they are home to migrating and grazing herds and rodents that depend on these vast regions for food and shelter. A variety of animals thrive in the grassland, adapting to the conditions and the landscape.

Bison
- Bison wallow in mud or dust to get rid of bugs and parasites.
  
  In the North American grasslands, these grass grazers live in herds of a few to a thousand, divided into groups. Bison have large heads with short curving horns and a dark brown shaggy hide on the head, neck and front legs. Their height ranges from 6 to 6.5 feet at the shoulder, and they can weigh as much as 900 pounds to 1 ton. Their habitat is the prairie or the open woodland, and bison spend the day and night feeding on grasses and sedges while continuously moving to avoid overgrazing.
Black-tailed Prairie Dog
- Black-tailed prairie dogs are grassland mammals that do not hibernate in the winter.
  
  Weighing in at 1.5 to 3 pounds and 11 to 13 inches tall, the black-tailed prairie dog is the largest mammal of its kind. These animals shed their fur prior to both summer and winter, and their overall color is dark cinnamon, with a third of their tail being black or dark brown. Their habitat is the open grasslands with low, scarce vegetation, and they colonize areas where other animals once lived. Black-tailed prairie dogs feed on areas of grasses and vegetation that were once cattle-feeding sites.
Burrowing Owl
- Burrowing owls dig during the day and hunt during the night.
  
  Different from other owls, the burrowing owl is distinguishable by its round-the-clock behavior. These owls average 9.5 inches long with a wingspan of 21 inches while weighing approximately 5 ounces. Their habitat is the open grassland, where they nest and dwell in abandoned burrows, spending the majority of their time on the ground, on dirt mounds and on top of wooden fences. Being active both day and night, these owls feed on insects, rodents, reptiles and even smaller birds.
Adaptation
- Smaller animals adapt to escape predators in the grasslands.
  
  Animals in the grasslands migrate through seasonal changes, which helps them to survive the sweltering summer heat and harsh freezing winters experienced in these regions. Great running speeds, acute hearing and horns provide defense against predators. Some animals, like the bison, have thick fur for insulation and protection from the snow. Many rodents and a few birds such as the black-tailed prairie dog and the burrowing owl have front legs or paws with sharp claws, allowing them to burrow into the ground to find safety from predators.

Animals & Science