Animals That Live in Temperate Grasslands

North America

• The American bison is the largest and most well-known of the animals that are native to the North American temperate grasslands. At one time bison, also known as buffalo, roamed the plains by the millions, and they can be found today in many state and national parks. A much smaller animal of the North American grasslands is the prairie dog. These animals eat plants and live in underground tunnels that they create.

Africa

• The African elephant is the largest animal that lives in the temperate grasslands of Africa. The diet of these giant creatures includes grass and other plant life. Also found in the African grasslands is the rhinoceros. Rhinos have poor vision but very keen senses of hearing and smell. The zebra also is found in Africa and is well-known for its black and white striped fur. Like the elephant and the rhino, zebras are herbivores.

South America

• The temperate grasslands of South America are known as the Pampas region. This area stretches from the Atlantic Ocean to the Andes Mountains, primarily in Argentina and Uruguay. Animals that live in this region include the greater rhea, which is a relative of the African ostrich and the Australian emu. The Geoffroy's cat, known for its gray coat and black-striped legs, is nearly invisible in tall grass. The maned wolf has very long legs that enable it to see over the tall grass, and the llama-like guanaco usually can be found near ponds.

Australia

• The temperate grasslands of Australia are home to a wide variety of animal life. One of the most well-known of the Australian animals is the kangaroo. This is a marsupial and there are 47 different species of kangaroos. The wallaby, which is sometimes confused with the kangaroo, is a smaller type of marsupial. The wombat is a large burrowing animal that is nocturnal. The dingo is a wild dog that inhabits the plains of ,and the emu is a large flightless bird that can run very fast.