124 TROPICAL SAVANAS 



are distinguished from the typical steppe region already 

 described in the absence of a severe winter. 



Proceeding now to consider the animals of the various 

 savana regions in systematic order, we may note that 

 as a general rule the primates do not occur in such 

 regions, being, as we have seen, mostly fitted by nature 

 for Ufe in the tropical forest. To this rule, however, 

 the baboons form an exception, for, as we have already 

 seen, they are quadrupeds, Mving in open rocky country. 

 The Arabian baboon {Papio hamadryas) occurs abun- 

 dantly in the Sudan, where it feeds upon fruits, shoots, 

 buds, and seeds, and finds the necessary shelter in 

 rocky ground. In Angola another species (P anvbis) 

 inhabits very dry country, and feeds largely upon that 

 strange coniferous plant known as Welwitschia. 



Among the insectivores we may note especially the 

 jumping shrews, which are confmed to Africa, and 

 show a curiously close resemblance to the jerboas among 

 rodents. The jumping or elephant shrews have greatly 

 elongated hind-legs, and move in a series of leaps. They 

 have also curiously elongated snouts, which they use 

 in routing about for the insects on which they feed. 

 The tjrpe genus is Macroscelides, and the animals are 

 widely distributed in Africa, being mainly but not 

 exclusively tropical. The elongation of the hind-limbs 

 is interesting, for it is frequent in steppe and savana 

 animals, and has several obvious advantages which have 

 been already discussed (see p. 64). 



Of the carnivores, the large cat-Uke forms, as we 

 have already had occasion to remark, show no very 

 special adaptation to one habitat. The muform colour- 

 ing of the lion, however, suggests that it was once 

 a desert animal. In Africa it is abundant in the Kala- 

 hari desert, but also extends into savana and steppe 



