Zimbabwe Photograph by WWF/ Kate Newman   Afrotropics Tropical and Subtropical Grasslands, Savannas, and Shrublands   157,600 square miles (408,300 square kilometers) -- about the size of California and Delaware combined Vulnerable

· Where Black Rhinos Roam
· Special Features
· Did You Know?
· Wild Side
· Cause for Concern
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Where Black Rhinos Roam

Spend time in the Southern Miombo Woodlands ecoregion of East Africa and you'll likely see great herds of antelope, thundering elephants, and many other wide-ranging, large mammals. This is one of the best places to see a rare black rhinoceros, since one of the largest populations of this endangered species inhabits a protected area in the ecoregion.

Special Features

Most of this ecoregion is located in central Zimbabwe, but it extends over the border into western and central Mozambique and into parts of Zambia and western Malawi. High temperatures tend to be around 75° F (24° C), while low temperatures range from 48 to 59° F (9-15° C). Rainfall is about 24 to 31 inches (600-800 mm) per year in most of the ecoregion.

	Black rhinos actually have gray skin. But it's hard see what color they are during the dry season, when the rhinos spend a lot of time wallowing in mud and rolling in dust.

Wild Side

While miombo woodland provides important habitat for many large animals, the ecoregion does not support high densities of mammals outside of protected areas. Within these protected areas, however, larger numbers of elephants, elands, sable and roan antelopes, buffaloes, greater kudus, Lichtensteins' hartebeests, and other mammals can be found. Other mammals found in this ecoregion include lions, leopards, cheetahs, wild dogs, and Selous’s mongooses. Many endemic reptiles live here too, including regal girdled lizards, dwarf wolf snakes, and ocellated flat lizards. A few bird species found here have extremely small distribution ranges, including the noisy and sociable Lilian’s lovebird, boulder chat, Stierling’s woodpecker, and Chaplin’s barbet.

Cause for Concern

Many of Zimbabwe's largest cities and most of its large-scale farms are located in this ecoregion. For that reason, habitats have been altered and wildlife eradicated in many areas. Other threats include poaching of black rhinos, hunting of "bushmeat," and growing conflicts between ranchers and wild animals.

For more information on this ecoregion, go to the World Wildlife Fund Scientific Report.