In the middle of North America is a huge area of land which was
once covered with grasses and colorful wild flowers. The French called the
rolling plains of grass "prairie", from the word for a meadow grazed
by cattle. The prairies are a type of grassland dominated by herbaceous plants
and grasses. Very few trees grow on the prairies and are usually widely
scattered. Although the biological
diversity of the plants and animals are disappearing, these three animals still
thrive in the grassland.
Which creature is the only one to hibernate during the
winter season?
A grassland is a region where the average annual precipitation is great
enough to support grasses, and in some areas a few trees. The precipitation is
so scarce that drought and fire prevent large forests from growing. Grasses can
survive fires because they grow from the bottom instead of the top. Their stems
can grow again after being burned off. The soil of most grasslands is also too
thin and dry for trees to survive.
