Africa (Future of the World)

From Saecula Novae

Africa
DemonymAfrican
EcoregionsEastern Dry Grasslands, Sahara Desert, Namibia Desert, Congo Forest, Somaliland Wetlands

The African landscape is still a savannah. It's less hot, but due to the ice age it became drier than ever before. Bush-fires are common, ignited by lightning.

East African Dry Grasslands

East Africa's grasslands have dried, but proximity to the ocean and rivers flowing from Lake Victoria have ensured that the grasslands haven't actually vanished. However, most larger herd animals have vanished--wildabeest, zebra, and all but one species of pachyderm are a thing of the past.

Mammals

  • Livis, Leonoides gigantus -- The livis is a large predatory felid descended for the serval. Most species of big cats died out due to habitat destruction, and in a world devoid of Panthera, smaller felines quickly grew larger.
  • African River Dolphin, Tursiops africanus -- The African river dolphin is descended from a population of bottlenosed dolphins that slowly migrated further up estuaries. They only can be found in brackish water. Elsewhere, they could not displace existing cetioform species.
  • River Elephant, Platycepsoelephas potamica-- The last elephant, the river elephant is significantly smaller than its ancestor, the African bush elephant, and spends most of its time submerged up to its stomach in water.

Birds

  • The yellow-necked spurfowl, Pternistis leucoscepus, evolved into a much larger form, but retained much of the patterning and coloration of its ancestors.
    Flightless Spurfowl -- An ostrich-like descendent of the yellow-necked spurfowl (Pternistis leucoscepus) which grew to much larger sizes after a localized ostrich extinction, the flightless spurfowl retains its patterning when young, and its yellow throat in adulthood. In build, it still resembles its ancestors.
  • Flamingo, a surviving wading bird species.

Reptiles

  • Flesh-Tooth Lizard, Varanus nudicollus -- One of the primary scavengers of Africa is the flesh-tooth lizard, which, though it happily eats live prey, for the most part goes after dead carcasses, and often steals prey from hyenas.

Southern African Desert

The fynbos of South Africa have dried extensively. While isolated pockets do still exist, much has turned to desert.

Mammals

  • Desert Cheetah, Acinonyx solus -- One of the last members of the Acinonyx genus, the desert cheetah has adapted to a desert existence.