Savanna animals 23 riddles for kids, with the answers

Riddles

Who am I? Guess the animal

Read a riddle to a friend, one clue at a time. How many clues do they need? The last clue gives it away. Tap Show me to check the answer.

1. ?Riddle 1

   1. 1

      I live in a big group on the grassy plains and hills of Africa.

   2. 2

      I walk on the ground all day, but at night I sleep high in trees or on cliffs.

   3. 3

      I have pouches in my cheeks where I stuff food to eat later somewhere safe.

   4. 4

      Big males of my kind warn others with a huge yawn that shows their long, sharp teeth.

   5. 5

      I'm a big monkey with a face like a dog's, and I bark "wahoo!" when danger comes.

   Show me

   

   It's the baboon! Baboon facts for kids

2. ?Riddle 2

   1. 1

      I live on the wide grassy plains of Africa, and I like to hunt in the cool morning.

   2. 2

      I can't roar, but I can chirp like a little bird and purr like a house cat.

   3. 3

      My long tail steers like a boat's rudder, so I can turn sharply while running.

   4. 4

      After a big run, I get so hot that I must rest for about half an hour.

   5. 5

      I'm the fastest runner on land, a spotted cat that can zoom past a car in town.

   Show me

   

   It's the cheetah! Cheetah facts for kids

3. ?Riddle 3

   1. 1

      I live in Africa in a big family that is led by the oldest grandmother.

   2. 2

      I cover myself in mud and dust, because it works like sunscreen and keeps bugs away.

   3. 3

      I talk in rumbles too deep for you to hear, and may feel them with my feet.

   4. 4

      Just like you are left-handed or right-handed, I use one of my two long teeth more.

   5. 5

      I'm the biggest land animal, and my long trunk can lift a log or one blade of grass.

   Show me

   

   It's the elephant! Elephant facts for kids

4. ?Riddle 4

   1. 1

      I live in a herd on wide, grassy plains in Africa.

   2. 2

      I like short grass, so I often follow zebras and wildebeest that already ate the tall grass.

   3. 3

      My little black tail almost never stops wagging while I eat.

   4. 4

      When I get scared, I bounce straight up on stiff legs to show I'm hard to catch.

   5. 5

      I'm a fast, graceful runner with a black stripe on my side, and cheetahs love to chase me.

   Show me

   

   It's the gazelle! Gazelle facts for kids

5. ?Riddle 5

   1. 1

      I live in Africa, on grassy plains with trees here and there.

   2. 2

      I sleep very little, sometimes only half an hour a day, and often standing up.

   3. 3

      People thought I was almost silent, but at night I hum softly to my friends.

   4. 4

      My tongue is dark bluish purple and as long as your arm.

   5. 5

      I'm the tallest animal on land, and my long neck reaches leaves high up in trees.

   Show me

   

   It's the giraffe! Giraffe facts for kids

6. ?Riddle 6

   1. 1

      I rest in African rivers and lakes all day, and I eat grass all night.

   2. 2

      My closest living cousins are whales and dolphins.

   3. 3

      My skin makes its own oily reddish goo that works like sunscreen.

   4. 4

      I'm too heavy to float, so I walk and bounce along the river bottom.

   5. 5

      I'm as heavy as a car, and I open my giant mouth wider than almost any land animal.

   Show me

   

   It's the hippo! Hippo facts for kids

7. ?Riddle 7

   1. 1

      I live on the grassy plains of Africa, and I do most of my hunting at night.

   2. 2

      I look a bit like a dog, but my closer cousins are cats and mongooses.

   3. 3

      I can even eat bones, so my poo often turns chalky white.

   4. 4

      In my big family, the girls are bigger than the boys, and the boss is always a girl.

   5. 5

      Lions are my enemies, and when I feel nervous, I make a sound just like a giggly laugh.

   Show me

   

   It's the hyena! Hyena facts for kids

8. ?Riddle 8

   1. 1

      I live alone in the forests and grasslands of Africa and Asia, and I hunt mostly at night.

   2. 2

      I don't roar like a lion, my call sounds like someone sawing wood.

   3. 3

      I climb down trees head first, thanks to my strong shoulders and bendy ankles.

   4. 4

      My spots are called rosettes, because they look like little roses.

   5. 5

      I'm a big spotted cat, and I drag my dinner up trees so lions can't steal it.

   Show me

   

   It's the leopard! Leopard facts for kids

9. ?Riddle 9

   1. 1

      I live on the grassy plains of Africa, and I hunt mostly at night.

   2. 2

      I can sleep or rest for up to twenty hours a day.

   3. 3

      My tail ends in a black fluffy tuft, with a tiny hard spike hidden inside.

   4. 4

      I'm the only cat that lives in a real family, and we say hello by rubbing heads.

   5. 5

      Our males grow a thick mane around the head, and my loud roar carries very far.

   Show me

   

   It's the lion! Lion facts for kids

10. ?Riddle 10

    1. 1

       I live on dry, grassy plains in Africa, often near zebras and antelope.

    2. 2

       I have no teeth, so I swallow little stones that mash up the food in my tummy.

    3. 3

       My eye is bigger than my brain, the biggest eye of any animal on land.

    4. 4

       My egg is so strong that a grown-up can stand on it without breaking it.

    5. 5

       I'm the biggest bird in the world, and I can't fly, but I run faster than any person.

    Show me

    

    It's the ostrich! Ostrich facts for kids

11. ?Riddle 11

    1. 1

       I live on grassy plains in Africa and munch grass close to the ground all day.

    2. 2

       In the midday heat I roll in mud, which keeps me cool and stops bug bites.

    3. 3

       Little birds ride on my back, eat my ticks, and screech when danger comes.

    4. 4

       I'm as heavy as a car, yet I can gallop surprisingly fast.

    5. 5

       On my nose I have two horns, made of the same stuff as your fingernails.

    Show me

    

    It's the rhino! Rhino facts for kids

12. ?Riddle 12

    1. 1

       I live in a big family that walks a long way to find fresh grass.

    2. 2

       When my family rests, one of us always stays awake to keep watch.

    3. 3

       Biting flies find it hard to land on me.

    4. 4

       I look a lot like a horse, but nobody has ever really tamed me.

    5. 5

       I'm black and white, and no two of us have the same pattern.

    Show me

    

    It's the zebra! Zebra facts for kids

13. ?Riddle 13

    1. 1

       I live in a big herd on grassy plains near water in Africa.

    2. 2

       When my herd must choose a way, the grown-up females stare in one direction, and we follow.

    3. 3

       Little birds ride on my back and eat the ticks off my skin.

    4. 4

       The big males in my family grow a hard helmet of horn right across their forehead.

    5. 5

       I look like a huge black wild cow with wide horns, and my herd can chase off lions.

    Show me

    

    It's the African buffalo! African buffalo facts for kids

14. ?Riddle 14

    1. 1

       I live on the grassy plains and rocky hills of Africa, and I love the morning sun.

    2. 2

       I often make my home in an old termite mound and keep coming back to it for years.

    3. 3

       My babies hatch from eggs already able to hunt all by themselves.

    4. 4

       I'm the longest venomous snake in Africa, often longer than a grown man is tall.

    5. 5

       My scales are grey or brown, yet I'm named for the inky black inside of my mouth.

    Show me

    

    It's the black mamba! Black mamba facts for kids

15. ?Riddle 15

    1. 1

       I live in Africa and walk through marshes and grassy fields on my two long legs.

    2. 2

       When I walk through grass, I stamp my feet to scare out bugs to eat.

    3. 3

       Unlike most of my cousins, I can sleep up in trees, gripping branches with my long back toe.

    4. 4

       I puff up a red pouch on my throat to make deep, booming calls.

    5. 5

       Stiff golden feathers stick up on my head like a king's spiky hat, and I'm on Uganda's flag.

    Show me

    

    It's the crowned crane! Crowned crane facts for kids

16. ?Riddle 16

    1. 1

       I live in the grasslands of southern Africa, and I'm about as big as a grape.

    2. 2

       Under my hard, shiny black shell, I hide wings for flying.

    3. 3

       Some of my relatives find their way at night by looking at the stars.

    4. 4

       For our size, my family and I are the strongest insects in the world.

    5. 5

       I shape poo into a ball and roll it backwards, standing on my front legs.

    Show me

    

    It's the dung beetle! Dung beetle facts for kids

17. ?Riddle 17

    1. 1

       I live in the grasslands of Africa and spend my days munching on grass.

    2. 2

       Sometimes I chew on old bones, or even hyena poo, to grow strong.

    3. 3

       I'm not good at digging deep holes, so I hide in holes that jackals or aardvarks dug.

    4. 4

       My eggs can take more than a whole year to hatch.

    5. 5

       My tall, round shell is covered in black spots, just like the coat of a big spotted cat.

    Show me

    

    It's the leopard tortoise! Leopard tortoise facts for kids

18. ?Riddle 18

    1. 1

       I live on the grassy plains of Africa and walk a long way every day.

    2. 2

       I stomp on clumps of grass to make hiding grasshoppers, mice and lizards jump out.

    3. 3

       I have long, dark eyelashes, which is very unusual for a bird.

    4. 4

       I'm a cousin of eagles, and my long head feathers look like old pens tucked behind an ear.

    5. 5

       I have the longest legs of any bird of prey, and I kill snakes with lightning-fast kicks.

    Show me

    

    It's the secretary bird! Secretary bird facts for kids

19. ?Riddle 19

    1. 1

       I live in dry, grassy lands in southern Africa, and I'm about as big as a sparrow.

    2. 2

       I hardly ever drink, because I get my water from the bugs I eat.

    3. 3

       My front door points down, and sharp straw spikes help keep snakes away.

    4. 4

       Tiny falcons and colourful lovebirds often move in with me, like friendly neighbours.

    5. 5

       Lots of us share one giant grass nest, the biggest of any bird, and heavier than a horse.

    Show me

    

    It's the sociable weaver! Sociable weaver facts for kids

20. ?Riddle 20

    1. 1

       I live on the wide grassy plains of Africa and sleep underground at night.

    2. 2

       I rarely dig my own home and often move into an old hole an aardvark dug.

    3. 3

       I back into my hole bottom first, so I can rush straight out if danger comes.

    4. 4

       I kneel down on tough pads on my front legs to munch short grass.

    5. 5

       My face is covered in big bumps, and curved tusks stick up beside my snout.

    Show me

    

    It's the warthog! Warthog facts for kids

21. ?Riddle 21

    1. 1

       I live on wide grassy plains in Africa, and I eat fresh green grass.

    2. 2

       Zebras like to walk with me, because they eat the tall grass and I eat the short grass underneath.

    3. 3

       I can stand up just minutes after I'm born, and I run with my herd within a day.

    4. 4

       Both boys and girls like me grow curved horns that sweep out and up like bicycle handlebars.

    5. 5

       Over a million of us travel together across Africa, leaping into rivers where crocodiles wait.

    Show me

    

    It's the wildebeest! Wildebeest facts for kids

22. ?Riddle 22

    1. 1

       I live in the dry grasslands of Africa, and I come out mostly at night.

    2. 2

       When it's too dry, I sleep underground wrapped in a blanket of my old skin.

    3. 3

       I'm a dad who guards my tadpoles and digs canals to lead them to deeper water.

    4. 4

       I sit very still, then lunge with a mouth so huge I could swallow a whole mouse.

    5. 5

       I'm one of the biggest frogs in the world, and my call is a deep, low whoop.

    Show me

    

    It's the African bullfrog! African bullfrog facts for kids

23. ?Riddle 23

    1. 1

       I live in Africa, always close to rivers, lakes or swamps.

    2. 2

       Like a snake, I flick my long forked tongue to smell the air.

    3. 3

       I swim by waving my flat tail like a paddle, and my nostrils sit high so I can breathe.

    4. 4

       My mother laid her eggs inside a termite hill, and the termites kept them warm.

    5. 5

       I'm the longest lizard in all of Africa, and the Komodo dragon is my cousin.

    Show me

    

    It's the Nile monitor! Nile monitor facts for kids