Introduction
The savanna is a category of grasslands that typically is punctuated by trees, but not so heavily that the leaves of the trees create a closed canopy. They experience both wet and dry seasons; during the dry season, savannas typically only get around four inches of precipitation in total, but during the wet season, amounts of fifteen to thirty-five inches of precipitation are commonly seen. These areas are home to many different kinds of plants and animals who have adapted to the unique conditions of these biomes and are frequently used as grazing areas for livestock around the world. Those who are inspired by this unique biome may wish to choose a name for their canine companion that is related to the savannas of the world.
Savanna Inspired Dog Names in Pop Culture
Savanna biomes are subject to both a wet and dry season. During the dry season, very little rain falls on the plain, but the shorter-lived wet seasons rain can fall at an astounding rate, typically between fifteen to thirty-five inches of precipitation per season. The rains that fall support the diversity of life in these ecological zones, and in the San Diego Zoo, a Rhodesian Ridgeback named Raina has spent her life supporting her best friend, a cheetah by the name of Ruuxa. Ruuxa was born at the San Diego Zoo in 2014 but was abandoned by his mother due to being an only cub. Cheetah cubs don’t typically thrive without companionship, so seven-week-old Raina was brought in to be Ruuxa’s playmate and companion. While the two are not the first cheetah and dog pairing at the zoo - that honor belongs to a cheetah named Arusha and his buddy, a Golden Retriever by the name of Anna, who were paired up as early as 1980 - they are one of the most closely bonded of the dog and cheetah pairs at the zoo. The cheetah and canine duos spend nearly every minute together, with the exception of mealtimes. The dogs are fed separately from the cheetahs because the canine half of the pair tends to exhibit more dominant behavior than these normally shy and somewhat anxious big cats. The dogs and cats are typically too closely bonded to fight, but the dogs have a tendency to eat the lion’s share of the food, which could lead to an overweight dog and very underweight cheetah.
A few months into Raina and Ruuxa’s partnership, Ruuxa was diagnosed with a skeletal disorder in which the growth plates of the cheetah's radii continued to grow after the ulnas had stopped growing, leading to a bowing of the front legs; a condition which not only causes pain, but interferes with the animal’s ability to walk and run. Raina was allowed to stay nearby while veterinarians Jeff Zuba and Sean Aiken performed surgery on the big cat’s legs, and she sat near the kennel so that she was the first face that Ruuxa saw when he woke from the sedation. Raina insisted on being near her friend throughout his recuperation and was extremely gentle throughout the healing process. Ruuxa recovered completely, and now he and Raina are participants in the Zoo’s Cheetah Run, an exhibition in which the cheetahs, and sometimes their canine companions, are given an opportunity to really stretch their legs, with Ruuxa often reaching speeds of seventy to seventy-five miles per hour.
Savanna Inspired Dog Name Considerations
Choosing a name for your new canine companion that is easy for you and the members of your household to pronounce clearly and consistently as well as one that is distinct from commands that you expect to use will help to clarify the name for your dog and avoid confusion down the road. Individuals who choose the environmental biome of the savanna to select their pooch’s name have several options for pinpointing just the right name for their dog. Some may choose to base their dog’s new title on the dog’s physical appearance, selecting a name like Tembo, Eland, or Anaconda for a very large canine, or Mannikin, Hummingbird, or Meerkat for a smaller dog, while others may choose to highlight one of their dog’s behavioral traits or skills, choosing a name like Gazelle, Cheetah, or Emu for a quick moving animal, or even Pobblebonk or Grasshopper for a dog that likes to jump. Other individuals may choose a name that represents an interest of their own. A person interested in botany may select a moniker like Baobab or Bahia, while a person who loves to birdwatch may choose a name like Roller, Finch, or Cockatoo instead. Those who have an interest in anthropology may even pick a name based on those societies indigenous to the area, such as Muisca or Shona.
Male Savanna Inspired Dog Names
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Aardvark
Aardvarks often venture into the savanna to find their favorite food; termites
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Armadillo
Several varieties of armadillo can be found living in the South American savanna
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Baobob
A tree in the African and Australian savanna that survives by going leafless for the entire nine-month dry season and storing water in their trunk
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Blaze
Another word for fire, an important component in the creation of savanna and other grassland biomes
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Brocket
The Brown and Red Brockets are two types of deer that make their homes in the Cerrado savanna
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Cashew
Cashew trees can be found growing in South American savannas
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Cerrado
A vast savanna that covers much of Brazil
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Currasow
Bare-Faced Curassows are a large darkly-colored bird often found in South American savannas
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Eland
The largest and slowest of the antelope found in the African savanna
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Emu
A speedy, flightless bird that inhabits the Australian savanna
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Gnu
There are many wildebeests, also known as Gnus, in the African savanna
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Grant
The Grant’s Zebra is the most populous of the three zebras found in the African savanna
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Gum
The eucalyptus trees that are predominant in the Australian savanna are also known as gum trees
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Hiccup
The River Bushwillow in the African savanna is also known as the Hiccup nut, as eating the seed causes hiccups
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Kookaburra
A type of bird found in the Australian savanna that has a call that sounds like a laugh
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Kudu
Kudus are very strong antelopes with striped pelts that can be found on the African savanna
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Lightning
The forest fires that help to form areas of savanna are often caused by lightning
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Lion
Lions are a big cat that hunts inhabitants of the African savanna using mainly cooperation and strength
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Llanos
One of the savannas located in South America is known as Los Llanos, which means the plains
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Mannikin
The Pictorella mannikin is a small bird that is endemic to the savannas of northern Australia
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Monsoon
Monsoon rains frequently occur over savanna lands during the wet season
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Orinoco
The Orinoco River, one of the longest rivers in South America, feeds into the Los Llanos savanna
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Pobblebonk
A type of frog that can be found in the Australian savanna, particularly during the wet season
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Python
The African Rock Python, a resident of the African savanna, is able to kill an animal as large as an antelope
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Roller
The Lilac-Breasted Roller is a colorful bird that is commonly seen on the African savanna in great numbers
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Serval
Servals are a medium-sized feline that that hunts on the savanna during the wet season
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Tembo
The word for elephant in Swahili
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Thorn
The Whistling Thorn tree is a type of acacia that frequently becomes the home for several varieties of savanna ants
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Tigerillo
A small spotted wildcat that hunts in the savannas and rain forests of South America, also referred to as Oncilla
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Yerba
The Yerba Maté plant, used to make Yerba Maté tea, is often found growing in the savannas of South America
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Female Savanna Inspired Dog Names
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Savanna
A savanna is a specific type of tropical grassland biome
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Acacia
A tree commonly seen growing in African savannas
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Africa
The largest and best-known savannas are located in Africa
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Anaconda
Anaconda snakes are frequently found swimming in the waters of the Los Llanos
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Bahia
Bahia grass is one of the predominant grasses that grow in the South American savannas
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Bat
Bats inhabit many different habitats and can be found in residence in nearly all of the world’s savanna biomes
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Bermuda
Bermuda grass is one of the most commonly seen grasses on the savanna
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Capybara
The largest member of the rodent family, the capybara, can often be found dwelling in South American savannas
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Chacma
The Chacma baboon is the largest of the monkeys, and it lives in the African savanna
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Cheetah
Cheetahs are a big cat that uses mainly speed to hunt prey in the African Savanna
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Cockatoo
Several varieties of cockatoo spend time in the Australian savanna
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Echidna
An egg-laying mammal found in the Australian savanna
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Finch
Finches are a common sight in savanna biomes; fourteen of the eighteen varieties of Australian finches live in the savanna areas
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Gazelle
A small but quick variety of antelope found in the African savanna
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Grasshopper
The savanna is home to a great many grasshoppers
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Hummingbird
Multiple varieties of the Swallow-tailed Hummingbird can be found in the Cerrado
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Ibis
The White-throated Ibis lives in open habitats of South America, including the savannas
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Impala
A medium-sized antelope that makes its home in the southern African savanna
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Jackalberry
An African savanna tree that grows on termite mounds
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Koala
A cute and fuzzy marsupial that lives in Eucalyptus trees, the most common tree on the Australian savanna
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Mamba
Poisonous Black Mamba snakes can be found living in the African savanna
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Marabou
The Marabou stork is a scavenger that is often found in the African savanna
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Meerkat
Meerkats are small animals that live underground in large communities known as mobs
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Mimosa
A type of tree that is found in the African and Australian savannas
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Muisca
A historical indigenous group in South America that farmed the fertile Bogotá savanna
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Pangolin
A mammal with a scaly appearance, similar to the armadillo, frequents the savanna
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Raina
Savanna biomes frequently have heavy rains and monsoons during their wet seasons
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Shona
An ethnic group that frequently lives in villages on the African savanna
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Skink
Several varieties of skink, a lizard-like reptile, make their homes in savanna biomes
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Twigga
The Swahili word that means giraffe
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