Long Grass Plains

The Long Grass Plains are the domain of the Serengeti’s "great armies" of zebra. Stretching between Seronera and Naabi Hill, this 800-sq-mile expanse of deep soil and towering termite mounds is the primary green-season range for hundreds of thousands of zebras.

Details

The Long Grass Plains, also known as the transitional plains, cover a massive 800-square-mile area between the Central and South Serengeti. Unlike the short-grass plains to the south, the soil here is deep and less alkaline, allowing grasses to grow tall and coarse. While this vegetation is often too “stemmy” and poor in quality for wildebeest, it is the preferred habitat for the Serengeti’s zebra population. This region is a world of endless movement, defined by the unique social structures of zebra families and the miniature architectural wonders of the termite.

Clay Castles and Deep Soil

The landscape is characterized by rolling vistas of tall grass, punctuated by “towering clay castles”—termite mounds. These mounds are the work of some of the Serengeti’s smallest inhabitants, yet they are vital to the ecosystem. Termites aerate and fertilize the deep soil, and their mounds serve as:

Lookout Points: Utilized by cheetahs and topi to survey the horizon.
Refuges: Providing burrows and homes for aardvarks, pangolins, mongooses, and monitor lizards.
Bird Sanctuaries: Housing species like the Red-and-yellow Barbet.

During the green season, while wildebeest and gazelles congregate on the short-grass plains, the “great armies” of zebra occupy these long-grass stretches. The zebra migration is distinct not just in its range, but in its social complexity:

Family Units: Unlike the homogenous herds of wildebeest, zebras live in tight family units led by a dominant stallion with 2 to 6 mares. These bonds are for life; mares remain together even if their stallion is replaced.
The “Buddy Stance”: Zebras are often seen in pairs, facing opposite directions with heads resting on each other’s backs. This allows them to watch for predators from all angles and engage in mutual grooming to strengthen social bonds.
Cryptic Coloration: Their stripes act as “modern art” camouflage. While conspicuous in midday sun, the patterns blend together at dawn, dusk, and night—the peak hours for predation—making it nearly impossible for a lion to single out an individual within a moving herd.

Beyond the zebra, the Long Grass Plains are home to specialized species and seasonal visitors:

The Big Cats: Cheetahs are frequently spotted atop termite mounds, using the elevation to spot prey in the tall grass. Lions and hyenas also roam these plains, though the long grass makes for a more challenging hunt.
Rare Species: The deep soil and termite mounds make this the best area in the park to search for elusive nocturnal residents like the Aardvark, Pangolin, Genet, and Porcupine.
The Great Bird Migration: From October to April, the plains are carpeted by hundreds of thousands of White Storks arriving from Europe and Russia. They descend on the long grass to feast on seasonal population explosions of grasshoppers and caterpillars.

Seasonal Highlights

Month	Season	Weather	Wildlife Sightings	Rec.
Jan	Green Season	60 - 85 F Mostly sunny with few showers	Leopard, Lion, Giraffe, Impala, Buffalo, Hippo	Yes
Feb	Green Season	60 - 85 F Mostly sunny with few showers	Leopard, Lion, Giraffe, Impala, Buffalo, Hippo	Yes
Mar	Green Season	60 - 83 F Mostly sunny with few showers	Leopard, Lion, Giraffe, Impala, Buffalo, Hippo	Yes
Apr	Green Season	60 - 83 F Mostly sunny with few showers	Leopard, Lion, Giraffe, Impala, Buffalo, Hippo	Yes
May	Northward Migration	56 - 81 F Mostly sunny	Leopard, Lion, Giraffe, Impala, Buffalo, Hippo, Possibility of the Wildebeest Migration in mid to late May	Yes
Jun	Beginning of Dry Season	56 - 81 F Mostly sunny	Wildebeest Migration, Zebra Migration, Thomson's Gazelle Migration, Cheetah, Leopard, Lion, Giraffe, Buffalo, Hippo	Yes
Jul	Dry Season	60 - 83 F Mostly sunny	Thomson's Gazelle Migration, Cheetah, Leopard, Lion, Giraffe, Impala, Buffalo, Hippo	Yes
Aug	Dry Season	55 - 81 F Mostly sunny	Thomson's Gazelle Migration, Cheetah, Leopard, Lion, Giraffe, Impala, Buffalo, Hippo	Yes
Sep	Dry Season	55 - 81 F Mostly sunny	Thomson's Gazelle Migration, Cheetah, Leopard, Lion, Giraffe, Impala, Buffalo, Hippo	Yes
Oct	Dry Season	60 - 83 F Mostly sunny	Thomson's Gazelle Migration, Cheetah, Leopard, Lion, Giraffe, Impala, Buffalo, Hippo	Yes
Nov	Southward Migration	60 - 83 F Mostly sunny with few showers	Leopard, Lion, Giraffe, Impala, Buffalo, Hippo, Wildebeest Migration, Zebra Migration	Yes
Dec	Beginning of Green Season	60 - 83 F Mostly sunny with few showers	Leopard, Lion, Giraffe, Impala, Buffalo, Hippo	Yes