How long can the dry season last in different savannas?

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Flat savanna plain with scattered acacia trees under a partly cloudy sky in Serengeti National Park, Tanzania. — Savanna A savanna marked with acacia trees in Serengeti National Park, Tanzania. Africa's Serengeti Plain is commonly used as an example of the savanna biome—a hot, seasonally dry ecological region characterized by an open tree canopy (i.e., scattered trees) above an understory of continuous grasses.

The duration of the dry season in savannas varies significantly, ranging from 2 to 11 months.1

These regions are often categorized based on the length of this period:

Wet savannas: The dry season typically lasts 3 to 5 months.1
Dry savannas: The dry season typically lasts 5 to 7 months.1
Thornbush savannas: The dry season lasts even longer than in dry savannas.1

Because these environments are defined by alternating wet and dry seasons, the length of the dry period is a primary factor in determining the specific structure and vegetation of the savanna.1