Fauna of Madagascar. Plants of the island of Madagascar What animals live on the island of Madagascar
When Admiral Etienne de Flacourt published his History of the Grand Island in 1658 Madagascar”, summing up his long stay in this corner of the Earth, it contained a lot of the most incredible information, perceived as fables of travelers, and their veracity was established only centuries later.
Speaking about birds “inhabiting forests,” Flacourt, for example, wrote: “Vurupatra is a large bird living in Ampatra, lays eggs, like an ostrich, in the most deserted places.”
After Flacourt, other travelers wrote about the huge bird, and they were also called dreamers. And she also laid eggs, larger than those that ostriches “produce,” and the locals used them as utensils.
Here is what Ferdinand von Hochstäcker writes:
“Madagascars came to Mauritius to buy rum. The containers they brought with them were egg shells eight times larger than ostrich eggs and 135 times larger than chicken eggs; they held more than 9 liters. They said that these eggs are sometimes found in desert areas, and birds are occasionally seen.”
It is clear that all this was perceived as anecdotes. If an ostrich with a height of 2 meters 50 centimeters was considered a giant monster bird, then what can we say about a giant that laid eggs eight times larger than an ostrich?
As Orientalists believed, these rumors were nothing more than an echo of the legend of the Rukh bird from the tales of the Arabian Nights, a terrible creature that had earned a dubious reputation among Arab sailors. She was so huge, they said about her, that when she appeared in the sky, a shadow appeared: her wings covered the sun. And she is so strong that she can grab an elephant and lift it into the air, and impale several animals on its horn at once. It happened that she carried away entire ships with crews...
On his second voyage, Sinbad the Sailor encountered this bird after he found an egg. It was 50 steps wide!
When Herodotus wrote about giant African birds, their size seemed more modest: Egyptian priests told him about a race of flying giants who lived on the other side of the source of the Nile, and they had the power to lift a person. Let us remember that the largest eagle is able to lift a creature no larger than a rabbit...
Marco Polo in the fourteenth century heard echoes of the same tale from the lips of Kublai Khan. The Asian ruler showed him the feathers of a bird “about 20 meters long” and two eggs of considerable size. And he added that Rock comes from the island of Madagascar on the south side.
Thus, the stories about the Rukh bird and the Malagasy legends coincided in time and space. But it seemed incredible that a bird weighing several hundred kilograms could rise into the air. But it was believed that if a bird is a bird, it must certainly be able to fly. And the Rock bird, also known as Vurupatra, was declared a fable.
Epiornis eggs
Years passed, and in 1834, the French traveler Goudeau picked up incredible-sized halves of shells on the island, which served as bottles for local residents. He made a drawing and sent it in 1840 to Paris to ornithologist Jules Verreau. He, based only on the appearance of the egg, named the bird that laid it epiornis, “big bird.”
A few years later, this name, which initially aroused suspicion, was legitimized when Dumarel saw a whole egg in the vicinity of Diego Suarez in 1848. “It held 13 bottles of liquid.”
And in 1851, it was finally officially recognized that there were giant birds on the island: the captain of the merchant ship Malavois brought to the Paris Museum two eggs 32 centimeters long and 22 centimeters wide. They mixed in about eight liters (8 ostrich and 140 chicken eggs). From one such egg you can make an omelette for 70 people.
A few years later, the famous traveler Alfred Grandidier removed from the Ambalisatre swamps bones of an indeterminate type that, at first glance, belonged to some kind of pachyderm. But research has shown that these are bird bones (“elephant birds”). To be honest, ornithologists were not very surprised, because a few years earlier R. Owen described moa from bone remains from New Zealand. Based on the available material, Isidore Geoffrey Saint-Hilaire described the species Aepyornis maximus.
In fact, epiornis is not at all larger than moa in height (moa is 2 meters 50 centimeters tall). The Paris Museum has a restored skeleton of Aepornis - 2.68 meters. But this is also a very big increase.
Epiornis eggs
To be honest, there is no direct connection between the growth of a bird and its egg. Remember the kiwi from New Zealand: its eggs are comparable to those of an ostrich, and the bird itself is no larger than a chicken. And in terms of weight, the following data is obtained: 440 kilograms for the largest apiornis and 329 for a medium-sized moa.
When do giants disappear?
A study of the bones of Aepyornis showed that, unlike the legendary Rukh, this real bird did not know how to fly. Like other keelbirds, its relatives are the cassowary, moa, emu... Their wings were underdeveloped.
But is it the same bird that Flakur designated under the name Vurupatra? The eggs that were found in the sand in the dunes of the south and southeast or in the mud of the swamps were suspiciously fresh, as if they had just been laid. And the bones didn’t look like fossils...
They began to question the residents. They answered that the birds were found in the remote corners of the island, but they were seen very, very rarely. But naturalists, still under the influence of Cuvier, do not want to believe this, so no one today not only searched for the bird, but also studied the reasons for its disappearance.
Epiornis skull
One thing is obvious: man could not be the only reason for its death, unlike the story with the moa vurupatru, or vorompatru, was not exterminated for meat. There is not a word about this in the legends (and the Maori were happy to talk about hunting moa using simple pikes with a stone tip).
In an attempt to explain the death of Aepyornis, they went as far as asphyxia caused by gas releases in certain areas of the island. But isn't it too difficult? Most likely, it has to do with the habitat areas themselves. The climate changed, people drained the swamps, and the last shelters disappeared.
The giant swamps dried up in the highlands of Antsirabe and Betafo. Epiornis climbed further and further into the swamps and died there, not finding food. This is proven by their remains found in peat bogs. It is clear that man hastened the end of the vorompatra, it survived until recent times, until 1862 (when the inhabitants clearly saw it), not reaching quite a bit to the present day.
Other giants of Madagascar
Various factors contributed to the death of not only Epiornis, but also other species, such as Mullerornis, the giant cassowary of the Ankaratra region, Centornis and many others. But isn't it too early to bury them?
Just like on the neighboring islands - Seychelles and Mascarene - the giant tortoise Testudo grandidieri weighing up to one ton was found here. She apparently became a victim of drought. But according to Raymond Decarie, an expert on the fauna of Madagascar, the extermination of the turtle was not widespread.
“There are rumors about the presence in certain caves of the southwest of a mysterious creature that may turn out to be a giant turtle - are we talking about the last representatives of Testudo grandidieri?” - writes the zoologist.
Testudo grandidieri turtle shell
Another species: in Madagascar there were giant crocodiles, whose skulls reached 80 centimeters in width. There is evidence that they are still here.
The total drainage of the swamps led to the disappearance of hippopotamuses on the island. Previously, there were giants here, reminiscent of the Pleistocene hippopotamuses of Africa. Didn’t the great wanderer Dumont D’Urville write about them in 1829 in his book “Travels Around the World” while sailing along the rivers of Madagascar?
On the other hand, there is an assumption that it was the hippopotamus, or rather its image, transformed by the legend, that served as the basis for the myth of the tsogombi or ombirano - a water bull, half mule, half horse with a hump.
If we are talking about a hippopotamus, then it has changed a lot in the legends, because Tsogombi has huge hanging ears. In addition, he was “gifted” with a scream that would terrify anyone, as well as aggressive cannibalistic habits. The Mahafaly and Antrandon tribes, according to R. Decarie, attribute to him eggs that actually belonged to Epyornis.
There are also rumors of railalomena, which means "father or ancestor of the hippopotamus." He supposedly lives in swamps, and has a horn in his forehead. All this is very reminiscent of the famous "Dinosaur from the Congo" ( ). Perhaps the Bantu invaders who appeared here brought with them descriptions of a mysterious creature from the continent.
Both hypotheses have a right to exist, and in both cases there are similarities with the Congolese reptile - the body of a hippopotamus, horn, drooping ears (which in fact may be fleshy growths on the edges of the head and are visible on the dragon from the portico of Ishtar), oviparity, talking about a reptile , swamp habitat, aggressive character and, finally, wild screams.
If this creature lived in Madagascar, it could certainly have become one of the first victims of the drying out of swamps and lakes. Unless, of course, it's a giant turtle. Or a touring crocodile from the continent...
Tretretre and the man with the dog's head
Madagascar is called the land of semi-fossil animals. No other island can become such a showcase of ancient history. The remains of animals, birds, and reptiles often turn out to be so fresh that many wonder: are their “owners” alive?
Often legends and oral traditions claim that people knew them until relatively recently. Let us recall Gennep's principle, according to which memories of events are lost within two centuries where there is no oral tradition. That is why there is such great interest in the memories of travelers.
In addition to the epiornis, Flacourt wrote about another mysterious animal: “Tretretretra, or tratratratra, the size of a bull and with the face of a man. It is reminiscent of Ambroise Pare's tanakht. This is a solitary animal, and the inhabitants of that country are afraid of it and run away from it...”
The first reaction of naturalists of that time was, naturally, unambiguous - a myth. Nothing like this has ever lived in Madagascar; there have never been real monkeys there. Especially such an amazing view. So, someone repeated the naive fables of Marco Polo and Ctesias?
The first camouflage was removed with the discovery of the indri (Indris brevicaudatus), the largest living lemur, fitting the description of a "dog-headed man." It is about a meter high, almost without a tail (stump), often stands on its hind legs, being on the ground, it surprisingly resembles a person. Its elongated muzzle looks more like a fox than a dog.
Looking at him, you understand why members of the Betsimaraka clan both killed and deified him, calling him babakoto (father-child), considering him the descendant of a man who retired to the forests. Let us add that all lemurs for the Malagasy are fadi (taboo), because it is believed that this is another incarnation of man.
And at the end of the 19th century, the remains of a huge fossil lemur were found in Madagascar, which was called megaladapis. The height of an adult Megaladapis was comparable to the height of a short person, the weight was supposedly up to 70 kilograms (for Megaladapis Edwards even up to 200 kilograms).
Megaladapis is believed to have gone extinct as early as the 10th millennium BC, but radiocarbon dating suggests that Edwards' Megaladapis was still living in Madagascar at the time Europeans arrived there in 1504.
Megaladapis
In those same years, remains of Paleopropithecus were discovered in Madagascar. Paleopropithecus is a genus of subfossil lemurs that lived in Madagascar from the Pleistocene to historical times. Paleopropithecus was also a large primate, weighing from 40 to 55 kilograms.
Paleopropithecus definitely lived in Madagascar at the time humans appeared there (the latest remains from the Ankilitheo deposit, according to radiocarbon dating, date back to the 14th-15th centuries AD). They could also be what was called a tretretre.
The fading heart of Gondwana
Logically, one could look for the same part of Gondwana in Madagascar as on the African continent. In fact, the island is not an African zoological province. Malgash animals are characterized, on the one hand, by the originality of their forms, and on the other hand, they are related to the forms of South America and the Indo-Malayan region.
Among the typical forms of Madagascar are lemurs, which differ from other primates in a number of anatomical features. It was for this appearance that scientists gave them the name “lemurs,” as the Romans called the phantoms of dead people. But lemurs live not only in Madagascar. Some are common in Africa - galago, potto and angwantibo, and in Malaysia - lorises and slow lorises.
But in Madagascar there live forms completely unknown in Africa. Moreover, they are famous in... the Antilles! And in South America. This whole cocktail is explained by the presence of the once huge continent of Gondwana.
A study of the fossil remains of lemurs showed that even in the recent era there were a great many of them. Magaladapis were true tree-climbing rhinoceroses. They did this despite their size, thanks to their tenacious fingers. And there were many others. And looking at them, you think that Flacourt’s descriptions do not seem so fantastic.
Who is Tokandia - a “four-legged jumper” that lives in trees and makes human sounds? Who are the Kolonoros, the Malagasy gnomes?
“All tribes,” writes Decarie, “believe in some semblance of our dwarfs, brownies and gnomes. Their names vary by region: bibialona, kotokeli, and so on. Colonoro is something of an amphibian. On Lake Alcatra they live like sirens or mermaids with long fluffy hair, they live in the water, they reach out to pies, they grab children.”
According to the beliefs of the Betsileo, the Colonoro, on the contrary, is a land creature two cubits high, covered with long hair, he has a wife named Kotokeli, and lives in caves. She steals children from people and replaces them with her own.
In the Kinkong Lake area, the Sakalawa have a different concept of colonoro. This is a male creature that lives along the banks of ponds. Dimensions are less than a meter. He has a sweet feminine voice, eats fish, and walks around the neighborhood in the evenings. Meets a man, talks to him and lures him into a pond.
Strange legends spread throughout the island, fresh bones found in the southwest, and the conditions of their occurrence indicate that Hadropithecus (another ancient species of lemur) may have survived into recent eras in the region of Bara, Ancazoabo.
Many areas of Madagascar are still completely unexplored, and giant lemurs could survive on these millions of hectares of forest. Remember the okapi - he lived incognito for a long time.
A British photographer has led an epic 20-year foray into one of the world's strangest ecological systems. Nick Garbutt, 46, from Cumbria, has made 25 trips deep into the forests of Madagascar. He has visited the island every year since 1991. Over two decades, Nick has created an extraordinary collection of photographic photographs of unusual and colorful species of the island.
An adult female fossa (Crytoprocta ferox) hunts prey in the forest at Kirindy Park in western Madagascar.
A male comet moth (Argema mittrei) dries its wings in the forest in Mantadia National Park, Madagascar.
An adult male fossa (Crytoprocta ferox) wanders through a deciduous forest, western Madagascar.
The island was cut off from the African mainland 160 million years ago. But the inhabitants of the island developed functions that are not found anywhere else. Many of the animals that are in Nick's photographs can only be found in Madagascar.
Verreaux sifaka (Propithecus verreauxi) passes through open space in thorny forests, southern Madagascar.
The concern is that a large number of the animals in these photographs could become extinct within the next 20 years. Poor local communities are cutting down forests to make way for crops such as rice. A huge amount of wood harvested from the destroyed forest is used to produce charcoal. Nick said: "In its original state, Madagascar was 85% forested, and now only 8% remains. What's even more shocking is that 50% of the forest loss has happened in the last 50 years and I've seen this massive destruction. Since I I started coming here since 1991, I don’t have much hope for a revival.”
A male spear-nosed chameleon (Calumma Gallus) in the lowland rainforest near Mantadia, eastern Madagascar.
Although the number of national parks on the island is growing, environmentalists fear that this is not enough to save many of the animals. “When I first visited Madagascar, there were only two national parks,” says Nick. “That number has now grown to 20, and they serve as sanctuaries for animals where cutting trees is illegal, but in practice it doesn’t always work.”
An adult black-and-white ruffed lemur (Varecia Variegata) hangs on a branch in Andasibe-Mantadia National Park, eastern Madagascar.
“It is inevitable that all national parks will be run by the people living on the island, and this still equates to the loss of animals,” he says. “Large numbers of individuals will simply disappear and there will be no one left in the parks to protect. We need to slow the rate of destruction and preserve the amazing diversity.”
Ring-tailed lemurs (Lemur catta) bask in the sun at dawn, Berenty Private Reserve, southern Madagascar.
Nick Garbutt with an orphaned ring-tailed lemur near Tsimanampetsotsa National Park in November 2009.
Nick Garbutt at Ranomafana National Park in May 1991 on his first visit to the island.
A pygmy stump-tailed chameleon (Brookesia peyrierasi) on a finger in the Nosy Mangabe Nature Reserve, northeastern Madagascar.
Male giraffe-necked weevil (Trachelophorus giraffa) in the Vohiparara rainforest, Ranomafana National Park, Madagascar.
A leaf-tailed gecko (Uroplatus fimbriatus) climbs a tree trunk in Nosy Mangabe Park, northeastern Madagascar.
Nick Garbutt photographs a panther chameleon in Masoala National Park in October 2009.
Painted mantella frog (Mantella madagascariensis) in Mantadia National Park, eastern Madagascar.
A male panther chameleon (Furcifer pardalis) searches for prey in vegetation on a peninsula beach in Masoala National Park, northeastern Madagascar.
Amazing bird Helmet Vanga (Euryceros prevostii) near its nest in Masoala NP, northeast of Madagascar.
Male Parsons chameleon (Calumma parsonii) in the rainforest, Masoala National Park, Madagascar.
Huge baobab trees (Adansonia grandidieri) at dusk, near Morondava, western Madagascar.
A white-lipped tree frog (Boophis albilabris) sits in the rainforest of Ranomafana National Park, southeastern Madagascar.
During his fascinating travels, Nick also photographed the strange aye-aye. Having a long middle finger, it is able to rummage in the bark of a tree like a “fish” in water, looking for larvae and cutworms there.
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Is this what you were looking for? Perhaps this is something you couldn’t find for so long?
Madagascar is home to some unique and unusual species of fauna. The island is home to almost 25,000 species of wildlife, many of which are endangered. Over the past 2,000 years, Madagascar's biologically rich forests have been reduced by almost 90%, largely due to agriculture and other commercial activities such as logging.
The massive outbreak has brought several island animals to the brink of extinction. Lemurs, which exclusively inhabit Madagascar, are the most endangered and are listed on the Red List of Threatened Species. The bamboo lemur, named after its favorite food, is critically endangered because its habitat has been reduced to 4% of its original size.
Madagascar is located in the Indian Ocean on the southeast coast of Africa, and is the 4th largest island in the world. This is a place dominated by endemic species of animals and plants that are found nowhere else in the world. The island was isolated for several million years, allowing animals and plants to evolve and diversify in a small area.
About 170 million years ago, Madagascar was a landlocked territory within the continent of Gondwana. As a result of the movement of the earth's crust, Madagascar and India separated from South America and Africa, and then from Antarctica and Australia. Around 88 million years ago, India also separated from Madagascar, allowing animals on the island to evolve in relative isolation.
Lemurs
Lemurs are primates that look like an animal similar to a dog, cat and squirrel. They exhibit incredibly unique and exciting behavior, including singing sounds reminiscent of whales. Today there are more than thirty species of lemurs in Madagascar, ranging in size from the 25 g dwarf mouse lemur to the largest indri lemur weighing over 12 kg. Lemurs are one of the most endangered animals on the entire planet, and according to the IUCN Red List, they are considered critically endangered, with 22 species critically endangered; 48 species are endangered and 20 are vulnerable.
Fossa
The Fossa lives in the forests of Madagascar and is a close relative of the mongoose. It grows up to 1.8 m in length from tail to nose and weighs up to 12 kg. The animal has a slender body and looks more like a mongoose than a mongoose. The Fossa uses its long tail to move quickly through the trees. The animal is classified as a critically endangered species and is listed on the IUCN Red List due to its habitat loss. Today, less than 10% of Madagascar's original forest cover remains, which is also the only home of the fossa.
Madagascar comet
Madagascar comet ( Argema Mittrei) is one of the most beautiful butterflies in the world, found only in Madagascar. The wingspan can reach 20 cm. The insect has a bright yellow color and long “tails” on the lower wings. Females are wider, their wings are round, and their tail is shorter than that of males. Until now, these beautiful animals do not have protected status, and their population size has not been established.
Panther chameleon
The panther chameleon is endemic to Madagascar and other nearby islands. It has the most variety of colors of any chameleon and is most sought after by reptile traders. Like other chameleons, the panther chameleon has a raised nape. When hunting, it uses its tongue with a suction cup at the end. This species is least endangered.
Fantastic leaf-tailed gecko
Fantastic leaf-tailed gecko ( Uroplatus Phantasticus) is a stunning reptile that can camouflage itself in its environment. Its body is similar to dead leaves, which helps the animal hide from predators. The gecko is covered in patterned skin and its tail looks like it has been chewed by insects. All these features help it blend in well with the surrounding foliage. Fantastic leaf-tailed geckos vary widely in color, but they are generally brownish with some spots on the belly, which sets them apart from other similar species.
They are nocturnal reptiles with large eyes that are suitable for hunting insects in the dark. They also have sticky scales under their toes and strong claws that allow them to move quickly through trees. Geckos live in a specific habitat and are not tolerant of any changes. Due to their appearance, leaf-tailed geckos are beloved pets and are one of the best-selling species. Recently, there has been a decline in population numbers in the wild.
Tomato frog
Also known as tomato narrowmouth frogs, these frogs are found only in Madagascar, mainly in the northwestern part of the island. As a rule, they lead a terrestrial lifestyle and are common in forested areas. Due to deforestation, their habitat has been destroyed, but they appear to adapt well to changed conditions and can be found in gardens and plantations.
There are three types of tomato frogs: Dazzophus antongilli, Dyscophus guineti And Dyscophus insularis. Of the three, D.antogilli is endangered due to deforestation and trapping for keeping as pets. These frogs mate during the rainy season, in shallow, slow-moving water. They are brightly colored and can secrete a nasty substance when threatened, although it is not toxic but can irritate the mucous membrane.
Red foodie
Also called the Madagascar fody, this bird is native to Madagascar and other nearby islands such as the Comoros, Seychelles and Mauritius, and the species has recently been found as far away as the Arabian Peninsula. They grow to about 12.5-13.5 cm and weigh about 14-19 g. Males have bright plumage on the chest and head, while the wings, tail and eye area have dark feathers. The plumage varies widely from orange to yellowish, and during breeding the males molt and become olive-brown like the females. The species is least endangered.
Madagascar hissing cockroach
The Madagascar hissing cockroach is one of the most fascinating endemic animal species on the island. It has an oval shape and a shiny brown body without wings, but with a pair of raised horns in the males. During conflicts, these insects hiss, which is how they got their name. Unlike most insects, which create noise through body parts or vibration, the Madagascar cockroach hisses by contracting its abdomen and forcing air through its spiracles. The insects can live from two to five years and grow up to 5-7 cm in length.
Madagascar bat
The Madagascar bat is a nocturnal primate that lives primarily in trees. Their thumbs and long tails allow them to stay comfortable in trees while they use their echolocation to find food such as insects. They also have sensitive large ears and eyes that help them find food. Because of their bizarre appearance, they were considered a bad omen among the locals of Madagascar. The species is on the verge of extinction.
Madagascar long-eared owl
This bird has a body length of about 50 cm, making it the largest owl on the island. Females are usually larger than males. The owl is characterized by a brownish crown on the top of its head. She also has a brown facial disc. The Madagascar owl is primarily nocturnal. The species is least endangered.
Striped tenrec
The striped tenrec is common in the lowland northern and eastern parts of Madagascar. The animal has a long pointed snout, vestigial tail and limbs. The muzzle is black with yellow stripes, and the body is covered with spines. The striped tenrec is active both during the day and at night and feeds mainly on insects. The long muzzle is designed mainly for digging in the ground in search of prey. They can also feed on worms, small fish and even frogs. Tenrecs mainly breed in October and December depending on the availability of food. The gestation period is 58 days and the female can give birth to up to eight cubs. The species is of least concern.
Black mantella
Known as Mantella madagascariensis, the black mantella is a brightly colored frog with green, black, yellow or orange colors. The species is found only in eastern and central Madagascar. These frogs live in tropical forests bordering freshwater bodies. They can tolerate moderate temperatures between 24ºC and 27ºC during the day and slightly lower at night. The black mantella is a carnivorous animal that primarily feeds on insects. Frogs are active during the day, usually occupying small territories. The bright body color acts as a warning of danger to any predator. The species is in a vulnerable position.
The fourth largest among the islands. The territory of Madagascar is almost 600,000 square kilometers. The Arkhangelsk region occupies approximately the same amount. Out of almost 90 regions of Russia, it is in 8th place.
Madagascar was also once part, not of a country, but of the ancient continent of Gondwana. However, the island broke away 160,000,000 years ago. Isolation and, at the same time, an abundance of food and fresh water led to the development of the animal world.
Evolution led him in a special way. Bottom line: - more than 75% of Madagascar’s animals are endemic, that is, they are not found outside the republic. Madagascar gained sovereignty in the 1960s. Before this, the island belonged to France.
It was discovered by the Portuguese Diego Diaso. This happened in the 16th century. If you haven’t visited Madagascar since then, it’s time to discover the world of its inhabitants.
White-fronted Indri
Represents the Indriaceae family, which includes 17 species. All of them live only in Madagascar. White-fronted, for example, occupied forests from the north of the Mangoro River to the Anteynambalana River.
The animal belongs to the wet-nosed primates. Accordingly, it resembles a monkey with a wet nose. More precisely, the endemic is the lemur. This is a transitional stage from lower mammals to primates.
The white-fronted indri is named due to its color. The fur on the lemur's body is white, but the forehead area is accentuated by a black collar on the neck and a dark muzzle. The animal reaches a meter in length. This comes with the tail. The weight of an indri is 7-8 kilograms.
In the photo there is an indri lemur
Crowned lemur
This animal weighs only 2 kilos and is up to 90 centimeters long. Its slenderness allows it to jump long distances, from branch to branch. The tail helps with gliding. The lemur gets its name from the dark spot on its head.
The main color is orange. Like all lemurs, crowned lemurs live in packs. They are led by females. So King Juklian from the famous cartoon is a doubly fictional character.
Pictured is a crowned lemur
Lemur vari
Vari is one of the largest animals living in Madagascar. This refers to lemurs. Among them is a giant with a body length of about 120 centimeters. At the same time, the animals weigh only 4 kilos and, like their small counterparts, eat fruits, berries, and nectar.
Varna has a contrasting color. The muzzle is framed by white whiskers. The fur on the legs and back is also light. The remaining areas are “filled” with black. You can see the wari in the east of the island, in the mountains. Their height is approximately 1,200 meters above sea level.
In the photo there is a lemur
Ring-tailed lemur
These animals of Madagascar not only the height of a cat, but also their ears similar to it. The tail of representatives of the species is powerful, with black and white rings. The body is gray, pinkish or brownish on the back.
In the cartoon “Madagascar,” by the way, Julian represents the “cat” family. On the screen he holds his tail up. In nature, this is done to appear taller and to scare away enemies.
The second position of the tail is not described in the cartoon. The organ serves as the 5th leg, supporting the animal when standing on its hind legs and walking along thin branches.
Pictured is a ring-tailed lemur
Gapalemur
The primate is distinguished by its large big toes. The color of the animals is brown. The fur is dense and short. Brown eyes on a round head with almost invisible ears give the impression that the lemur was in a hurry. Therefore, representatives of the species are often called meek. The total length of gapa bodies does not exceed 80 centimeters, and their weight is 3 kilograms.
Gapas differ from other lemurs in their tendency to swim. Representatives of the species settled in bamboo thickets near Lake Alautra, in the northeast Madagascar. Animals in the photo often found in water rather than in trees.
However, hapalemurs still feed on vegetation. The stomachs of animals are able to neutralize cyanide contained in bamboo shoots. Therefore, like pandas in China, gapas are not poisoned by the plant.
Pictured is Gapalemur
Sifaka nut
In general, the little hand is a most curious creature that thousands of tourists are eager to see. The animal is, however, nocturnal. Under the shadow of darkness, it digs out from under the bark and stones with its long fingers.
In the photo there is a Madagascar little hand
Fossa
Fossas hunt lemurs and live solitarily on the ground. True, you have to climb trees to find lemurs. The hunter can be given away by a guttural growl reminiscent of a cat.
In the photo there is a fossa animal
Madagascar rat
Speaking what animals are in Madagascar are endemic, I would like to mention the giant one while it is possible. The species is dying out. Its habitat is only 20 square kilometers north of Morondava.
This is one of the cities of the republic. As you drive away from it, you see rats the size of and several similar to them. So, the animals have muscular hind legs. They are needed for jumping. The ears are elongated. Animals press them to their heads when they jump almost a meter in height and 3 in length.
The color of giant Madagascar rats is closer to beige. In nature they live in burrows and require the same in captivity. The first offspring outside the habitat were obtained in 1990. Since then, they have been trying to replenish the population artificially.
Pictured is a Madagascar rat
Striped tenrec
In the photo there is a tenrec animal
Madagascar comet
We are not talking about a cosmic body, but the largest in the world. It is classified as a peacock eye. All members of the family have bright, round patterns on their wings that resemble pupils.
The comet inhabits only the island of Madagascar and its animals not averse to feasting on the fleshy body of an insect. However, the butterfly only lives for a couple of days. Comets starve, using the resources accumulated in the caterpillar stage. Enough supplies for a maximum of four days.
The butterfly was named Comet because of the extensions on its hind wings. The “drops” at their ends reach 16 centimeters with a wingspan of 20 centimeters. The general color of the insect is yellow-orange.
Pictured is a comet butterfly
Madagascar cuckoos
From the cuckoo family, 2 endemics live on the island nearby. The first is the giant look. Its representatives reach 62 centimeters. The second type of endemics is highlighted in blue. True, the size of the birds is not much inferior to their giant relatives. Blue cuckoos reach 50 kilos and can weigh about 200.
Pictured is a Madagascar cuckoo
The total number of birds in Madagascar is limited to 250 species. Almost half of them are endemic. The same goes for insects. The comet butterfly is just one wonderful creature of the island. There are also giraffes.
Weevil giraffe
Their noses are so long and curved that they resemble a long neck. The body of insects, at the same time, is compact, like that of. A tomato frog can eat such a delight. She is orange-red.
Tomato frog
It’s problematic to eat it yourself. The endemic secretes a sticky substance that glues the predator’s mouth together and causes allergies. By the way, Madagascar itself is also called red. This is due to the color of local soils. They are colored by clay. So, this is the right place for tomato frogs on the “tomato” island.
Separated from Africa approximately 160 million years ago, and then from India (about 65-70 million years ago), Madagascar is known as a habitat for rare animals. Thanks to the unique conditions in Madagascar, species that are extinct in all other parts of the world live and develop.
In 1500, the Portuguese navigator Diego Dias and his flotilla were heading to India, but as a result of a storm they lost their course. This is how a unique tropical island in the Indian Ocean was discovered. The island of Madagascar is truly exotic, wild nature with the ocean, mountains, and jungle. On the island you can see unique geysers, many waterfalls, beautiful lakes formed in the craters of extinct volcanoes.
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The nature of the island of Madagascar is unique. Only here is the kingdom of lemurs, which has several dozen species. Lemurs are a symbol of the island and a national treasure. The ancestors of monkeys - lemurs - are trusting, shy and peaceful. As a result of their nocturnal lifestyle, their eyes became very large. Lemur sizes range from the mouse lemur to the giant megalodapis, which reaches the size of a gorilla.
The most popular representative of lemurs is the kata ring-tailed lemur. They have a striped black and white tail and are about the size of a house cat. Kata live in packs in which females dominate. It is an indisputable fact that matriarchy in Madagascar extends to the inhabitants of the island.
The indigenous people of Madagascar believe in mysticism. They believe that the souls of dead people become lemurs. That is why lemurs are treated with reverence and care - it is believed that by killing a lemur, you can destroy the personification of your relatives. According to the customs of the local population, each tree and lake has its own name, meaning, meaning and strength. Near sacred places - and this could be any body of water, tree or clearing - very strict rules apply: do not eat pork and do not appear to women in trousers.
Up to 80% of the fauna is unique; many species of animals are not found anywhere else on the planet. These include the largest butterflies in the world, various chameleons and green monkeys.
The rainiest part of the island of lemurs is the eastern part, which is overgrown with dense tropical forests and filled with millions of beautiful insects and birds. The most beautiful butterfly, the Madagascar urania, lives here. Its wingspan is more than 10 centimeters; you can admire it at any time of the year. Unfortunately, as a result of deforestation to heat the population, many animals lose their home and are threatened with destruction.
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In Madagascar, more than 615 new species of wild animals were recorded by the World Wildlife Fund between 1999 and 2010. However, many of these species are in danger of extinction due to deforestation, the capture of rare animals for subsequent sale, and other factors. These animals include the mouse lemur, which was discovered on the island in 2000. These lemurs are no more than 27 cm long from head to tail tip, and they are considered the smallest primates.
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A species of unusual colored chameleon, Furcifer timoni, was discovered in remote forests in northern Madagascar in 2009. Both male and female individuals acquired unusual colors during the mutation process. Scientists say the discovery of this distinctly new species is surprising as these areas have been carefully and regularly surveyed for the presence of reptiles for many years.
The frog Boophis bottae is one of 69 species of amphibians discovered in Madagascar over the past 11 years. The diversity of amphibians on the island is amazing. Recently, the number of amphibians in the wild has decreased significantly, and disturbance of their habitat could harm many more animals than previously thought.
In 1992, only two species of mouse lemurs were known. Since then, the number has increased to fifteen, including Berthe’s mouse, which is captured in the photo. Great diversity can be observed even within a single species. Scientists examined 70 individuals of these mammals with different coat colors and found that they were all representatives of the same species, simply living in different parts of the island.
A female chameleon of the Furcifer timoni species shows us its bright, rich color. Eleven new chameleon species have been discovered in Madagascar since 1999.
This species of chameleon, known as Calumma tarzan, was discovered in 2010 in central and eastern Madagascar. It was named in honor of the village, which is located near the habitat of this chameleon, as well as in honor of the notorious Tarzan, the hero of the novel by Edgar Rice Burroughs. "We named this species 'Tarzan' with the hope that this well-known name would bring the public's attention to a truly endangered species and its range."
The frog species Gephyromantis tschenki was first discovered in 2001. It can be seen in natural reserves and the National Park of Madagascar.
It is clear why this species hid from the watchful eye of scientists for so long. The gecko, whose skin resembles tree bark and whose tail resembles a dry leaf, was discovered by scientists in 2003 in the eastern rainforests of Madagascar. He likes to climb trees with thick branches covered with bark and cling to broad-leaved plants. Thanks to its excellent natural camouflage, it remains virtually unnoticed.
18. Chameleon Furcifer timoni
The spotted Madagascar rainbowfish, known as Bedotia marojejy, was first discovered in the island's rivers in 2000. WWF scientists discovered 17 new fish species on the island between 1999 and 2010.
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Nick Garbutt, 46, from Cumbria, has made 25 trips deep into the forests of Madagascar. He has visited the island every year since 1991. Over two decades, Nick has created an extraordinary collection of photographic photographs of unusual and colorful species of the island.
20. Nick Garbutt with an orphaned ring-tailed lemur near Tsimanampetsotsa National Park in November 2009. 
21. An adult female fossa (Crytoprocta ferox) hunts prey in the forest in Kirindy Park in western Madagascar. 
22. A male comet moth (Argema mittrei) dries its wings in the forest in Mantadia National Park. 
23. Male spear-nosed chameleon (Calumma Gallus) in the lowland rainforest near Mantadia, eastern Madagascar.
“When I first visited Madagascar, there were only two national parks,” says Nick. “The number has now grown to 20, and they serve as a refuge for animals, where cutting trees is illegal, but in practice this does not always work.”
24. An adult black-and-white ruffed lemur (Varecia Variegata) hangs on a branch in Andasibe-Mantadia National Park, eastern Madagascar.
25. An adult male fossa wanders through a deciduous forest, western Madagascar. 
26. During his fascinating travels, Nick also photographed a strange aye-aye. Having a long middle finger, it is able to rummage in the bark of a tree like a “fish” in water, looking for larvae and cutworms there. 
27. Ring-tailed lemurs (Lemur catta) bask in the sun at dawn, Berenty Private Reserve, southern Madagascar. 
28. Dwarf stump-tailed chameleon (Brookesia peyrierasi) on a finger in the Nosy Mangabe nature reserve, northeast Madagascar. 
29. Male giraffe-necked weevil (Trachelophorus Giraffa) in the Vohiparara rainforest, Ranomafana National Park. 
30. A leaf-tailed gecko (Uroplatus fimbriatus) climbs a tree trunk in Nosy Mangabe Park, northeast Madagascar. 
31. Painted mantella frog (Mantella madagascariensis) in Mantadia National Park, eastern Madagascar. 
32. A male panther chameleon (Furcifer pardalis) searches for prey in the vegetation on the beach of the peninsula in Masoala National Park, northeastern Madagascar. 
33. Amazing bird Helmet Vanga (Euryceros prevostii) near its nest in N.P. Masoala, in northeast Madagascar. 
34. Male x Parson's ameleon (Calumma parsonii) in the rainforest, Masoala National Park. 
35. A white-lipped tree frog (Boophis albilabris) sits in the rainforest of Ranomafana National Park, southeast Madagascar. 
Although the number of national parks on the island is growing, environmentalists fear that this is not enough to save many of the animals.