Animals of Madagascar. Animal world of Madagascar Island of Madagascar animal world
In 1500, thanks to pure chance, the island of Madagascar was discovered. The team of the Portuguese navigator Diogo Dias was caught in a storm, which forced them to land on the only land nearby. This is how an island with extraordinary nature and rich fauna was discovered.
Unique island
Madagascar is located off the coast of East Africa, from which it separated more than 160 million years ago. Its unique landscape, which includes mountains, lakes, desert areas, and jungles, has contributed to the conservation of a huge number of animal species. There are more than 250 thousand of them on the island, and most of them are endemic, that is, they are not found in other areas of the globe. The fauna of Madagascar is unique. It is mainly represented by small animals and reptiles.
Many species of island fauna are now on the verge of extinction. People extract minerals, cut down the jungle, causing animals to suffer.
Recently, the number of reserves and specially protected areas has increased, where all conditions are created for the free existence of unique fauna. Scientists work to track different animal populations and fight for their prosperity.
Madagascar - the kingdom of lemurs
The largest part of the island fauna consists of such animals of Madagascar as lemurs. The indigenous people treat them with special respect, because they believe that the souls of the dead move into the body of prosimians. More than 20 species of these animals live on the island.
Lemurs are kept in families in which the female is dominant. These cute creatures are similar in appearance to their monkey ancestors, but have shorter limbs and a pointed muzzle. Nature has improved their appearance by adding large eyes. This mechanism allows for excellent orientation when obtaining food. The animals eat mainly insects and vegetation. They are very friendly, brave and curious.
Types of lemurs
The kata lemurs have the most striking appearance. They are distinguished by a white muzzle with dark “glasses” and a long striped tail. In size, representatives of this species are barely larger than a domestic cat. Thanks to the almost complete absence of predators, Madagascar animals such as kata are most widespread.
The smallest primate, the mouse lemur, lives in Madagascar. The body length of the baby is about 9 cm, with a tail - 27 cm. This species was discovered in 2000.
Another interesting representative is the little arm. Another name for the animal is aye-aye. It lives in trees and obtains its food using extremely long and tenacious fingers. The animal taps the trunks for larvae, using echolocation. His appearance is not particularly attractive: shaggy fur that sticks out in all directions, yellow, widely spaced eyes and large semicircular ears.
The largest lemur is the indri. Its weight reaches 10 kg, and its height is 90 cm. Despite its large dimensions, the animal deftly climbs trees. Each family has a strict habitat, which it protects by making loud noises.
Swamp Tenrec
The most elusive animals of Madagascar, strangely adapted to life in bodies of water. The limbs of the tenrec are equipped with membranes and a large amount of muscle tissue. The animal deftly runs through shallow water, catching tadpoles and fish. For hunting, it uses vibrissae - sensitive antennae that, like a locator, pick up vibrations in water. The appearance of the tenrec is also interesting: its size is about 15 cm, and a mixture of wool and needles covers the entire body. In appearance the animal looks like a small hedgehog, but in fact it belongs to the shrews.
Rare birds
The island is also rich in birds - about 150 species live there, a third of which are endemic. The most common class of birds in Madagascar is the red-headed pochard. Lack of food and drying up of water bodies due to human activity have put this species of duck at risk of extinction. These birds were thought to have disappeared forever, but in 2006 a small population of 20 individuals was discovered. Over 8 years of successful and painstaking work of zoologists, it was possible to increase it 4 times. The duck is very beautiful, it has a red-brown body, a gray beak and a white belly.
A true unique species is the blue cuckoo. The bird has an incredibly attractive appearance with deep blue plumage. Unlike her relatives, she hatches her offspring on her own. Due to its remarkable appearance, this endemic is under threat of complete extermination by poachers.
Fossa
Who would have thought that the largest island predator reaches only 1.5 m in length, half of which is occupied by a long tail. Strong, muscular animals have reddish-brown fur. Outwardly, these animals of Madagascar are similar to a cat and a marten, but belong to the civet family. The fossa's tail, coupled with its retractable claws, allows it to deftly climb steep cliffs and trees in search of prey. The population of these predators is very small and is on the verge of extinction.
Amphibians
The island of Madagascar abounds with a huge number of amphibian species, the main ones being frogs, lizards and chameleons.
They are considered rare and endangered species. Thanks to their incredible appearance, they easily avoid prying eyes. The amphibian reaches a length of 13 cm and has a tail that is barely distinguishable from a dried leaf. The amphibian's body is covered with skin reminiscent of tree bark.
Panther chameleons are distinguished by their bright colors, which easily change due to the special structure of the body cells. They use their skill for camouflage and communication. This species is notable for its ability to simultaneously observe different hunting objects with both eyes. Before releasing its sticky tongue, the chameleon focuses on the target.
The tropical rainforests of the island are home to many frogs. The most notable are the tomato narrowmouths. Females of this species have the rich color of a ripe tomato and black stripes on the sides of the body. When danger arises, their skin secretes an irritating secretion.
The vast territory of Madagascar has not yet been fully explored. Every year new species of animals are discovered. Scientists are achieving good results in increasing the population of endangered endemics of the island.
In the tropical zone of the southern hemisphere, where the Indian Ocean begins, is the island state of Madagascar, separated from southeast Africa by the Mozambique Channel.
This is one of the greatest islands on earth. In size it is second only to Greenland and New Guinea, and its area is almost 600 thousand km 2. The average width of the island is about 450 km, and the length of the island is almost 1700 km. The island's population is 22.6 million people and continues to grow. Most of the inhabitants of Madagascar are indigenous Malagasy. Also living on the island are the French, Indians, Chinese and Arabs. There are two official languages on the island: Malagasy and French. Most of the island's inhabitants adhere to traditional beliefs, but Christianity is also widespread on the island. They are settled on the island in the local currency, Ariari, although the familiar dollars are also in circulation. The island's time zone is UTC+3.
Animal world
The fauna of Madagascar is diverse, but its originality can only be partially compared with that of Australia or Africa. This is a completely special zoogeographical region that cannot be found anywhere else. Many scientists suggest that Madagascar is a remnant of a once great continent that was located in what is now the Indian Ocean. The fauna of the mainland died along with it, and only those animals that were located on the territory of modern Madagascar survived. If this version is erroneous and Madagascar simply separated from the African continent, then this happened long before the current flora and fauna formed on African territory. It is according to one of these two versions that in Madagascar there are very few animals that are familiar to Africa. The island preserves ancient forms of animal life, such as lemurs, insectivores, and various types of chameleons.
Lemurs. These animals are also called “semi-monkeys”. They can only be found in the forests of Madagascar and mainly at night. During the day they sleep in tree hollows. At least four species of lemurs are common on the island: Madagascar common, indi, maki and aye-aye. They are all similar in appearance and differ only in the size of the body, the length of the tail, color, habits and the sounds they make.
Of the predators on the island, they are ubiquitous ferret cats, which have been terrifying local residents for hundreds of years, destroying domestic animals and birds. The animal is famous for its bloodthirstiness. The ferret cat has short legs and a dog-like body.
A shy animal lives in the mountains and wooded thickets of Madagascar Tenrec, which looks like a hedgehog and is as tall as a rabbit. This is a representative of insectivores, which can only be seen in the summer, and even then in the evening or at night. In winter, the animal hibernates.
The island is home to many other animals. Separately, we can highlight the water pig (a large rodent), the African wild boar, as well as the humpbacked zebu bull, which local residents raise for meat. More familiar animals include lions, elephants, and antelopes. Also on the island there are large sea turtles and bats.
Vegetable world
The development of the flora of Madagascar was greatly influenced by the early separation of the island from the African continent. That is why the island has preserved many plants that are difficult to find in other parts of the planet.
The central and eastern part of Madagascar is covered with rugged tropical forests, in which more than three and a half hundred different trees, shrubs and herbaceous plants grow. The most interesting are black ebony, the wood of which is very expensive, rubber vines, raffia palms and baobabs. The plant symbol of the island is considered to be the royal delonix or “fire tree”. The symbol of travelers and tourists on the island is considered to be the Madagascar ravenapa or “travel tree”.
Kitchen
The main component of Madagascan cuisine is rice. It is prepared in all possible ways: boiled, stewed, fried and combined with various fillings: vegetables, fish, meat. Also, local food is simply impossible without various spices and sauces, which are added everywhere except sweet dishes. Vegetable salads, which are prepared from tomatoes, corn, beans and other vegetables, are also very popular on the island.
A huge amount of fruit grows on the island. These include the familiar bananas, strawberries, mangoes, persimmons, pineapples, coconuts, and more exotic fruits, such as annona, guava, and lychee. Fruits are often used to make fruit salads, drinks, and simply added to main dishes.
Sights of Madagascar
The main attraction of Madagascar is, of course, its amazing nature and unusual animals. We list a few places that all tourists who travel to Madagascar must visit.
Volcano Ankaratra. Thousands of tourists annually visit this volcano, which “fell asleep” several thousand years ago. It is one of the highest in the region, reaching up to 2645 meters. Several centuries ago, robbers hid there from justice, but today this volcano is one of the island’s attractions.
If you are looking for a real paradise on earth, then the island of Ile Sainte-Marie is one of the contenders for this nomination. This is a small island that is located just 7 kilometers off the east coast of Madagascar. On the island you can find magnificent beaches, comfortable hotels and very beautiful nature. Well, the main entertainment on the island is watching humpback whales, which appear in the local waters every year in the summer.
Kirindy Forest. This forest is perhaps the most visited place by tourists in Madagascar. This is a great place to see animals that are nocturnal. The forest is home to unusual species of animals and birds, and unique types of trees grow.
Tsingy de Bemaraha Nature Reserve. This reserve is located in the west of the island and was created to protect unusual karst landscapes and rare species of lemurs. Almost the entire reserve looks like one large labyrinth of limestone teeth that appeared as a result of rains and other natural factors. It is problematic for a person to move around the reserve without special shoes, but the lemurs, of which there are thousands, feel right at home.
Madagascar is an island with rich and very beautiful nature. The distinctive culture of the indigenous people, delicious cuisine, amazing natural monuments and rare species of animals - this is Madagascar, an island that is easy to fall in love with.
In the dry deciduous forests of southwestern Madagascar lives a lemur that “dances” like a ballet dancer. – that’s what they call him here. This is one of the most popular species of lemur primate on the island off the southeast coast of Africa. Despite the fact that this species is endangered, dancing lemurs can still be found in some national parks of the country. They still attract a lot of tourists to the island every year.
Slightly larger than California, Madagascar is the fourth largest island in the world. It was isolated from the African mainland about 160 million years ago, 80% of its flora and fauna are unique. Although the island is popular for its lemurs, it is also home to a number of other amazing creatures: spiny yellow and black insectivores that resemble miniature hedgehogs that make crushing chirping sounds when they are threatened, carnivorous mammals that look like a cross between a puma and dog, but are closely related to mongooses. The island is also home to more than half of all existing species, the amazingly beautiful neon green, which has become so popular recently among terrarium enthusiasts, and three times more species of palm trees than on the African mainland. On the island part of the continent you can find amazing frogs, among which (Dyscophus antongilii) occupies a special place
Needless to say, Madagascar's flora and fauna make it one of the most biologically unique places on the planet. Lemurs are a key component of Madagascar's biodiversity. They belong to a group of primates known as prosimians that were once distributed throughout the world and have today been largely replaced by monkeys. This is only because the lemurs, being isolated in Madagascar, managed to survive and reproduce.
There are currently about 60 officially recorded in Madagascar, a number that has increased in recent years with the discovery of several new species.
Despite this, the diversity of animals on the island has declined significantly compared to about 2,000 years ago. At that time, there lived giant lemurs the size of gorilla, monstrous, pygmy hippopotamuses and huge elephant birds (Aephornis maximus), about 3 m in height and weighing more than 500 kg, which laid eggs of such size that it was possible to make an omelette out of them feed 150 people. All these species became extinct after humans set foot in Madagascar. Since then, some lemur species on the island have been extirpated or become extinct due to habitat loss caused by climate change and human activity (especially land clearing by fire).
But, despite this, today’s species of lemurs in Madagascar are striking in their diversity, displaying a number of interesting behavioral characteristics. This is the whale-like song of the lemur Indri, extracting insects from the bark of a tree using a finger shaped like a long branch. But the most amazing thing is the “dance” of Verreaux’s sifaka lemurs. These animals also have the unique ability to jump from tree to tree in the forests of Madagascar, where almost every branch is covered with thorns or prickles. How they manage to do this without harming themselves remains a mystery.
Indri monkeys are relatives of lemurs. Another name for this species of primate is babakoto. Funny name, isn't it?
In the local language, the name “indri” means “here he is.” May be. This monkey looks so amazing that when people noticed it, they tried to show it to each other?
These monkeys are the largest among the representatives of the infraorder of lemurs living in Madagascar. Indris belong to the order of primates, the Indriidae family. Let's try to find out more about these lemurs.
Appearance of babakoto
Indri monkeys can weigh up to 9.5 kilograms. The body length of the animal is from 64 to 90 centimeters. This is not so little for a monkey.
The indri has a short tail. The limbs are different: the hind limbs are much longer than the front ones. Depending on the area of residence, coat color may vary. But the main colors are gray, white and black. Often, a light triangle stands out on the back of a babakoto. The fur on the head and back is black. There is no fur on the face at all.
Indri habitats
Babacoto live on the island of Madagascar. They are mainly found in the northeastern region.
Indri lifestyle and nutrition
These lemurs prefer rain forests. There they can live up to an altitude of 1800 meters above sea level. But the Indris love the lowlands more.
Indris are relatives of lemurs. The main part of the babakoto's life is spent in trees. These animals have almost no need to descend to the ground. And why would they do this? After all, trees have everything they need to live.
Babacoto move spasmodically, both on the ground and along branches, for this nature provided them with long hind limbs.
Indris are more active during daylight hours. At night, they can leave their roost only if the weather in the forest is bad, or if they are being pursued by a predator. During the day, indris bask under the warm Madagascar sun, lounging on a tree branch.
Babakotos are herbivores. The social structure is such that these monkeys form small groups to live together. In such a community there are no more than five individuals. As a rule, the members of the group are a female with a male and their babies. In this family, the female is considered the main one, and the male is assigned a secondary role.
Another distinctive feature of the Babakoto monkey is its loud singing. She loves to sing her songs throughout the forest, especially in the morning. Sometimes such “concerts” are heard in the forest a couple of kilometers from the place where the “singer” is located.
Babacoto's diet consists of plant foods. These primates feast on ripe fruits, leaves, and flower petals. Sometimes, to prevent poisoning from poisonous leaves, indris swallow a handful of earth, which absorbs all the toxins in the body.
Reproduction
The pregnancy of a female babakoto lasts about five months. After which one baby is born. For the first six months, the baby eats only mother's milk. After weaning and living for a couple more months, the young indri becomes independent. Puberty in young animals occurs at seven to nine years of age.
Among the features of the Babakoto relationship, researchers note exceptional fidelity to each other in a couple.
The dizzying wildlife of Madagascar is impressive with a huge variety of mammals, reptiles, amphibians, birds, and more. From 1999 to 2010, scientists discovered 615 new species on the island, including 41 mammals and 61 reptiles. Madagascar is an island off the coast of Africa, where about 75% of species are endemic, that is, they do not live anywhere else in the world. Tropical and dry deciduous forests, as well as ample fresh water, have created excellent habitats for rare and endangered species.
photo
Madagascar is the only place in the world where the lemur family lives. Among them is one of the rarest mammals on earth - silky sifaka(Propithecus candidus), a lemur called the "angel of the forest" because of its white fur.
photo Silky Sifaka
A very interesting lemur that is difficult to spot because it is nocturnal. ah-ah(Daubentoniamadagascariensis). It lives in tropical forests and feeds on insect larvae that it finds under the bark of trees. Today, this lemur is threatened by habitat loss (rainforest destruction) and hunting. In some areas, locals believe that the aye-aye brings bad luck and kill the animal whenever they encounter it.
photo Ai-Ai
Indri(Indriindri) is the largest lemur on the island. It primarily feeds on fruits and leaves in the rainforests of eastern Madagascar. Indri is famous for its eerie singing, which sounds a bit like the sounds of a humpback whale. Today, the Indri is endangered due to habitat loss.
photo Indri
The largest representative of the viverridae family in the world and the largest predator of Madagascar - fossa(Cryptoproctaferox). Outwardly it resembles a small puma, but it is not related. The length of the body with tail reaches 1.5 m, weight - 12 kg. Stays lonely. The female gives birth to 2-4 blind cubs. They are fed milk for five months, and the size of adult animals reaches only up to 3-4 years. Fossa is an excellent tree climber, helped in this by her powerful claws and tail. Can live in rocks and bushes.
photo by Fossa
Madagascar's wildlife is home to about half the world's chameleon species (about 150 species). They are small, medium-sized reptiles that are famous for their ability to change color dramatically. One of the smallest chameleons and a tiny lizard - Brookesia minor(Brookesiaminima) feeds on insects and lives along the lower part of the rainforest, or dry deciduous forest, in much of Madagascar. To avoid predators, this chameleon will use its hair and can also pretend to be dead.
photo M scarlet brookesia
There are also many snakes on the island that you will not see anywhere else in the world, but it is unlikely that any of them has such an amazing appearance as leaf-nosed Madagascar grass snake(Langaha madagascariensis). Deciduous snakes, unlike many others, have pronounced signs of sexual dimorphism. This one prefers to ambush tree lizards, birds, frogs and rodents.
photo Leaf-nosed Madagascar grass snake
Reptiles are represented extremely widely. One of the large forms lives in Madagascar Nile crocodile(Crocodylus niloticus). This species was once widespread in fresh water bodies, but after many years of hunting for its skin, the Nile crocodile became a rare animal. There are also many turtles on the island, for example spider(Pyxisarachnoides), only 10 cm long, or very rare Madagascar beaked tortoise(Asterochelysyniphora). For which exotic lovers are illegally willing to pay up to $200,000. There are no real lizards, monitor lizards and agamas in Madagascar, only iguanas And geckos.
photo Spider turtle
(Phelsuma madagascariensis madagascariensis), unlike most geckos, which are nocturnal, is a diurnal lizard. In addition to Madagascar, it is also found on nearby islands, including the Comoros, Andaman and Seychelles. This gecko feeds mainly on insects, but sometimes eats fruits and flower nectar.
photo Madagascar day gecko
Differs in great variety. Unique species of unusually large size and varied colors are common on the island. Among them is the world's largest butterfly - comet(Argemamittrei). The volume of its bright wings can reach 20 cm, and its tail can grow up to 15 cm in length. This butterfly does not feed, but lives off the nutrients accumulated in the caterpillar stage. The lifespan of a comet is only 4-5 days.
photo Butterfly comet
The fauna of Madagascar has a relatively small species diversity of birds - 258, but 115 of them are endemic. There are many unique specimens on the island. The island is home to three species of rails (Mesitornithidae). All of them are endemic. The birds are about 30 cm long, have short wings and a thick tail. They prefer to live in pairs or small flocks. They feed on seeds and insects. All three species build platform nests low in bushes.
photo Cowgirl
About 20 species of fish live in rivers and freshwater reservoirs. The warm waters of the Indian Ocean surrounding Madagascar are rich in various species of commercial fish.
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