What are the real animals from Madagascar called? Strange and rare animals

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, abundance of food, 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 step 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 stands out 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 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.

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 - big bird, who lives in Ampatra, lays her 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, scary creature, which 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 paces 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: the man could not appear the only reason her death, unlike the story of the moa vurupatru, or vorompatru, was not exterminated for meat. There is not a word about this in the legends (and the Maori happily talked 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 mysterious creature, which may turn out to be a giant tortoise - 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're talking about about the hippopotamus, it has changed greatly in the legends, for 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 South America and the Indo-Malay region.

Among typical forms Madagascar are lemurs that 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 Betsileo beliefs, the colonoro, on the contrary, is a land creature two cubits high, covered long hair, he has a wife named Kotokeli, 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 look lemurs) could survive until recent eras in the region of Bara, Ankazoabo.

Many areas of Madagascar are still completely unexplored, and on these millions of hectares forests could survive and giant lemurs. Remember the okapi - he lived incognito for a long time.

Madagascar is home to some unique and unusual species 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 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 in Madagascar there are more than thirty species of lemurs, 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. Fossa uses a long tail to quickly move 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) - 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.

These are nocturnal reptiles big eyes, which 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. Because of his appearance Leaf-tailed geckos are beloved pets and are one of the best-selling species. IN Lately in the wild there is a decline in population numbers.

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 capture 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 Comoros, Seychelles and Mauritius, and recently the species has been discovered as far away as 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 make 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 big ears and eyes, which 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 mainly leads night look life. 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. Muzzle black with yellow stripes, and the body is covered with thorns. The striped tenrec is active both day and 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, black mantella - bright frog with green, black, yellow or orange. The species is found only in eastern and central Madagascar. These frogs live in tropical forests bordering freshwater bodies. They can carry moderate temperature 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.

If you find an error, please highlight a piece of text and click Ctrl+Enter.

Europeans discovered the island of Madagascar with its unique flora and fauna only in August 1500, it was an expedition Portuguese navigator Diego Dias. As often happened in those days, the ships were on their way to India, but due to strong storm and Diash's boys deviated from the course and found themselves off the coast of a fantastically beautiful island not far from the African continent.

The most amazing and unique creatures live in Madagascar– even the colorful cartoon “Madagascar” did not show even a hundredth part of the amazing wealth of fauna that fills the extraordinary island.

Madagascar appeared when a huge piece separated from Africa and Hindustan and “floated” into the open Indian Ocean. This happened for quite a long time: 160 million years ago - separation from the Black Continent, 70 million years ago - from India. The tropical forests of Madagascar developed their own life, unlike other parts of the planet. Unique natural conditions ideal for preserving species that have long since become extinct in other parts of the Earth...

Amazing inhabitants of Madagascar

It should be noted that in the hidden corners of the island, more and more new species of animals are discovered every year!

Between 1999 and 2010, specialists from International Fund World Wildlife Fund (WWF) has discovered 615 new animal species in Madagascar. However, some of the island's fauna is under threat of extinction due to deforestation, poaching, illegal trade rare animals and for other reasons. Discovered animal species include the mouse lemur, which was discovered on the island in 2000. Its body length averages 9 cm, making it the tiniest primate in the world. Even with a tail, the total length of this lemur is no more than 27 cm!

The area of Madagascar PK32-Ranobe, which is captured in this image, is home to various biological species and at the same time almost completely surrounded by mines in which active development is underway rocks. The World Wildlife Fund is currently advocating for the protected area to be expanded to include more places habitat of species. Negotiations with mining companies do not bring the expected results: every year it becomes more more territories, where companies extract minerals that are so rich in sandy soil Madagascar, and a huge amount of forest is cut down to obtain wood, from which charcoal is then made.

This colorful chameleon is a member of the species Furcifer timoni, which was discovered in the remote rainforests of northern Madagascar in 2009. Both male and female individuals, during the mutation process, acquired a bright color, reminiscent of glam rock makeup. Scientists say the discovery of this type of chameleon has become a big surprise, as the area has been carefully searched for new reptile species many times over the years.

The frog Boophis bottae is one of 69 amphibians discovered over the past 11 years in Madagascar. The diversity of amphibians living in Madagascar is simply amazing! But total number Amphibians are declining both globally and in Madagascar. After a recent DNA study, experts suggested that in Madagascar, the destruction of the usual habitat is affecting larger number species than previously thought.

In 1992, science knew only two species of dwarf mouse lemurs. Since then the number open views increased to fifteen, including the Microcebus berthae species you see in the photo. Considerable diversity can also be found within a single species. Scientists examined 70 individuals of dwarf lemurs with different fur colors living in different corners islands, after which they came to the conclusion that they all belong to the same species.

This female chameleon of the species Furcifer timoni shows us her bright, rich colors in a glam rock style. Since 1999, 11 new species of chameleons have been discovered.

A male frog of the species Boophis lilianae fertilizes a female among the greenery in national park Ranomafana in Madagascar. This species was first described in 2008.

This species of chameleon (Calumma tarzan), found in eastern and central Madagascar, was discovered and first described in 2010. The lizard received its name in honor of the village, which is located near its habitat, and also in honor of Tarzan, the famous character in Burroughs’ novel. Scientists admit that they named this species after the literary character Tarzan in the hope that thanks to this famous name the public will pay attention to a truly endangered species and its habitat.

A chameleon of the species Furcifer timoni shows a head with a large, uneven bright red spot and small blue spots. The animal was photographed in the tropical forests of the Montagne d'Abres massif in northern Madagascar.

The tropical frog of the species Gephyromantis tschenki was discovered and first described in 2001. It can be seen in the island's natural reserves, including the Ranomafana region and Madagascar's Befotaka-Midongi National Park.

It is not difficult to guess why until recently this species was hidden from the watchful eyes of scientists. The gecko species Uroplatus pietschmanni, whose skin resembles tree bark and whose tail resembles a dry leaf, was discovered by researchers only in 2003 in the tropical forests of eastern Madagascar. Favorite places The habitats of the 13-centimeter reptile are thick branches, the bark of cork trees and plants with wide leaves, and thanks to its excellent natural camouflage it remains almost invisible.

Madagascar's reefs in the Toliara region are more than 27 km long and more than 3 km wide. Overall, the numerous reef system from Toliara to Morombe creates an almost continuous shallow water barrier 400 km long. This is the largest reef system in the western part Indian Ocean. Although these reefs are large, they are greatly impacted by human and natural factors such as overfishing and higher than normal rainfall.

The spotted Madagascar rainbow fish of the species Bedotia marojejy, which lives in the rivers of the island, was first discovered in 2000. Today, this species is losing its habitat at an alarming rate.

Interestingly, in 1999-2010 alone, World Wildlife Fund scientists discovered 17 new species of fish on the island.

Madagascar, located in East Africa, is the habitat of various rare animals. Many of them are on the verge of extinction. Some of Madagascar's inhabitants have been immortalized in a cartoon of the same name, but the island's nature is far more diverse and amazing than any computer animation.

The Madagascar leaf-tailed gecko has to be seen to be believed, but it's not that easy. They are masters of camouflage, each gecko has its own unique way of blending in. environment: Some can be mistaken for leaves, some for tree bark. Their color and reflective body make them almost invisible. There are 10 species of leaf-tailed geckos, all of which are found in Madagascar and surrounding islands. The largest of them is Uroplatus giganteus.

Argemma mittrei, also known as the Madagascar comet, is the most big butterfly in the peacock eye family. Their colorful wingspan can reach 20 cm, and their tail can grow up to 15 cm in length. Butterflies do not feed and live off nutrients accumulated in the caterpillar stage. Life expectancy is 4-5 days. They are capable of reproducing on the first day after emerging from the cocoon; females can lay up to 170 eggs at a time. The caterpillars feed on fresh eucalyptus leaves; pupation lasts from 2 to 6 monthsa

The tomato frog is an ambush predator found only in the northern, wetter part of Madagascar. They mainly feed on insects. Although they are frogs, they also have some features inherent in toads: the absence of webbed feet; When they are threatened, they, like toads, secrete a sticky whitish secretion from their skin. Only females have a characteristic color, which gave the name to this species. Males are light brown in color.

Aye-aye is an animal that is also found only in Madagascar. These nocturnal arboreal primates are well adapted to life in the trees thanks to their large thin fingers and tails longer than body, allowing them to cling to tree branches. Remarkably, they are the only primates that use echolocation to find prey. With their thin middle fingers they knock on trees and hear the movement of insects, and then use the same finger to pull them out. Because of their strange appearance, the inhabitants of Madagascar consider them a symbol of misfortune and, like many other animal inhabitants of the island, they are on the verge of extinction

Marsh tenrecs are one of the most elusive animals in the world. They have only been found in Madascar and, since the largest tenrecs reach a length of 17 cm, they are difficult to spot. Several species of tenrecs live in Madagascar, but the swamp ones are distinguished by their ability to adapt to water conditions: their webbed feet allow them to swim excellently in the waters of eastern Madagascar. They feed on insects and tadpoles caught in the water.

Like other chameleons, the panther chameleon changes color depending on its condition, but these chameleons have a very wide range of color changes, especially in males during courtship. But these creatures are amazing not only because of their color. They can simultaneously rotate their eyes independently of each other to simultaneously follow two objects at once. Once they locate their prey, they focus both eyes on it before seizing it with their long, sticky tongue.

The Madagascar pochard is one of the rarest ducks in the world. These medium-sized birds feed on invertebrates, seeds and aquatic plants and are able to remain underwater for up to two minutes. Just recently, this species was considered extinct until 22 ducks were discovered on Lake Matsaborimena in 2006. Thanks to a conservation campaign launched in 2009, the population has quadrupled. Many ducks were raised in captivity and then released into the wild. However, they are still on the verge of extinction. Lake Matsaborimena is not the best the best place habitat and there are concerns that there is too little food there for all the ducks to survive.

This is not a cat or a dog, this is a fossa - one of the predators of Madagascar. Until recently, they were classified as members of the cat family, but in fact they belong to the mongoose family. No wonder people for a long time were mistaken about their origin - all because of their strange appearance. This animal, with a dog-like muzzle and a cat-like body, is one of the most... large mammals predators in Madagascar. Their length from the muzzle to the tip of the tail can reach up to 2 meters. The fossa is a nocturnal animal that mostly feeds on lemurs. They also eat reptiles, birds, and mammals. They are very mobile, their long tail allows them to maintain balance as they move from branch to branch. Unfortunately, they are very rare, people not only destroy them, but they also destroyed 90% of the habitat of these animals.

There are many snakes in Madagascar that cannot be found anywhere else in the world, but hardly any of them have such an amazing appearance as the Malagasy leaf snake. These snakes, which like to hang from tree branches, are distinguished by special nasal processes. Leaf-bearing snakes, unlike many others, have pronounced signs of sexual dimorphism. Nasal processes appear on them from birth and serve as a method of camouflage, since snakes usually attack from ambush. When snakes simply lie down, their nasal processes resemble the leaves of Madagascar trees, and the tree lizards they hunt do not immediately notice them. And when they notice, it's too late...

This web is 10 times stronger than Kevlar and twice as strong as any previously known web. This web of the Darwin spider can reach gigantic sizes - up to three square meters, it is also found over rivers and lakes (about 25 square meters in size). This web was first discovered thanks to 30 insects caught in it, mainly butterflies. The unique strength, size and location of the web means it can be placed in places where no spider would survive, greatly reducing competition for food and space. Not bad for a spider, the female of which reaches 2.5 cm in length, and the male is even smaller.