What makes Madagascar travel so special? - It is the incredible biodiversity of the land, with rain forests, mangroves, coastlines and deserts few places on earth offer such a dramatic kaleidoscope of nature, matched with an animal and plant life, 90 % of which can only be found here, you have land blessed like no other.
Here is a list of 13 Incredibly amazing and somewhat strange animals you can only find during your Madagascar Travel.
11. Indri
Largest of all lemurs found here, it is revered as a sacred animals by Malagasy , they live in small groups and are renowned for making high pitched calls to communicate with each other that are loud enough to be heard from miles away. You will invariably come across them during your Madagascar travels.
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10. Fossa
The largest and the only carnivore found in Madagascar, they have a strong muscular body and are very agile climbers. Their long tail is a distinguishing feature, and like humans they walk on the soles of their feet. With the sharp claws and tooth, they quickly kill their prey that are primarily the islands lemurs.
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9. Aye - Aye
The largest nocturnal primate in the world. They look like a cross between a bat and a squirrel and feature an exceptionally long middle finger, used for scooping out insects from tree bark. Local legends believe that it predicts death due to its scary and freakish appearance.
8. Ring Tailed Lemurs
Instantly familiar with their long black and white tail, ring-tailed lemurs are the easiest ones to see during your Madagascar Travel. They’re really sociable creatures — all you have to do is stand still and they chase each other around.
7. Panther Chameleon
This colourful creature is among the largest in the world as it is the size of a house cat. They have the power to change their colour with incredible speed and this spectacle doesn’t merely depend on the change of location. It is also affected by their state of emotion, health, temperature variations and light intensity.
6. Tomato Frog
-So named as a result of their bright orange-red colored skin. The bright color of the frog serves as a warning to their predators. When threatened, their skin produces a thick, sticky fluid to deter potential predators such as snakes
05. Satanic Leaf Tailed Gecko
This masterfully camouflaged little lizard, with a leafy tail complete with missing chunks that look to have rotted away, is a testament to natural selection. They’ll spend the day hanging motionless off branches or snuggling among dead leaves, often twisting their leafy tails around their bodies. Perhaps one of the best sights during your Madagascar Travel.
04. Flatid Leaf Bugs
This is one of the most bizarre-looking creatures you will ever see. While the adults are flat and pink like flower petals, the nymphs ‘grow’ a white substance that makes them resemble bits of fluff or wispy feathers. The substance protects them from predators, which are left with just the white exterior as the bug escapes.
03. Giraffe Weavil
Endemic to Madagascar, it’s all black except for a red covering over the wings. The long, thin neck has evolved to aid males in fighting and building nests for the females to lay their eggs.
02.Mouse Lemur
The tiniest of all lemurs, looking more like rodents than primates, the Malagasy people traditionally associate these primates with spirits because they are active at night, and perhaps because of their eerie, large-eyed stare. It is definitely one of the most intriguing sights during your Madagascar travel.
01. Helmet Vanga
This strange and beautiful bird is unmistakable with its massive, arched, hooked blue bill. It is very secretive and hard to find, often sitting motionless in tree for long periods of time. These vangas love dense, evergreen humid forests and are often found singing at dawn in the forests.
Madagascar is among the most important biodiversity hotspots in the world, this is largely due to the fact that it has evolved as an isolated Island for more than 70 million years. This has led to it becoming home to many unique species of animals and plants, majority of which are found nowhere else in the world. So it is truly a paradise of amazing plant and wildlife and the top reason to travel Madagascar. Please free to share your thoughts on ‘wildlife in Madagascar’ in the comment section below.