Content
- Lemur
- panther chameleon
- Leaf-tail satanic gecko
- Fossa
- Aye-aye
- giraffe beetle
- Zarro-de-madagascar
- Verreaux Sifaka or White Sifaka
- Indri
- caerulea
- irradiated turtle
- Madagascar Owl
- tenreck
- tomato frog
- Brookesia micro
- Endangered animals in Madagascar
- Animals from the movie Madagascar
THE fauna of Madagascar it is one of the richest and most varied in the world, as it includes several species of animals that come from the island. Located in the Indian Ocean, Madagascar is located off the coast of the African continent, specifically close to Mozambique and is the fourth largest island in the world.
In this article by PeritoAnimal we will talk about the island's fauna, the animals in danger of extinction and various curiosities about the species that inhabit the territory. Want to meet 15 animals from madagascar? So, keep reading.
Lemur
We started our list of animals from Madagascar with the Madagascar lemur, also known as ring-tailed lemur (lemur catta). This mammal belongs to the order of primates, among which it is considered one of the smallest in the world. It is characterized by having a body similar to that of a squirrel and stands out for its athletic abilities and highly social behavior.
The lemur has a large tail that allows it to maintain its balance and change direction as it moves between the branches of trees. It is an omnivorous animal, its diet includes fruits, insects, reptiles and birds.
panther chameleon
O panther chameleon (furcifer sparrow) is one of the chameleons that form part of the fauna of Madagascar. It is considered the largest in the world, as unlike the other chameleons in Madagascar, it reaches 60 centimeters in length. This chameleon feeds on various insects and lives in trees. One of the most outstanding characteristics of this species are the colors it shows at different stages of its life. Up to 25 different tones have been registered.
Leaf-tail satanic gecko
Another animal on the island of Madagascar is the satanic leaf-tailed gecko (Uroplatus phantasticus), a species capable of camouflaging itself in the leaves of its habitat. It has an arched body with fringes that cover its skin, its tail is similar to a folded leaf, which helps it to hide among the foliage.
The color of the satanic-leaf-tailed gecko may vary, but it is common for it to appear in brown hues with small black spots. This animal from the fauna of Madagascar is a nocturnal and oviparous species.
Fossa
The cesspool (cryptoproct ferox) is the largest carnivorous mammal among the animals from Madagascar. The lemur is its main prey. It has an agile and very strong body, which allows it to move with great skill through its habitat. O cryptoproct ferox it is a territorial animal, especially females.
It is one of the animals in Madagascar that are active during the day and night, but spend most of their lives alone, as they only gather during mating seasons.
Aye-aye
Among the fauna of Madagascar is the aye-aye (Daubentonia madagascariensis), a kind of curious appearance. Despite looking like a rodent, it's the biggest night primate of the world. It is characterized by having long, curved fingers, which it uses to get insects in deep and hard-to-reach places, such as the trunks of trees.
The species has a gray coat and has a long, thick tail. About its location, it is found in Madagascar, specifically on the east coast and in the forests of the northwest.
giraffe beetle
Following with the animals of Madagascar, we present you the giraffe beetle (Trachelophorus giraffa). It differs in the shape of its wings and widened neck. Its body is black, has red wings and measures less than an inch. During the reproduction phase, female giraffe beetles keep their eggs inside coiled leaves on trees.
Zarro-de-madagascar
Another animal on the list is the Madagascar duck (Aythya innotata), a species of bird that measures 50 centimeters. It has an abundant plumage of dark tones, more opaque in males. Furthermore, another sign that helps to differentiate the sex of the animal is found in the eyes, as females have a brown iris, while males are white.
The Madagascar pochard feeds on plants, insects and fish found in wetlands.
Verreaux Sifaka or White Sifaka
The Vereaux sifaka or white Sifaka forms part of the fauna of Madagascar. It is a species of white primate with a black face, it has a large tail that allows it to jump between trees with great agility. It inhabits tropical jungles and desert areas.
The species is territorial, but at the same time social, because are grouped into up to 12 members. They feed on leaves, branches, nuts and fruits.
Indri
The indri (indri indri) is the largest lemur in the world, measuring up to 70 centimeters and weighing 10 kilos. Their coat varies from dark brown to white with black spots. The ingri is one of the fauna of Madagascar that is characterized by stay with the same pair until death. It feeds on the nectar of trees, as well as nuts and fruits in general.
caerulea
The Coua caerulea (Coua caerulea) is a species of bird from the island of Madagascar, where it lives in the jungles of the northeast and east. It is characterized by its long tail, tapered beak and intense blue plumage. It feeds on fruits and leaves. Very little is known about this species, but it is among the most striking of the animals from Madagascar.
irradiated turtle
THE irradiated turtle (radiata astrochelys) inhabits the forests of southern Madagascar and lives for up to 100 years. It is characterized by having a tall hull with yellow lines, a flat head and medium-sized feet. The irradiated turtle is a herbivorous animal, which feeds on plants and fruits. She is one of the animals from Madagascar that is in endangered and is considered to be in critical condition due to habitat loss and poaching.
Madagascar Owl
The Madagascar Owl (Asio madagascariensis) is a species of bird that lives in wooded areas. It is a nocturnal animal and has sexual dimorphism, as the male is smaller than the female. This owl's food consists of small amphibians, reptiles, birds and rats.
tenreck
Another of Madagascar's animals is the lieutenant (Semispinous hemicentetes), a mammal with a long snout and a body covered with small spikes that it uses to defend itself. He has the ability to communicate through a sound he makes by rubbing different parts of his body, which even serves to get a pair.
As for its location, this species can be found in the tropical wet woods that exist in Madagascar, where it feeds on earthworms.
tomato frog
O tomato frog (Dyscophus antongilii) is an amphibian that is characterized by its red color. It lives among the foliage and feeds on larvae and flies. During the breeding season, the species searches for flooded areas to place its little tadpoles. It comes from the eastern and northeastern parts of Madagascar.
Brookesia micro
We ended our list of Madagascar animals with one of Madagascar's chameleon species, the Brookesia micra chameleon (Brookesia micro), from the island of Madagascar. It measures only 29 millimeters, which is why it is the smallest chameleon in the world. The species feeds on insects found in the foliage, where it spends most of its life.
Endangered animals in Madagascar
Despite the varied fauna of the island of Madagascar, some species are in danger of extinction for various reasons and most of them it has to do with the action of the human being.
These are some of the endangered animals in Madagascar:
- Zarro-de-Madagascar (Aythya innotata);
- Madagascar sea eagle (Haliaeetus vociferoides);
- Malagasy teal (Anas Bernieri);
- Malagasy heron (ardea humbloti);
- Madagascar's Covered Eagle (Eutriorchis Astur);
- Madagascar Crab Egret (Adeola olde);
- Malagasy grebe (Tachybaptus pelzelnii);
- Angonoka turtle (astrochelys yniphora);
- madagascarensis(madagascarensis);
- Sacred Ibis (Threskiornis aethiopicus bernieri);
- Gephyromantis webbie (Gephyromantis webbie).
Animals from the movie Madagascar
Madagascar has been an island for over 160 million years. However, many people got to know this place by this famous Dreamworks studio movie that bears its name. That's why in this section we bring some of the animals from the movie madagascar.
- alex the lion: is the main star of the zoo.
- marty the zebra: is, who knows, the most adventurous and dreamy zebra in the world.
- Gloria the hippopotamus: intelligent, cheerful and kind, but with a lot of personality.
- Melman the giraffe: suspicious, scared and hypochondriac.
- the dreaded cesspools: are the evil, carnivorous and dangerous characters.
- Maurice the aye-aye: is always annoyed, but it's very funny.