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Extraordinary Wildlife in Madagascar

Extraordinary Wildlife in Madagascar

The fourth largest island on Earth is home to the highest biodiversity of animal species on Earth, many of which are endemic and can only be seen on this island.  What makes Madagascar’s unique species even more special is that their closest relatives are not found elsewhere in Africa, but in the South Pacific and South America.  The island’s location makes its more outstanding creatures seem bizarrely out of place, and an unsurpassable display.
 
Most notable among Madagascar’s wildlife is the lemur, and conservation movements are ensuring that they remain a constant attraction and one that comes to define the island’s wildlife prospects.  The red ruffed lemur is the largest among them, and can be found in Masoala to the northeast, while the famous dancing sifaka and its characteristic white fur can be found in the south, at Berenty Nature Reserve.
 
Elsewhere on the island, 50% of the world’s chameleon species are scattered through the jungle.  Packed into an area roughly the size of France, they make for incredible viewing.  The panther chameleon in particular is extraordinarily vibrant, usually settling on a pinkish or bluish hue; when courting, though, they erupt into a cavalcade of colour.  For the best chance to see them, head for the north – from Ankaramy to Nosy Faly, you are sure to stumble across one.
 
Smaller and even better camouflaged, the flat-tailed gecko is one of the hardest things to spot on this island in the daytime, and that makes the discovery all the more rewarding.  By night, though, the cryptic satanic leaf-tailed gecko lives up to its name with a black hide, piercing red eyes and more teeth than any other land-based vertebrate.  The ten flat-tailed gecko species here are among the largest in the world, and are a favourite among tour-guides and tourists alike.

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