Madagascar is the fourth largest island in the world and is home to five percent of all known species. This kaleidoscope of wildlife lives in various habitats, from coastal areas to tropical rainforests and mountainous territories.
This island boasts one of the world’s most diverse breadths of wildlife, thanks to the fact that it broke away from Africa 165 million years ago, leaving several species to evolve in isolation. Let’s meet nine of them.
1. Black Lemur
This rare lemur (one of many native to Madagascar) lives in the moist forests of the Sambirano region. The males possess a black or dark brown coat with yellowish-colored eyes. But the females have tawny heads and backs with golden brown fur on their undersides. These primates live in groups of two to 15, comprising an equal number of males and females plus their offspring. The dominant female dictates the group’s activities, and they are polygynous creatures, meaning one male will mate with several females.
Lemurs represent a diverse group of primates who possess enhanced smell and excellent night vision. There are 111 known species, all of which are endemic to Madagascar. Evidence suggests that their early ancestors may have originated in Africa 65 million years ago before separating onto the island of Madagascar, where they were allowed to evolve in relative isolation.
One of the most common types of lemur is the ring-tailed lemur, thanks to reputable zoos and its presence in popular media. But the black lemur is one of the rarer species that you might see if you took a trip to Madagascar.
2. Madame Berthe’s Mouse Lemur
Residing in Western Madagascar, Madame Berthe’s mouse lemur is one of the world’s smallest mammals, sporting short, dense fur with a cinnamon hue. In general, these creatures live a solitary lifestyle but are happy to interact with other members of their species and sometimes sleep in groups. As a nocturnal animal, they spend most of their daylight hours lazing in leaf nests in the trees.
In contrast to many other lemur species, the Madame Berthe Mouse lemur does not hibernate in the cold season. To compensate for the scarcity of food during this time, they roam a more extensive than average home range – they will also eat the excrement of insects to survive. And during these cooler months, they can slow their metabolism to conserve energy and water.
These tiny mammals weigh just 30 grams and have the smallest recorded brain of any primate with a weight of just two grams.
3. Sifaka
Sifaka are a type of lemur native to Madagascar, which are named for the distinctive call they make upon seeing an enemy, which sounds like “shee-fa’-ka.” Nine species of sifaka inhabit the coastal forests of Madagascar, and they source most of their plant-based diet from the treetops, with their favorite food being leaves.
These primates possess powerful hind legs that allow them to propel themselves over 30 feet in one jump. On the ground, they walk bipedally, which means they walk on hind legs in a sideways hopping movement. They live in small social groups that encompass three to 10 members, with the females being dominant over the males. Their territory can overlap with other groups, but they abstain from contact to avoid aggression.
Like many other lemur species, the sifaka has specialized lower incisors that they use for grooming. When they rest, you can often see sifakas grooming one another with these tall, slender, comb-like teeth.
4. Tenrec
Tenrecs are small hedgehog-like mammals native to Madagascar and its surrounding islands. The tenrec comes in a diverse range of 31 species, and while some resemble hedgehogs, other cans look like shrews, rats, or opossums. They also live in various habitats, though their most common ground is humid forests.
They may be small, but the tenrec is a distant relative of the elephant and the sea cow. If predators approach them, they can contort their bodies into a ball to protect themselves; their spines help to ward off predators and can grow to a length of almost two centimetres. However, they use tree hollows or underground burrows to keep themselves safe when they sleep.
Tenrecs also use these quills for communication. When they rub themselves on nearby objects, such as trees, these quills create a unique sound that helps them locate other tenrecs and alert them to dangers. While they are often confused with the hedgehog, the two species are members of completely different orders. The snout is one of the easiest ways to tell the difference; it’s more pronounced on a tenrec than on a hedgehog.
5. Fossa
Madagascar’s apex predator is the large mammal known as a fossa. This puma-like creature has feline and canine treats and preys predominantly on lemurs. Fossas are found throughout the island, with species inhabiting all forested areas.
The arboreal fossa spends most of its time in trees with specially adapted claws that allow it to walk up and down the trunk headfirst. Unlike cats, the fossa walks on flat soles to give them stability and balance when leaping between branches.
At first, researchers thought these feline-like animals were a primitive cat species, but today we know that they are actually related to the mongoose. Both species derive from one common ancestor who arrived in Madagascar some 21 million years ago. Fossas grow to around 70 – 80cm, but fossils suggest that the giant fossa – now extinct – may once have reached lengths of almost six meters.
6. Madagascan Flying Fox
The Madagascan flying fox is the largest bat on this island, with a wingspan stretching between 100 and 125 cm. Their bodies are predominantly brown with red and golden tinges, and their heads possess a yellowish hue.
These flying mammals are found in all areas of Madagascar, excluding the central highland regions. They prefer the moist lowlands of the tropical and subtropical forests, where they live in colonies of up to 1,000 members. As nocturnal creatures, the Madagascan flying fox spends most of its day roosting in large trees but will travel up to 50 km away to find food.
They are primarily frugivorous animals, which means their diet consists of leaves, flowers, figs, and nectar, and they love to squeeze fruit juice directly into their mouths.
