Madagascar Animals

The majority of Madagascar animals are endemic to the island.

Madagascar Lemurs

The most famous ones are lemurs - mostly nocturnal primates totally endemic to Madagascar Island.




There used to be lemurs in central African rainforests, but they were replaced by higher forms of primates such as gorillas and chimpanzees.

madagascar animals


Today, lemurs are endangered both because habitat destruction, and because superstitious humans kill some species, such as aye-ayes.

madagascar lemurs

Other Mammals
Other mammals include mongoose, fossas, civets, fanaloucs, tenrecs (hedgehog-like animals), moles, rats, mice and bats.



It is very common on islands that there are no large mammals, and bats and rodents make up a large part (if not all) of native mammal species.

aye aye lemur

Birds
It is also quite common on islands that there is a large variety of birds. Madagascar's birds include different species of asity, babbler, baza, buttonquail, buzzard, coua, emu-tail, flufftail, flycatcher, fody, goshawk, greenbul, ground-roller, harrier, harrier-hawk, hawk-owl, heron, hoopoe, ibis, jacana, jery, kestrel, kingfisher, lark, magpie-robin, munia, newtonia, nightjar, pelican, plover, rail, rock-thrush, sandgrous, scops-owl, serpent-eagle, shearwater, sparrowhawk, spoonbill, starling, sunbird, swamp-warbler, swift, tetraka, vanga, wagtail and weaver.

madagascar chameleon


Chameleon Lizard
Other classic Madagascar animals are chameleons. Although chameleons are found in many other parts of the world too, the vast majority of species are only found on Madagascar Island. Although some species inhabit deserts and grasslands, most of them live in rainforests, and are, as lemurs, threatened by rainforest destruction.  

chameleon madagascar


Other Reptiles
Other Madagascar reptiles include many species of harmless colubrid snakes, and some boas, such as
Madagascar ground boa and Madagascar tree boa; Nile Crocodiles, four species of turtles (including the famous Angonoka, Geochelone yniphora; and many species of skinks, geckoes and iguanids.

animals of madagascar


Amphibians
Madagascar also has about 300 species of frogs and almost all of them are endemic to the island. Madagascar's frogs include the colourful mantella frogs (aka Golden frogs); the less colourful Mantidactylus frogs; many species of tree frogs, and genus Dyscophus (Tomato Frogs).


millipede madagascar


Insects and Spiders
And finally, there are millions of species of spiders and insects. Spiders include orb spiders, thorn spiders, trapdoor spiders, pelican spiders, wandering spiders, sac spiders, wolf spiders, tarantula spiders and many more.
 
madagascar cockroach


As many Madagascar's spiders, many insects (such as butterflies, praying mantids, moths and others) also grow quite large. This is often the case with rainforest insects


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