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Anja Community Reserve
The Anja Community Reserve is a woodland area and freshwater lake, situated at the base a large cliff. Much of the reserve is dominated by fallen rocks and boulders and there are two small caves providing habitat for bats and owls. This reserve has much sheltered habitat in the pocket of forest that has established between the vast boulders. The reserve was created in 2001 with the support on the UNDP to help preserve the local environment and wildlife, and to provide additional employment and income to the local community. The reserve is home to the highest concentration of maki, or ring-tailed lemurs, in all of Madagascar. The people, who have a belief in not eating the maki, used to sell the maki to outsiders. However, after finding that 95% of makis in Madagascar are now gone, the people initiated the formation of a nature reserve, effectively establishing the world's largest congregation site for makis. Due to its high biological, cultural, and natural importance, scholars ha ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ambalavao
Ambalavao is a city (''commune urbaine'') in Madagascar, in the Haute Matsiatra region. The city is in the most southern part of the Central Highlands, near the city of Fianarantsoa. Nature *The Anja Community Reserve, situated about 13 km south of Ambalavao, is a small community-based reserve created to preserve and manage local natural resources. * Andringitra National Park is located near this city. Geography Ambalavao is situated at the Route Nationale No. 7 Fianarantsoa-Ihosy-Tuléar at 160 km from Ihosy and 56 km from Fianarantsoa.Atlas Mondial, France Loisir, page 159 An airport serves the town. Climate Ambalavao has a humid subtropical climate ( Köppen: ''Cwa''). Transports The city is served by Ambalavao Airport. See also * Andringitra National Park * Anja Community Reserve The Anja Community Reserve is a woodland area and freshwater lake, situated at the base a large cliff. Much of the reserve is dominated by fallen rocks and boulders an ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Madagascar Girdled Lizard
The Madagascar girdled lizard or Madagascar plated lizard (''Zonosaurus madagascariensis'') is a species of lizard in the family Gerrhosauridae. It is found in Madagascar, some outlying islands (Nosy Be and the nearby islands; Grande Glorieuse) and the Seychelles (Cosmoledo). This generally common lizard is found in a range of habitat types, including open and degraded humid forest at mid and low altitudes. It also occurs in plantations. On Cosmoledo, it occurs in open shrubland. This oviparous lizard grows to total length. Evolutionary history The family Gerrhosauridae shares the strongest evolutionary linkages to Asian and South American Species. However, the population on the island most likely originated from colonization by ancestors "rafting" from the African Mainland. Within the Island of Madagascar, the Malagasy Plated Lizards are denoted by two individual genera of Gerrhosauridae: 1. Tracheloptychus, which consists of 2 separate species that occupy the subarid south and ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Flatidae
Flatidae are a family of fulgoroid planthoppers. They are cosmopolitan in distribution and are distinguished from others in the superfamily by a combination of characters. Like all other planthoppers, they suck phloem sap of plants. Some species are known to communicate with vibrations through the plant stems. Communication may be with mates, or with ants that tend the nymphs, protecting them and gathering honeydew secretions. Adults of some species have brightly coloured forewings which are tougher and known as tegmina unlike the membranous hindwings which are used for flight. Although a few can be identified by their coloration, most species requires dissection and examination under a microscope with access to literature on already described species. There are two sub-families within the family. In the subfamily Flatinae, the body of adults is flattened laterally and the tegmina are tent-like. In the Flatoidinae, the body is not laterally compressed and the tegmina are not ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ring-tailed Lemur
The ring-tailed lemur (''Lemur catta'') is a large strepsirrhine primate and the most recognized lemur due to its long, black and white ringed tail. It belongs to Lemuridae, one of five lemur families, and is the only member of the ''Lemur'' genus. Like all lemurs it is endemic to the island of Madagascar and endangered. Known locally in Malagasy as ' (, spelled ' in French) or ', it inhabits gallery forests to spiny scrub in the southern regions of the island. It is omnivorous and the most terrestrial of extant lemurs. The animal is diurnal, being active exclusively in daylight hours. The ring-tailed lemur is highly social, living in groups of up to 30 individuals. It is also female dominant, a trait common among lemurs. To keep warm and reaffirm social bonds, groups will huddle together. The ring-tailed lemur will also sunbathe, sitting upright facing its underside, with its thinner white fur towards the sun. Like other lemurs, this species relies strongly on its sense of ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Oplurus Grandidieri
Grandidier's Madagascar swift (''Oplurus grandidieri'') is a species of saxicolous (rock dwelling) lizard in the family Opluridae. The species is endemic to Madagascar. Etymology The specific name ''grandidieri'', is in honor of French naturalist Alfred Grandidier.Beolens, Bo; Watkins, Michael; Grayson, Michael (2011). ''The Eponym Dictionary of Reptiles''. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. xiii + 296 pp. . (''Oplurus grandidieri'', p. 105). Description Grandidier's Madagascar swift has a distinctive light mid-dorsal band. Geographic range On the island of Madagascar ''O. grandidieri'' has been found in a number of localities in the southern central highlands. Reproduction ''O. grandidieri'' is oviparous. References Further reading * Glaw F, Vences M (1994). ''A Fieldguide to the Amphibians and Reptiles of Madagascar, Second Edition''. Cologne, Germany: Vences & Glaw Verlag / Serpents Tale. 480 pp. . * Mocquard F (1900). "''Nouvelle contribution à la faune herpé ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Paddy Field
A paddy field is a flooded field (agriculture), field of arable land used for growing Aquatic plant, semiaquatic crops, most notably rice and taro. It originates from the Neolithic rice-farming cultures of the Yangtze River basin in southern China, associated with Austronesian peoples#Neolithic China, pre-Austronesian and Hmong–Mien languages, Hmong-Mien cultures. It was spread in prehistoric times by the Austronesian peoples#Austronesian expansion, expansion of Austronesian peoples to Island Southeast Asia, Southeast Asia including Northeastern India, Madagascar, Melanesia, Micronesia, and Polynesia. The technology was also acquired by other cultures in mainland Asia for rice farming, spreading to East Asia, Mainland Southeast Asia, and South Asia. Fields can be built into steep hillsides as Terrace (agriculture), terraces or adjacent to depressed or steeply sloped features such as rivers or marshes. They require a great deal of labor and materials to create and need l ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Zanna Madagascariensis
''Zanna madagascariensis'', the Malagasy lantern bug, is endemic to Madagascar. It is a member of the Zanninae, considered to be a subfamily of the Fulgoridae The family Fulgoridae is a large group of hemipteran insects, especially abundant and diverse in the tropics, containing over 125 genera worldwide. They are mostly of moderate to large size, many with a superficial resemblance to Lepidoptera due t .... The nymphs are sometimes referred to as lantern-flies because of their large lantern like snout, although this does not emit light. The adult bugs are known as sakandry, and are consumed by the rural people of Madagascar. Roasted whole, they are reported to taste like bacon. Description ''Zanna madagascariensis'' has a white waxy ''dusty'' defensive coating and a large orange lantern-like head or snout. References Endemic fauna of Madagascar Insects of Madagascar Insects described in 1860 Edible insects Fulgorinae {{Fulgoridae-stub ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Flatida Rosea
''Flatida rosea'', the flower-spike bug or the flatid leaf bug, is a species of planthopper in the family Flatidae. It is found in Madagascar dry deciduous forests, tropical dry forests in Madagascar, and the adult insects are gregarious, the groups orienting themselves in such a way that they resemble a flower spike. The adults have wide pink wings which they hold vertically in a tent-like fashion, concealing the whole body. The nymphs have no wings, but can move about, and are defensively covered in wispy white wax, with a plume of waxy tendrils. Like other bugs in this family, both adults and nymphs feed by piercing the bark with their mouthparts and sucking sap from the phloem. The adults are mobile, and can jump if disturbed. ''Flatida rosea'' feed on the liana ''Elachyptera minimiflora''. The Nymph (biology), nymphs produce copious quantities of Honeydew (secretion), honeydew and the Coquerel's coua (''Coua coquerelii'') feeds on this. References External links * ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Planthopper
A planthopper is any insect in the infraorder Fulgoromorpha, in the suborder Auchenorrhyncha, a group exceeding 12,500 described species worldwide. The name comes from their remarkable resemblance to leaves and other plants of their environment and that they often "hop" for quick transportation in a similar way to that of grasshoppers. However, planthoppers generally walk very slowly. Distributed worldwide, all members of this group are plant-feeders, though surprisingly few are considered pests. The infraorder contains only a single superfamily, Fulgoroidea. Fulgoroids are most reliably distinguished from the other Auchenorrhyncha by two features; the bifurcate ("Y"-shaped) anal vein in the forewing, and the thickened, three-segmented antennae, with a generally round or egg-shaped second segment (pedicel) that bears a fine filamentous arista. Overview Planthoppers are laterally flattened and hold their broad wings vertically, in a tent-like fashion, concealing the sides of t ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Chalarodon
''Chalarodon'' is a genus of Malagasy terrestrial iguanian lizard. It was considered a monotypic genus, until in 2015 a second species, '' Chalarodon steinkampi'', was recognised based on morphology and DNA sequence data. The common names of this genus include Chalarodon or Dangalia lizard. Its Malagasy relatives are the iguanians of the genus ''Oplurus''. Species Two species of ''Chalarodon'' exist: Habitat Members of this genus inhabit semi-arid to arid regions and almost entirely open, or very sparsely vegetated habitats with sandy soil in southern, western, and south eastern Madagascar. Nutrition The Madagascar sand lizards are insectivores A robber fly eating a hoverfly An insectivore is a carnivorous animal or plant that eats insects. An alternative term is entomophage, which can also refer to the human practice of eating insects. The first vertebrate insectivores were .... In addition to insects, sometimes plants are ingested, particularly in the form of ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Barbour's Day Gecko
Barbour's day gecko (''Phelsuma barbouri'') is a species of lizard in the family Gekkonidae. The species is endemic to central Madagascar. It is diurnal and typically dwells on rocks. Barbour's day gecko feeds on insects and nectar. Etymology The specific name, ''barbouri'', as well as the common name, Barbour's day gecko, are in honor of American herpetologist Thomas Barbour. Description ''P. barbouri'' is a middle-sized day gecko. It can reach a total length (including tail) of about . The body colour is brownish green or dark green. Both a dark brown dorso-lateral stripe and a dark brown lateral stripe extend from head to tail. The extremities are normally brown. The tail is unicoloured green and slightly flattened. Geographic range ''P. barbouri'' inhabits the highlands of central Madagascar in the Ankaratra Mountains, at altitudes of . www.reptile-database.org. Habitat In contrast to other lizards of the genus ''Phelsuma'', ''P. barbouri'' is terrestrial and typically l ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ring-tailed Lemur
The ring-tailed lemur (''Lemur catta'') is a large strepsirrhine primate and the most recognized lemur due to its long, black and white ringed tail. It belongs to Lemuridae, one of five lemur families, and is the only member of the ''Lemur'' genus. Like all lemurs it is endemic to the island of Madagascar and endangered. Known locally in Malagasy as ' (, spelled ' in French) or ', it inhabits gallery forests to spiny scrub in the southern regions of the island. It is omnivorous and the most terrestrial of extant lemurs. The animal is diurnal, being active exclusively in daylight hours. The ring-tailed lemur is highly social, living in groups of up to 30 individuals. It is also female dominant, a trait common among lemurs. To keep warm and reaffirm social bonds, groups will huddle together. The ring-tailed lemur will also sunbathe, sitting upright facing its underside, with its thinner white fur towards the sun. Like other lemurs, this species relies strongly on its sense of ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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