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Mikea Forest
The Mikea Forest (or Forêt des Mikea) is a forested region of southwestern Madagascar, between Manombo and Morombe. More specifically, it stretches from Route Nationale 9 to the west coast and from Mangoky south to the Manombo River. It lies at the transition between dry deciduous forest, which is more common further north in Madagascar, and spiny forest, which is dominant in southwestern Madagascar. Its underlying geology is unconsolidated sand, and the region contains several freshwater lakes. The Forêt des Mikea is one of the largest remaining continuous forest blocks in western and southern Madagascar, but it is not protected and it is threatened by human development. This transitional terrain is one of the least protected of Madagascar's habitats. This soil composition has resulted in a collection of plant and animal species, even distinct from adjacent vegetation on limestone. Small terrestrial mammals found here include the rodents '' Macrotarsomys bastardi'', ''Macro ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Atsimo-Andrefana
Atsimo-Andrefana is a region of Madagascar. It borders Menabe in north, Amoron'i Mania and Haute Matsiatra in northeast, Ihorombe and Anosy in east and Androy in southeast. The capital is Toliara and the population was 1,799,088 in 2018. Atsimo Andrefana is geographically the largest of all Malagasy regions with an area of . Administrative divisions Atsimo-Andrefana Region is divided into nine districts, which are sub-divided into 105 communes. * Ampanihy District - 16 communes * Ankazoabo District - 5 communes * Benenitra District - 5 communes * Betioky Sud District - 5 communes * Beroroha District - 19 communes * Morombe District - 8 communes * Sakaraha District - 11 communes * Toliary I District - 1 commune * Toliara II District - 19 communes Transport Airports *Ampanihy Airport *Andavadoaka Airport *Ankazoabo Airport *Beroroha Airport *Betioky Airport *Morombe Airport * Tanandava Airport *Toliara Airport Protected areas In Atsimo-Andrefana are found the following protecte ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Macrotarsomys Petteri
Petter's big-footed mouse (''Macrotarsomys petteri''), is a Madagascan rodent in the genus '' Macrotarsomys''. With a head and body length of 150 mm (5.9 in) and body mass of 105 g (3.7 oz), it is the largest species of its genus. Its upper body is brown, darkest in the middle of the back, and the lower body is white to yellowish. The animal has long whiskers, short forelimbs, and long hindfeet. The tail ends in a prominent tuft of long, light hairs. The skull is robust and the molars are low-crowned and cuspidate. Petter's big-footed mouse is now found only in the Mikea Forest of southwestern Madagascar, but subfossil records indicate that it used to be more widely distributed in southern Madagascar. Climatic changes and competition with introduced species may have led to the shift in its distribution. The Mikea Forest, the only place where it is still known to occur, is threatened by human development. Taxonomy During a 2003 biological inventory of the Mike ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Matoatoa Brevipes
''Matoatoa brevipes'' is a species of gecko, a lizard in the family Gekkonidae. The species is endemic to Madagascar. Geographic range ''M. brevipes'' is found along the southwestern coast of Madagascar Madagascar (; mg, Madagasikara, ), officially the Republic of Madagascar ( mg, Repoblikan'i Madagasikara, links=no, ; french: République de Madagascar), is an island country in the Indian Ocean, approximately off the coast of East Africa .... Habitat ''M. brevipes'' is found in hollow tree branches within dry open spiny forest. Behavior ''M. brevipes'' is a nocturnal species. References Further reading * Mocquard F (1900). "''Diagnoses d'espèces nouvelles de Reptiles de Madagascar'' ". ''Bulletin du Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle, Paris'' 6: 345–348. (''Phyllodactylus brevipes'', new species, p. 346). (in French). * Nussbaum RA, Raxworthy CJ, Pronk O (1998). "The Ghost Geckos of Madagascar: A Further Revision of the Malagasy Leaf-toed Geckos (Rept ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Vulnerable Species
A vulnerable species is a species which has been Conservation status, categorized by the International Union for Conservation of Nature as being threatened species, threatened with extinction unless the circumstances that are threatened species, threatening its survival and reproduction improve. Vulnerability is mainly caused by habitat loss or destruction of the species' home. Vulnerable habitat or species are monitored and can become increasingly threatened. Some species listed as "vulnerable" may be common in captivity (animal), captivity, an example being the military macaw. There are currently 5196 animals and 6789 plants classified as Vulnerable, compared with 1998 levels of 2815 and 3222, respectively. Practices such as cryoconservation of animal genetic resources have been enforced in efforts to conserve vulnerable breeds of livestock specifically. Criteria The International Union for Conservation of Nature uses several criteria to enter species in this category. A tax ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Uratelornis Chimaera
The long-tailed ground roller (''Uratelornis chimaera'') is a species of bird in the ground roller family Brachypteraciidae, placed in the monotypic genus ''Uratelornis''. Endemic to arid spiny forests near the coast in southwestern Madagascar, this ground roller occurs at extremely low population densities throughout its habitat. This species requires shade and a deep layer of leaves on the ground, and it is absent from parts of the spiny forest lacking these features. It has no recognized subspecies, and its closest relative is the scaly ground roller. The long-tailed ground roller is the only ground roller to definitively display sexual dimorphism (differences in plumage or size between sexes). It is a medium-sized bird with a plump silhouette and a long tail. The upperparts are dark brown with black streaks while the underparts are light gray. The white throat is framed by black malar stripes and a black breastband, and a white stripe is present at the base of the bill. Sky- ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Monias Benschi
The subdesert mesite (''Monias benschi'') is a ground-dwelling bird endemic to Madagascar. It is one of three species in the mesite family Mesitornithidae, and is restricted in distribution to a small low-land region in southwest Madagascar. Description The subdesert mesite is a medium-sized terrestrial bird which is often described as rail-like (a family with which the mesites are sometimes placed). The species has a long and downward-curved bill distinguishing it from the other members of the family. Both sexes are greyish above and show thin white eyebrows. Both have white underparts; the male has black crescent-shaped spots on the side of the neck and upper breast. The female has rufous spots that may merge into a general rufous tone, and has a tawny cheek patch. Distribution and habitat The subdesert mesite is restricted to spiny thicket with open areas, from sea-level to an altitude of . It is restricted to the long, and wide, coastal strip between the Fiherenana river a ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Threatened Species
Threatened species are any species (including animals, plants and fungi) which are vulnerable to endangerment in the near future. Species that are threatened are sometimes characterised by the population dynamics measure of ''critical depensation'', a mathematical measure of biomass related to population growth rate. This quantitative metric is one method of evaluating the degree of endangerment. IUCN definition The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) is the foremost authority on threatened species, and treats threatened species not as a single category, but as a group of three categories, depending on the degree to which they are threatened: *Vulnerable species *Endangered species * Critically endangered species Less-than-threatened categories are near threatened, least concern, and the no longer assigned category of conservation dependent. Species which have not been evaluated (NE), or do not have sufficient data ( data deficient) also are not considered ... [...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] |
Suncus Madagascariensis
The Madagascan pygmy shrew (''Suncus madagascariensis'') is a species of mammal in the family Soricidae. It is the only known Malagasy shrew. Taxonomy Some taxonomists regard it as conspecific with the widely distributed Etruscan shrew, the smallest known mammal by mass, and likely to have been introduced to Madagascar from India or Southeast Asia by humans.Omar, H.; Adamson, E.A.S.; Bhauur, S.; Goodman, S.M.; Soarimalala, V.; Hashim, R.; Ruedi, M. (2011)Phylogenetic relationships of Malayan and Malagasy pygmy shrews of the genus ''Suncus'' (Soricomorpha: Soricidae) inferred from mitochondrial cytochrome b gene sequences. ''The Raffles Bulletin of Zoology'' 59(2): 237–243. It is found in Madagascar and the Comoros, at altitudes from sea level to 1500 m. Distribution and habitat It is thought to be more common in the less humid western and southern parts of Madagascar. This shrew may also be present on Socotra. The species is found primarily in forests. Diet and behaviour It ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Microgale Jenkinsae
''Microgale'' is a genus of mammal in the family Tenrecidae. There are 21 living species on the island of Madagascar and one extinct species known from a fossil. Some species have been discovered in the last twenty years. On the basis of molecular data indicating that Talazac's shrew tenrec and Dobson's shrew tenrec form a sister group to the rest of ''Microgale'', these two species were transferred from ''Microgale'' to ''Nesogale'' in 2016. ''Nesogale'' and ''Microgale'' are estimated to have diverged about 19 million years ago, during the Early Miocene. The web-footed tenrec, ''M. mergulus'', the only semiaquatic member of the genus, was formerly placed in the monotypic genus ''Limnogale'', but was moved in 2016 on the basis of sequence data showing it to be deeply nested within ''Microgale''. ''Microgale'' contains the following extant species: * Short-tailed shrew tenrec (''M. brevicaudata'') – G. Grandidier, 1899 *Cowan's shrew tenrec (''M. cowani'') – Thomas, 1882 *Dr ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Geogale Aurita
The large-eared tenrec (''Geogale aurita'') is a species of mammal in the family Tenrecidae. It is the only species in the monotypic genus ''Geogale'', and the only member of the subfamily Geogalinae. It is endemic to Madagascar where its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical dry forests and shrubland. It is threatened by habitat loss, but to a lesser extent than was previously thought and is listed by the IUCN as being of "Least Concern". ''Geogale'' is thought to have split from the ancestors of its sister clade, the subfamily Oryzorictinae, about 30 million years ago. Description The large-eared tenrec is a small shrew-like animal with short, soft fur, a long hairy tail and large projecting ears. Adults weigh between and measure in length, with a tail half as long again. The dorsal (upper) surface is greyish brown or reddish brown and the ventral (under) surface is buffish white. The large-eared tenrec differs from other tenrecs in the family by having 34 teeth inste ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Echinops Telfairi
The lesser hedgehog tenrec (''Echinops telfairi'') is a species of mammal in the family Tenrecidae. It is the only species in the genus ''Echinops'' and is named in honour of Charles Telfair. It is endemic to Madagascar. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical dry forests, shrubland, and shrubland and dry savanna. Description The lesser hedgehog tenrec is a small, stout-bodied animal similar to a hedgehog, hence the name. Their tails are short, their limbs and muzzles are of moderate length, and their ears are prominent. The entire dorsum is covered with sharp spines. Color is usually yellow buff; individuals range from near white to almost black. Head and body length is . Weight is about . Lesser hedgehog tenrecs (like all tenrecs) have a cloaca (common uro-genital opening), like a bird or a reptile. Behavior This tenrec is terrestrial. It spends its daytime hours resting under a log, a pile of branches, leaves, straws or in a hollow tree, although trees are widely ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
