As usual for Madagascar, the geckos here are diverse and unique. Over 80 species are endemic to the island. All 12 genera in Madagascar belong to the subfamily Gekkoninae. Most geckos have adhesive pads under the digits which enable them to climb on vertical smooth surfaces, even on glass. The pads are usually structured into […]
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Hanging in the hallway outside my room here at Centre ValBio (CVB) is an embroidered depiction of the nine, yes nine species of chameleons that occur in Ranomafana National Park. I’ve been lucky enough to see a handful of them, mostly at night, with a couple species seen during the day. Almost half of all
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The sheer number and diversity of frog species in Madagascar is unlike anywhere else. Just since 1990 new research – large-scale surveys and species inventories – has reached previously unreviewed areas. With this new knowledge the number of documented frog species has increased from 170 to 235 named species and current research is ongoing for
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In 1854, an interestinglooking spider was found preserved in 50 million-year-old amber. With an elongated neck-like structure and long mouthparts that protruded from the “head” like an angled beak, the arachnid bore a striking resemblance to a tiny pelican. A few decades later when living pelican spiders (Eriauchenius sp.) were discovered in Madagascar, arachnologists learned
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I’m off on my second visit to Madagascar, this time as a volunteer researcher at Centre ValBio at Ranamafana National Park. Madagascar is an enchanting place – particularly of you have a naturalist’s bent. The wildlife is amazingly diverse. It exhibits both a high species richness and a high rate of endemic species. The island