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
Published in Seattle Times: https://www.seattletimes.com/opinion/springtime-is-for-salamanders-and-journeys-of-discovery/ Warming spring days cause many Northwesterners to reach for binoculars and look up for birds. My inclination is to look down. It’s time to find salamanders, encounters that could lead you to adventures, a career, and your tribe. Sure – bird watching is popular. That’s because it’s easy. Birds flit,
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