Madagascar has become increasingly popular for tourists in recent years – largely attributed
to the Dreamworks series “Penguins of Madagascar”, for drawing attention to the vibrant land
and the incredibly varied animals who live there. Madagascar is the world’s fourth-largest
island and is home to literally hundreds of animals that can’t be found anywhere else
in the world; there are far too many interesting animals to feature in a single video, so we’ve
tried to pick out some of the most fascinating for you! From lemurs to insects, these endemic
animals are colorful, wild, and even a little bit crazy.
Before we begin, be sure to hit the like button to help us out! Now, here are ten Unique Animals
Only Found in Madagascar.
Number 10: Giraffe Weevil In the forests of Madagascar, you can find
a strange insect known as the giraffe weevil. The neck of the male giraffe weevil is three
times longer than that of the females. Its long neck is used to build nests. The giraffe
weevil is one of the largest insects in the weevil family and endemic only to the island
of Madagascar. This species was only discovered in 2008 and is still actively being researched
as a result. They feed on the leaves of giraffe beetle
trees, where they also make their nests. Even though they might be quite frightening to
look at, the giraffe weevil is completely harmless. They aren’t aggressive towards
humans or other insects and spend almost their entire lives in the giraffe beetle trees.
In fact, they are unable to bite or sting. The female will lay a single egg on a leaf,
roll the leaf up into a tube, and then drop the leaf onto the floor of the jungle.
Number 9: Panther Chameleon Madagascar is known for large animals, and
the panther chameleon doesn’t disappoint. It’s one of the largest chameleons in the
world, resting at an average of twenty inches in length. That makes them the size of a large
house cat! The size isn’t all they are known for, though. Their striking technicolor skin
can range anywhere from orange to blue, with stripes and spots scattered about.
Of all the species of chameleons out there, the panther chameleon can change its color
the fastest. Not only does it reflect the location of the panther chameleon, but its
color can also change depending on the temperature of the island, their stress levels, and their
health. Between its size and its glimmering colors, this animal is a well-beloved native
to the island.
Number 8: Sifaka Lemur Madagascar is well known for its lemurs. In
fact, there are over one hundred species of lemurs on the island of Madagascar, many of
which are endemic to the area and found nowhere else in the world. Among them is the Sifaka,
of which there are three types. The diademed sifaka, the golden-crowned sifaka, and the
coquerel’s sifaka. All three of them are endangered due to massive habitat loss in
recent years. Their fur is long and silky, and depending
on the type of sifaka, they can be found in black, white, and golden colors. They live
in groups of ten and feed primarily on the leaves and fruits of the same trees in which
they live. Rather than getting out of the tree, they use their powerful hind legs to
jump from branch to branch.
Number 7: Aye-Aye Out of every nocturnal primate in the world,
the aye-aye is the largest. They are endemic to Madagascar and are known for their very
large eyes and their long, slender fingers. They are completely harmless, especially to
humans, but have still become endangered from hunting. This is because many find their appearance
to be frightening – especially as they sleep during the day and hunt only at night.
During each hunting cycle, they can travel up to two and a half miles. They eat wood-boring
larvae, which they locate with their large ears. They then use their long middle finger
to dig the larvae loose. They supplement their diet with fruits and nectar. The aye-aye has
become more popular on a global scale since its appearance in the Dreamworks series “Penguins
of Madagascar”.
Number 6: Indri The Indri is the largest of all species of
lemurs that can be located in Madagascar. Unfortunately, they are highly endangered,
with a population of under ten thousand. They live in the rain forests on the eastern island,
in groups of eight large. Their high pitches calls can be heard for miles away, filling
the rain forest with eerie sounds. They can jump up to ten feet at a time, traveling
almost exclusively through the tree branches. Locally, they are known as babakoto. Their
teddy bear-like appearance paired with their humanistic mannerisms makes them a wildly
popular species and one that’s truly fascinating to observe in the world.
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Number 5: Satanic leaf-tailed Gecko The satanic leaf-tailed gecko is yet another
animal endemic to Madagascar. Its markings allow it to resemble a dead leaf, making it
a master of camouflage. The lines on their bodies help them blend even further into the
ridges along the leaves where they hide. Satanic leaf-tailed geckos are nocturnal, sleeping
during the day and coming out to eat at night. When a predator does manage to spot them,
they open their mouths up widely and reveal the bright red coloration inside of their
mouths. They also raise up their tail, using the odd appearance and coloration to confuse
their enemy and escape.
Number 4: Fossa The largest carnivore on the entire island
of Madagascar is the fossa. Despite looking like a large cat, the fossa is actually more
closely related to the mongoose. Unlike mongoose, however, the fossa has retractable claws and
a bite that more closely resembles the large cats of Africa. This mammal can get up to
six feet in length, with its long tail taking up most of that size. They are the top predator
in Madagascar, And yet, despite having no natural predators themselves, a massive decline
in their habitat has resulted in the decline of their numbers.
Unlike cats, fossas are plantigrade. That means, just like humans, they walk on the
direct soles of their feet. This gives them more stability when they jump from one branch
to the next. They hunt both day and night and use both their fangs and their claws to
hunt their prey. They are ambush predators and jump from high branches onto their prey
– primarily lemurs, though they also make use of the wild boars on the island. This
animal is so fast when in the trees that scientists have a hard time observing it.
Number 3: Tomato Frog There are many frogs found in Madagascar,
but the tomato frog is one of the most fascinating to look at. These frogs are named for their
color – a vibrant red, just like the fruit in question. In fact, they are thought to
be one of the brightest colored frogs in the entire world! They can lay between one thousand
and fifteen thousand eggs at a time, and reach the age of adulthood at forty-five days old.
Tomato frogs live in the swamps and shallow pools of Madagascar. These frogs produce a
thick white fluid to deter their natural predators – snakes. While the fluid isn’t outright
poisonous to humans, it often causes an allergic reaction to occur. When frightened, the tomato
frog will always puff itself up to try and make itself look bigger. And even more interestingly,
they aren’t lone hunters. Tomato frogs are ambush predators. They make surprise attacks
on their food, which often consists of small invertebrates.
Number 2: Blue Coua The Blue Coua is just one of many bird species
that are endemic to Madagascar. The Blue Coua is considered to be part of the cuckoo bird
family, though they aren’t parasitic in nature. That means they build their own nests.
Their striking blue plumage makes them easy to spot among the trees and can reach almost
twenty inches in height. Rather than fly, they tend to jump and flop through the trees.
Unfortunately, it’s this same striking color that is driving them to the brink of extinction.
The birds are often hunted for their feathers...and because they only lay one egg per breeding
season, they simply aren’t able to counter the number of their species that are killed
by hunters each year.
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Number 1: Madagascar Pochard The Madagascar Pochard is one of the rarest
ducks in the world. They’re an endemic species, meaning that they can only be found in the
marshes and freshwater lakes of Madagascar. Up until 2006, these ducks were actually believed
to be completely extinct. Due to conservation efforts, their numbers
have risen to a still pitifully small eighty ducks. A loss of their nesting sites due to
human encroachment, paired with the introduction of new animals to their habitat, caused their
original decline. It’s also caused a scarcity in their natural feeding grounds. Without
an extreme amount of human intervention, these ducks will soon disappear from the island
once again.
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