Discover the unique fauna of Madagascar: meet lemurs, birds, reptiles and endemic amphibians!
Madagascar protects a variety of animals that are unique in the world. These include birds, lemurs, reptiles and amphibians. They all present a great diversity. Explore these fascinating animals, and opt for the recommended itineraries to meet them.
See these lemurs :
- The Indri indri or sifaka : has a black and white coat. Its powerful hind legs tune its leaps.
- The microcebus :nocturnal with huge eyes, the smallest weighs only 30 grams.
- The nocturnal sports lemur :dark red in colour, with bright eyes.
- Catta lemur : grey and white coat characterised by a black and white ringed tail, has bright yellow eyes.
- The variegated lemur : appears in reddish red fur with a black and white tail
- The dark brown bamboo lemur : has a pointed snout and a bushy tail.
Find the winged treasures of Madagascar, the birds :
Madagascar has a mosaic of endemic birds, depending on their habitat.
- The land birds :
- The serpentine, a small long-tailed eagle, feeding on chameleons and geckos.
- The Long-tailed Brachypteron, the only representative of the genus uratelornis, feeds on invertebrates. It appears in grey and blue plumage.
- Aquatic birds :
- The Cattle Heron, found in rice fields.
- Bernier’s Teal, a species of duck found in rivers and lakes.
- The Malagasy Kingfisher, a small aquatic bird endemic to Madagascar that feeds on fish and dresses in multicoloured plumage.
- The Malagasy Grebe, a small aquatic bird found in lakes and ponds.
- Legendary birds of Madagascar :
Museums exhibit these birds in fossil form, including the Aepyornis. Weighing 500 kg, it has small wings. Its powerful legs give it a running speed.
- Birds involved in beliefs :
The degrading ecosystem and the beliefs risk making them disappear.
- The Madagascar eagle or ankoay, nocturnal, in Malagasy belief this bird symbolises evil.
- The hawk, this atypical bird is a reminder of the power of the Malagasy monarchy at the time.
Explore the endemic reptiles and amphibians :
Half of the world’s chameleon species are found in Madagascar:
- The panther chameleon
- The Jackson’s chameleon
- The dwarf chameleon
- The fat-tailed gecko
- The leaf-tailed gecko
Madagascar has several endemic snake species :
- Madagascar Blind snake
Several species of frogs are also endemic to Madagascar :
- The Madagascar tree frog
- The Madagascar tomato frog, its bright red colour and rounded shape distinguish it.
Which route to choose to enjoy the observation of these exceptional living gems :
Starting from Antananarivo, follow this itinerary for a well organised adventure through Madagascar!
- Andasibe-Mantadia National Park features the indri lemur, the largest lemur, and also the territory of the kingfisher of Madagascar.
- Ranomafana National Park offers you vari lemurs, sifaka lemurs and bamboo lemurs, as well as endemic birds.
- Go to the Isalo National Park through hikes in the canyons and gorges. You’ll see catta lemurs and endemic birds.
- At Ankarafantsika National Park, a dry forest in southern Madagascar, catch a glimpse of lemurs and endemic birds.
- Visit the Kirindy Mitea National Park and get the chance to look for nocturnal lemurs. The endemic birds will also be there.
