Magical Madagascar

By Bob Lewis

(Note: Bob will present slides and describe the wildlife of Madagascar on June 21 at our monthly Speaker Series in Berkeley.)

I went to Madagascar in October 2011 with Oryx, a South African photo tour company.  I wanted to photograph some of the endemic families of birds on this fourth-largest island, and experience Madagascar’s other natural wonders.  Madagascar has been separated from other land masses for about 80 million years, and evolution has progressed on the island in a unique way – it has all the world’s lemurs, half the world’s chameleons, and is home to six families of birds found nowhere else.

Lemur ancestors came to Madagascar about 50 million years ago, and flourished since they have little competition or predation on the island.  There are about 70 species, and they exist only on Madagascar.  This Ring-tailed Lemur travels in small groups, and young are carried for several months.  Most lemurs are arboreal.  These were common near our lodge in the spiny forest of the south.

Chameleons are hard to spot, blending into the green and brown of the forest.  This Parson’s Chameleon is about a foot long, moves slowly, and like the lemurs, lives in the trees.  The exotic pet trade threatens these creatures.

Vangas are one of the families of birds found only on Madagascar.  Their ancestors probably came from Africa, and over time evolved into over a dozen different species, each adapted to a different habitat.  This Sickle-billed Vanga nests high in large trees, and probes cracks and holes in the trunks for spiders and lizards.  Forests on Madagascar are threatened due to the use of charcoal as fuel, and most of the forested area is found around the edge of the island.  The higher, cooler central plateau has been converted to rice paddies and brick quarries, feeding and housing 22 million people.

Even with so much habitat lost, Madagascar still holds one of the most diverse, unique and fascinating collection of creatures in the world.

For more images and stories of cool critters from this distinct ecosystem, come join us on Thursday June 21st in Berkeley, right after Golden Gate Bird Alliance’s Annual Meeting.

Magical Madagascar presentation:

Date:   Thursday June 21

Time:   6:30 for Annual Meeting & refreshments

            7:30 for Bob’s presentation on Magical Madagascar

Place:  Northbrae Community Church, 941 the Alameda in North Berkeley

             (between Solano & Marin)

Cost:   Free for GGBA members, $5 for non-members