· Island of Lemurs
· Special Features
· Did You Know?
· Wild Side
· Cause for Concern
· Looking Ahead

Global 200 Snapshot

Madagascar is a large island that has long been separated from Africa. Because the animals and plants in its moist forests have had no contact with African species for millions of years, they have evolved on their own into unique, or endemic, species that are found nowhere else on Earth. This Global 200 ecoregion is made up of these terrestrial ecoregions: Madagascar subhumid forests; Madagascar ericoid thickets; Madagascar lowland forests

Island of Lemurs

If you've ever wanted to see the small primates known as lemurs in the wild, then you'll have to travel to Madagascar. All 50 known species of lemurs are found only on this island, and many of them dwell within the island's moist forests. You can see the indri, the largest living lemur, which has black fur with white patches. You might see black lemurs feeding on ripe fruit, leaves, insects, and flowers. And if you're lucky, you might even see the recently rediscovered hairy-eared dwarf lemur, a lemur with long wavy hair around its ears.

Special Features

Madagascar has been separated from Africa for more than 150 million years, and its life forms are so distinctive that biogeographers think of it as a separate continent. Moist forests cover the eastern part of the country at both low and high elevations. Filled with flowering trees, fast-growing vines, flowers, and tree ferns, the forests are a feast for the senses and a storehouse of wondrous diversity.

	Unlike most lemurs, female ruffed lemurs leave their newborn young in their nests instead of carrying them around. And later, they carry the young lemurs around in their mouths!

Wild Side

Lemurs aren't the only unusual creatures that climb and dine within the forests of Madagascar. Tomato frogs search for insects in forest pools. Leaf-tailed geckos blend into tree trunks so well that they seem to disappear. And the velvet asity, a short-tailed, 6-inch (15 cm) bird, picks its way along the ground feeding on insects and other invertebrates.

Cause for Concern

Villagers rely on many forest resources to meet their basic needs. As a result, many of the moist forests have been cleared by people gathering fuelwood and practicing slash-and-burn agriculture. Some logging takes place as well. The trade in reptiles and amphibians also is depleting wild populations.

Looking Ahead

Check back soon for more about the conservation of this ecoregion.