Invertebrate of the Day: Grasshopper
I don’t know what kind of grasshopper is, but it sure is pretty. We saw it tonight on an evening walk outside of Andasibe National Park in Madagascar. Read more …
Month: June 2017
Lemur of the Day: Diadem Sifaka
The diadem sifaka has a beautiful coat of three colors: white, black, and orange. Despite the low light in the Andasibe rainfoeest, I couldn’t resist taking photo after photo of this sifaka’s family group this morning. Warning: Watching sifakas for an hour can leave you with a serious crick in your neck. Read more …
Plant of the Day: Wild Iris
We came upon some wild iris on our hike into Andasibe National Park this morning. By the time we left in the early afternoon, it looked like this:
Reptile of the Day: Mossy Leaf-Tailed Gecko
I’ve seen animals that are pretty good at blending in with their surroundings before. Caterpillars blend in with tomato leaves, squirrels with browning oak leaves, and sparrows with gray sidewalks. (Hmmm, maybe that last one doesn’t count.) But this mossy leaf-tailed gecko takes the cake. Read more …
Reptile of the Day: Elephant-Eared Chameleon
The elephant-eared chameleon (Calumma brevicorne) is the second kind of chameleon I’ve gotten the chance to encounter here in Madagascar, but so far only at night. That’s because, to the human eye, chameleons are easier to spot at night. During the day, our eyes get tricked by chameleon’s ability to change their color to blend in with their surroundings. But at night … Read more …
Lemur of the Day: Eastern Lesser Bamboo Lemur
These lemurs are so cute, I can’t even. Easter lesser bamboo lemurs (Hapalemur griseus griseus) are adorable in part because they are small — about the size of a garden rabbit, though much better at climbing trees than leporids are. But I also love their round eyes and the way their short snouts make them look almost like monkeys. Don’t let … Read more
Invertebrate of the Day: Forest Crab
Before today, I never knew that crabs could live far from the ocean. These ones live among the leaves of the vakona tree, a primitive plant related to sisal and reminiscent of a pineapple top on steroids. Rain water lands on the large, blade-shaped leaves, then runs down toward the trunk’s crown, where the bases of the leaves meet. Enough … Read more
Bird of the Day: Madagascar Wagtail
Saw these birds in the driveway of our lodge this afternoon. Their pattern reminds me a lot of American robins, though of course the color is different. The name wagtail is accurate. Their tails constantly go up and down like the handle of a water pump. I’ll try to get a movie next time I see them.
Invertebrate of the Day: Spotted Bark Spider
Madagascar has many species of bark spiders, five of which were unknown to science only a decade ago. Read more …
Reptile of the Day: Horn-Nosed Chameleon
My first chameleon sighting in Madagascar was this horn-nosed chameleon just a few yards from our room near Andisabe National Park. It can actually be a little easier to find chameleons at night, when they turn a pale color that looks almost white against the darkness. We were lucky to see this little guy next to a little creek right … Read more