The Treacherous Tsingy

Madagascar is the fourth largest island in the world and lies in the Indian Ocean off the southeast coast of Africa.  Besides the main island, the Republic of Madagascar also includes some smaller surrounding islands.   At 227,000 square miles, the main island encompasses some of the most diverse and unique environments anywhere, including desert, mountains, rainforest, and an area on the western coast known as the tsingy.  There are actually two tsingys - the Great Tsingy and the Little Tsingy.  Two parks - the Tsingy de Bemaraha National Park and the Tsingy de Bermaraha Strict Nature Reserve - combine to create a UNESCO World Heritage Site because there is no other place like it on the planet.  The tsingys are a 'forest' of limestone spires, some as sharp as razors.  Once a limestone seabed, even in this harsh environment there are both plants and animals that manage to survive here, that also exist no other place on earth.

Source:  Wikipedia

Like the Grand Canyon, erosion from rain and a deep river valley, in this case the Manambolo River instead of the Colorado, has also formed areas of more gently sloping hillocks and plateaus besides the formidable limestone pinnacles.  In the southern part of the Little Tsingy there are waterfalls in the Manambolo Gorge along with small areas of forest.  In the northern section of the Nature Reserve there are even a few lakes and a mangrove swamp.

I've already done several posts on Madagascar's lemurs (see Accolades for Aye-Ayes, Minnie Mouse Lemurs, and Springing Sifakas) and may well highlight other species at some point, so will mention that there are at least eleven lemur species endemic to this area, including Decken's sifaka, red-fronted brown lemur, grey mouse lemur, and fat-tailed dwarf lemur.  Right now I will concentrate on other critters unique to the tsingy.

There around 100 species of birds that call this area home, including the critically endangered Madagascar fish eagle (there may be as few as 200 of these birds left)...

Source:  Natural Research Ltd.

the crested ibis...

Photo by Eric Savage  Source:  Wikipedia

and the Giant Coua.

Photo by Dan Guthrie   Source:  Claremont Colleges

There are also around 40 reptiles and amphibians including the Madagascan Collared Iguana...

Source:  Wikipedia

and the Antsingy Leaf Chameleon.

Photo by David d'O

Besides the lemur, mammals include the Madagascan Flying Fox...

Source:  Fauna and Flora International

and the Ring-tailed Mongoose.

Source:  Wikipedia

Another treasure found in this area is the Madagascan Sunset Moth.

Source:  Wikipedia

The tsingy is truly unique.  I can't NOT include a lemur picture, and one that really emphasizes the limestone spires.

Photo by Steven Alvarez   Source:  Daily Sloth

Stay tuned for mire unusual Madagascan landscapes.