animals of madagascar

Ringtail Mongoose (Galidia elegans) endemic to Madagascar

madagascar_3707: Ring-tailed mongoose (Galidia elegans) [madagascar_3707]

Civet - what is it, a cat, fox, mongosse or monkey? An ancient mammal from Asia and Africa has a sleek design and preference for trees.

know your lemur.

Description Fine art illustration of various species of endangered primates

Fine art illustration of some of the unique animals native to the Orinoco River Valley in the Amazon

#Tenrecs are small (mouse-size) animals related to one kind of shrew; the #ElephantShrew (#sengei). They are also related to elephants, manatees, dugongs, hyraxes and warthogs. The small but intelligent animals mimic unrelated specie, some types look like hedgehogs; one type looks and behaves like otters. Tenrecs offer examples of #convergentEvolution. Tenrecs are rare; different types live in Madagascar and along the African coast.

Weighing in at less than 1kg, the Ring-tailed Mongoose (Galidia elegans) is a quick and agile predator, feeding on a wide range of small animals and insects. Together with all of Madagascar’s endemic carnivores (in the family Eupleridae), it is believed to have descended from a single common ancestor that arrived on the island about 16-22 million years ago. Marojejy National Park, Madagascar.

A ring-tailed mongoose at Ranomafana National Park, Madagascar.

Lowland Streaked Tenrec