Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
ularly on display in the nation's markets. These new species naturally put pressure on the
native stock and, as is so often the story, the less-vigorous Malagasy species have been
all but wiped out. The main culprit seems to be the Asian snakehead (
Channa
spp). North
KoreansfarmedtheminMadagascarinthe1980s,butfollowingthefirstfloodstheyspread
and are now present in all the major lakes of Madagascar. The snakehead is a voracious
predatorandhasseverelyreducedpopulationsofendemicfishwhereveritoccurs.Theoth-
er predatory fish which has decimated indigenous species is the largemouth bass,
Microp-
terus salmoides
.
Marine species
More robust are the marine species to be found swimming off the island's
4,000km of coastline. Madagascar is legendary for its
shark
populations and a quick dip
off the east coast should be considered carefully. On the opposite side, the Mozambique
channel is the most shark-infested stretch of water in the world, both in terms of number
of species and number of individuals. However, swimming on this west coast is generally
safe because the inshore waters are mostly shallow and protected by fringing
coral reefs
.
Much of this reef is in good condition and bursting with life, outdoing even the Red Sea
for fish diversity. The reefs are host to a typical Indo-Pacific community of clownfish, an-
gelfish, butterflyfish, damselfish, tangs, surgeonfish, triggerfish, wrasse, groupers, batfish,
blennies, gobies, boxfish, lionfish, moray eels, flutefish, porcupinefish, pufferfish, squir-
relfish, sweetlips and the moorish idol.
Scuba-diving in Madagascar can therefore be very rewarding; see
Click Here
-
Click
Here
for practical information.
FROGS
Madagascar is home to a staggering 266 recorded frog species, but it seems that
isjustthetipoftheiceberg.Onlyveryrecentlyhavethoroughinvestigationsoftheisland's
amphibian population got under way, and well over 100 further species are already await-
ing formal description!
The box on
Click Here
describes a selection of Madagascar's most interesting ranine in-
habitants.
REPTILES
The unique evolutionary history of Madagascar is typified by its reptiles.
There are around 365 endemic species, representing 96% of the island's reptilian popula-
tion. Some are derived from ancient Gondwana stock, many of which are more closely re-
lated to South American or Asian reptiles than to African ones. There are also large groups
of closely related species marking the radiations that stemmed from African immigrations
in more recent times. This is illustrated most dramatically by the
chameleons
. Madagascar
is home to about half the world's chameleon species including the smallest and the largest.
With impressive adaptive dexterity, they have dispersed throughout the habitats of the is-
land to occupy every conceivable niche.
