Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
ishly coloured pairs of mating frogs stretching off into the distance in every direction,
makes for a truly bewildering spectacle. After this colourful orgy each female will
produce a clutch of up to 4,130 eggs. At the other end of the spectrum, green climb-
ing mantellas lay just one egg at a time. A male will defend his waterlogged bamboo
stump which he hopes will attract a female. If successful the female will lay her egg
and leave it in his care. This can be risky as the egg may not be alone - on Nosy
Mangabe we saw many males defending their wells, only to discover that the egg had
been eaten by another tadpole (probably from the same male) or by other predators.
Frogs here also have a widely varied diet. They are well-known to eat flies, ants,
slugs and other small invertebrates, but scientists have discovered that some Mala-
gasyfrogswilleveneatscorpions,youngchameleons,tadpolesandoccasionallyother
frogs. Most surprising, however, are the reports from Malagasy farmers that
Hoplob-
atrachus tigerinus
- apparently introduced to control the rat population around Ma-
hajanga - can even eat snakes and birds!
New frog species are constantly being discovered in Madagascar, with at least 60
described in the last decade. But for many it is a race against extinction. More than
50 of Madagascar's frog species are considered vulnerable or endangered (nine crit-
ically so) and over a quarter have yet to be assessed. Despite this, until recently only
three species were protected by international law. However, in 2000, restrictions on
the trade of mantellas were imposed, bringing the total number of protected Malagasy
frogs to 19.
CHAMELEONS
Hilary Bradt
Everybody thinks they know one thing about chameleons: that they change colour
to match their background.
Wrong!
You have only to observe the striking Parson's
chameleon (
Calumma parsonii
), commonly seen at Andasibe, staying stubbornly
green while transferred from boy's hand to tree trunk to leafy branch, to see that
in some species at least this is a myth. Most chameleons are cryptically coloured
to match their preferred resting place (there are branch-coloured chameleons, for in-
stance, and leaf-coloured ones) and some do respond to a change of surroundings, but
their abilities are mainly reserved for expressing emotion. An anxious chameleon will
darkenandgrowstripesandanangrychameleon, facedwithaterritorial intruder,will
change his colours dramatically. The most impressive displays, however, are reserved
for sexual encounters. Chameleons say it with colours. Enthusiastic males explode in-
to a riot of spots, stripes and contrasting colours, whilst the female usually responds
bydonningablackcloakofdisapproval.Onlyontherareoccasionsthatsheisfeeling
receptive will she present a brighter appearance.
