Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
the shade. For a few days each year the females are penetrated by the largest penis in
proportiontoitssizeofanymammal.Thisimpressivememberissupportedbyabacu-
lum, or penis bone, which enables the lucky fellow to perform for up to six hours at
a time. To the female, size definitely does matter, and if her fellow isn't up to scratch
she'll disengage and try someone else.
While size is everything to the parrot and fossa, reptiles such as chameleons go one
better. One and one makes two, or a hemipenis. The two penes (yes, that really is the
plural) are like a key: they only fit the female of the species, thus avoiding the risk of
trying to get off with the wrong lady.
Marine mammals Antongil Bay marks the northern extent of humpback whale migra-
tions.ThewhalescalvejustbeyondthecoralreefsinJulyandAugust,andafterthisperiod
migrate south as far as the Antarctic coast to feed. Dugongs (sea cows) are extremely rare.
The Vezo of the west coast share their fishing grounds with an abundance of dolphins, and
regard them as kin. If a dolphin is discovered dead they wrap it in shrouds and bury it with
their ancestors.
MADAGASCAR'S ECOSYSTEMS
Madagascar's amazing array of habitats is the result of the effects of ocean currents, pre-
vailing winds and geological forces. Rain is heaviest in the north and east, and lightest in
the south and west. Rainfall is the single most significant factor in creating habitat char-
acteristics, so a complex spectrum of habitat types has resulted within Madagascar's relat-
ivelysmallarea.Madagascar'sgeologybringsfurthervarietybycreatingundulatingcoast-
lines, broad riverbeds and estuaries, shallow ocean shelves for coral reefs, high mountain-
ous slopes and plateaux, a wealth of soil types and even bizarre limestone 'forests' riddled
with caves. These various habitats house a wealth of ecosystems, the most important of
which are described below.
RAINFORESTS The spine of mountains which border the central plateau forces the sat-
uratedairarrivingfromovertheIndianOceantodropitsmoistureontotheeastcoastofthe
island. Madagascar's rainforests therefore form in a distinct band adjacent to the east coast
where the continuous rainfall is high enough to sustain the evergreen canopy trees. Known
as the Madagascar Sylva, this band of forest - now seriously fragmented by deforestation
- extends inland only as far as the mountain range, so it is broadest in the northeast. The
 
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