The fishing village of Andavadoaka in the region of Atsimo-Andrefana is situated on a picturesque beach on the southwest coast of Madagascar. It is located about 170 km north of the city of Toliara (French: Tuléar). A large coral reef protects the bay of the same name. Not only divers find a true paradise here. White sand and turquoise blue …
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You have to look very closely to discover this Malagasy camouflage artist. Achrioptera impennis, that’s the scientific name, looks like a dry branch. But in fact, it is a living animal. Achrioptera impennis belongs to the stick insects (Phasmatodea). These are herbivorous, harmless insects that camouflage themselves perfectly in the middle of their own food by their extremely deceptive appearance. …
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Madagascar is a paradise for butterflies. The island is home to over 3000 species, from the tiny moth to the Rainbow Butterfly (Chrysiridia rhipheus), which shimmers in all the colors mentioned in its name. One of these Malagasy butterflies is the Gladiator Butterfly or Madagascar Diadem (Hypolimnas dexithea). It is especially popular among collectors, as it is particularly large with …
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One of the most famous, but also most bizarre bugs of Madagascar can be found in the eastern rainforests of the islands: Due to its longs neck, it is called giraffe necked weevil (Trachelophorus giraffa). The best time and places to find it are the national parks of Andasibe-Mantadia, Marojejy and Ranomafana in spring. In 1860, the French entomologist Henri …
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In Madagascar time often plays no role, but talking to each other extensively does. One form of speech is particularly popular on the Red Island: the Kabary. Kabary is the word for a speech for which many people are together in the same place. At the same time, it is a very traditional form of oral history that can be …
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White-fronted lemurs (Eulemur albifrons) carry their name thanks to the appearance of the males: They have white fur around their face, which makes them look a bit old and wise. The corresponding females are rather unobtrusively colored and have completely brown fur. With two to two and a half kilos the lemurs are not very large, the weight is more …
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On the Katsepy peninsula, situated on a 121-meter high cliff, stands one of the few historical lighthouses of Madagascar. The bay of Bombetoka separates Katsepy from the largest port city in the West, Mahajanga, in the Boeny region. If you cross the bay by boat through the red-colored water, which is fed by the river Betsiboka and carries laterite, you …
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#1 Baobabs: Madagascar’s legendary Baobab Alley is located in the west of the island. The mighty trees with their impressive silhouettes are famous all over the world. On Madagascar there are seven different species of Baobabs, on earth, there are only eight species in total. Discover the Baobab forests of Andavadoaka and visit the “Mother of the forest” in Tsimanampetsotsa! …
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A very special inhabitant of Madagascar is the Votsotsa. It looks like a mixture of a rabbit, a kangaroo, and a rat. Big ears, cute black button eyes, a partly jumping locomotion, and a hardly hairy, narrow tail. In fact, the Votsotsa belongs to the Madagascar rats, a separate genus that only lives in Madagascar. It is the largest rodent …
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In the south of Madagascar, many strange plants thrive. Only very special plants can adapt to the extremely dry and hot climate. One of them is the Mother of Thousands, with the scientific name Kalanchoe daigremontiana. It is still unclear whether the species should be assigned to the genus Kalanchoe or to the genus Bryophyllum. There is still a lack …
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MADAMAGAZINE Your Magazine about Madagascar
