Living National Treasures: Madagascar

Checklists of Endemics

Madagascar has an exceptionally distinctive flora and fauna with over 90% of the species in many groups found nowhere else. Madagascar is even more remarkable at higher taxonomic levels. Despite being the world's 45th largest country, Madagascar is second (after Australia) in endemic vertebrate families, third (after Australia and South Africa) in endemic vascular plant families, and is in the top four in endemic genera for both groups. Madagascar is part of the Madagascar and the Indian Ocean Islands biodiversity hotspot (Biodiversity Hotspots). An excellent overview of the island's animals and plants is given in the book The Natural History of Madagascar (Univ. of Chicago Press).

Best known of Madagascar's unique mammals are the lemurs which include five endemic families: the Aye-aye (EDGE) in the Daubentoniidae, the Indriidae includes Coquerel's Sifaka (Duke) and the Indri (EDGE), the Lemuridae includes the Ring-tailed Lemur (ARKive), the Lepilemuridae includes Seal's Sportive Lemur (Planet' Mammiferes), and the Cheirogaleidae includes the Pygmy Mouse Lemur (Wikipedia). Other endemic mammal families are the Eupleridae which includes the Fossa (EDGE) and the Malagasy Ring-tailed Mongoose (ARKive) and the Myzopodidae which consists of the Old World Sucker-footed Bat (EDGE) and the recently discovered Western Sucker-footed Bat Myzopoda schliemanni (NewCritters.com). Other endemic mammals include the Lowland Streaked Tenrec (ARKive), Talazac's Shrew Tenrec (NHM-London), the Malagasy Giant Jumping Rat (EDGE), and the Greater Big-footed Mouse (EDGE).

Representatives of bird families found only in Madagascar include the Long-tailed Ground Roller (ARKive), the Subdesert Mesite (Creagrus), and the Yellow-bellied Sunbird-asity (Field Museum). The Malagasy warblers (Wikipedia) are also sometimes recognized as an endemic family, the Bernieridae. Other endemic birds include the Helmet Vanga (ARKive), the Madagascar Serpent-eagle (BirdLife Int'l), the Madagascar Pochard (ARKive), the Madagascar Crested Ibis (IBC), the Madagascar Partridge (IBC), the Madagascar Pygmy Kingfisher (IBC), the Gray-headed Lovebird (WPT), and the Giant Coua (IBC).

Madagascar's rich endemic chameleon fauna includes the world's largest species, Parson’s Chameleon (ARKive), and the world's smallest, the Minute Leaf Chameleon (Reptile Database). Labord’s Chameleon (ARKive) has the shortest lifespan of any land vertebrate, while the Radiated Tortoise (ARKive) has the longest documented one. Other endemic reptiles include an iguana Chalarodon madagascariensis (CalPhotos), the Frilled Leaf-tailed Gecko (GGA), the Yellow-headed Day Gecko (Phelsumania), the Twig Mimic Snake (Reptile Database), the Madagascar Ground Boa (ARKive), Liophidium pattoni (Bradt), the Madagascar Big-headed Turtle (Turtles of the World), and the Flat-shelled Spider Tortoise (ARKive). A blindsnake Xenotyphlops mocquardi (Mongabay) belongs to a recently described endemic family, the Xenotyphlopidae (Hedges Lab pdf file).

Madagascar is the sole home to some of the world's most colorful frogs including the Golden Mantella (MOBOT), the Harlequin Mantella (AmphibiaWeb), and the Blue-legged Mantella (ARKive). Other endemic frogs include the Tomato Frog (ARKive), the Madagascan Lined Frog (AmphibiaWeb), the Malagasy Rainbow Frog (EDGE), Angel's Madagascar Frog (EDGE), the Madagascar Jumping Frog (ARKive), Helena’s Stump-toed Frog (EDGE), Paradoxophyla palmata (AmphibiaWeb), and the recently described Blommersia angolafa (BBC) and Boophis ulftunni (Wildlife Extra).

Freshwater fish restricted to Madagascar include an endemic family, the Madagascan rainbowfish or Bedotidae (Wikipedia). The Anchariidae is also frequently recognized as a second endemic fish family distinct from the Ariidae and includes Ancharius griseus (Madagroup AFC) and Gogo ornatus (PlanetCatfish). Other endemic freshwater fish genera include a silverside Teramulus (ARKive), a cave-dwelling sleeper goby Typhleotris (p. 7 of luciopesce.net pdf file), and several cichlids: Oxylapia (ARKive), Katria (Madagroup AFC), Paretroplus (Madagascar's Endangered Fishes), and Ptychochromis (Cichlid Room Companion).

Invertebrate families confined to Madagacar include grasshoppers in Miraculidae (OSF), springtails in Microfalculidae (Frans Janssens), spiders in Halidae (Madagascar Spiders pdf file), scorpions in Microcharmidae (CAS pdf file) and earthworms in Kynotidae (jcs.biologists.org pdf file). Beetles unique to Madagascar include the Giraffe Weevil (Wikipedia), the flower beetles Pygora nigrofasciculata (God of Insects) and Euchroea urania (zin.ru), a jewel beetle Polybothris sumptuosa (Living Jewels), and a longhorned beetle Stellognatha maculata (Madagascar Cerambycidae). Other endemic insects include the Dracula Ant (ARKive), the Madagascar Moon Moth (Jürgen Schian), the Sunset Moth (Smithsonian), the Giant Swallowtail (galerie-insecte.org), an endemic metalmark butterfly genus Saribia (Tree of Life), a grasshopper Phymateus saxosus (flickr), and the world’s largest mayfly Proboscidoplocia (musée de zoologie Lausanne). Endemic invertebrates include the Madagascar Fire Millipede (diplopoda.de), a huntsman spider Olios coenobita (Blue Chameleon Ventures) living in snail shells, an endemic genus of land snail Helicophanta (Ranomafana), and a coral Stylophora madagascarensis (ARKive)..

Vascular plant families found nowhere else include Physenaceae (MOBOT), Sarcolaenaceae (MOBOT), Asteropeiaceae (MOBOT), Barbeuiaceae (Tropicos), Kaliphoraceae (Madagascar Catalogue), Melanophyllaceae (Madagascar Catalogue), Diegodendronaceae (Madagascar Catalogue), and Sphaerosepalaceae (MOBOT). Also sometimes recognized as endemic families are Bembiciaceae (MOBOT) and, depending on which species are included, Didieraceae (MOBOT). Other endemic plants include Grandidier’s Baobab (ARKive), the medically important Madagascar Rosy Periwinkle (MOBOT), the Flame Tree (ARKive), the primitive Takhtajania perrieri (Madagascar Catalogue), the Forest Bismarckia (ARKive), the recently discovered palm Tahina spectabilis (IISE), and Darwin's Orchid (ARKive).