Madagascar

Madagascar has an exceptionally distinctive flora and fauna with over 90% of the species in many groups found nowhere else (Cambridge pdf). 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 and vascular plant families and also 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 WM). For a summary of freshwater endemism see (IUCN pdf).

Best known of Madagascar's unique mammals are the lemurs which include five endemic families: the Aye-aye (EDGE) in the Daubentoniidae, the Indriidae (iNaturalist) includes the Indri (NEPC), the Lemuridae (iNaturalist) includes the Ring-tailed Lemur (ARKive WM), the Lepilemuridae (iNaturalist) includes Seal's Sportive Lemur (Google Books) (Lemurs Portal WM), and the Cheirogaleidae (iNaturalist) includes the Rufous Mouse Lemur (Joel Sartore). Other endemic mammal families are the Eupleridae (iNaturalist) which includes the Fossa (ARKive WM), the Myzopodidae including the Eastern Sucker-footed Bat (ARKive WM), and the Tenrecidae (iNaturalist) including the Web-footed Tenrec (IUCN). Other endemic mammals include the Madagascar Flying Fox (iNaturalist), Commerson's Leaf-nosed Bat (iNaturalist), a subfamily of rodents Nesomyinae (iNaturalist) that includes the Giant Jumping Rat (ARKive WM) and the Long-tailed Big-footed Mouse (Google Books).

Representatives of bird families found only in Madagascar include the Long-tailed Ground Roller (eBird), the Yellow-bellied Sunbird-asity (eBird), and the Cryptic Warbler (Creagrus WM) (eBird). The three species of mesites (iNaturalist) (eBird) represent an endemic order, the Mesitornithiformes. Other endemic birds include the Helmet Vanga (eBird), the Madagascar Serpent-eagle (eBird), the Madagascar Pochard (eBird), the Madagascar Crested Ibis (eBird), the Madagascar Jacana (ABC), the Madagascar Partridge (eBird), the Madagascar Pygmy Kingfisher (eBird), the Gray-headed Lovebird (WPT), the Forest Fody (ABC), and the Giant Coua (eBird).

Madagascar's rich endemic chameleon fauna includes the world's largest species, Parson’s Chameleon (ARKive WM), and the world's smallest, Brookesia nana (Species New to Science). Labord’s Chameleon (iNaturalist) has the shortest lifespan of any land vertebrate, while the Radiated Tortoise (ARKive WM) has the longest documented one. Other endemic reptiles include the Madagascar Iguana (iNaturalist), the Yellow-headed Day Gecko (flickr), the Satanic Leaf-tailed Gecko (iNaturalist), a mermaid skink Voeltzkowia mobydick (Wikipedia), the Diving Skink (iNaturalist), the Giant Girdled Lizard (Joel Sartore), the Madagascar Speckled Hognose Snake (iNaturalist), the Twig Mimic Snake (iNaturalist), Patton's Bright Snake (ResearchGate), the Madagascar Big-headed Turtle (iNaturalist), and the Flat-tailed Tortoise (iNaturalist). The Madagascar Blind Snake (EDGE) is the sole member of the family Xenotyphlopidae and the four species of boa in Madagascar (iNaturalist) form an endemic subfamily.

Madagascar is the sole home to some of the world's most colorful frogs including the Golden Mantella (iNaturalist), the Harlequin Mantella (AmphibiaWeb), and the Blue-legged Mantella (IUCN). Other endemic frogs include the Northern Tomato Frog (ARKive WM), the Madagascan Lined Frog (AmphibiaWeb), the Madagascan Rainbow Frog (iNaturalist), Angel's Madagascar Frog (AmphibiaWeb), the Madagascan Jumping Frog (AmphibiaWeb), Helena’s Stump-toed Frog (ResearchGate), the Ambana Web-foot Frog (AmphibiaWeb), Blommersia angolafa (BBC WM), and the Masoala Bright-eyed Frog (ARKive WM).

Freshwater fish restricted to Madagascar include two endemic families: the Bedotidae (Seriously Fish) (FishBase) and the Anchariidae (PlanetCatfish) (FishBase). Other endemic freshwater fish genera include a silverside Teramulus (ARKive WM), the sleeper gobies Typhleotris (iNaturalist) and Ratsirakia (Wikipedia), the round herrings Sauvagella (FishBase), and several cichlids: Oxylapia (ARKive WM), Katria (IUCN), Paretroplus (Cichlids de Madagascar WM), Paratilapia (ARKive WM), and Ptychochromis (ARKive WM).

Endemic marine fish include Corazon's Damsel (ResearchGate), the Redtail Sweeper (Figure 26 at ResearchGate), the Madagascar Sandperch (GBIF), the Loosejaw Longfin Plesiops malalaxus (BHL), the Madagascar Dottyback Pseudochromis madagascariensis (BOLD), the Fringed Perchlet Plectranthias maugei (BHL) (p. 29 of SAIAB pdf), the Rough Shortnose Seabat (GBIF), Holleman's Frogmouth (GBIF), the Malagasy Bluespotted Guitarfish (GBIF), and the Madagascar Numbfish (ResearchGate).

Insect families confined to Madagacar include damselflies in Protolestidae (iNaturalist), stick insects in Damasippoididae (flickr) (iNaturalist), moths in Whalleyanidae (BOLD) (ResearchGate), and beetles in Belohinidae (R.O. SA pdf).

Endemic butterfly genera include the Madagascar Giant Swallowtail (iNaturalist), Smerina (iNaturalist), Saribia (iNaturalist), Strabena (iNaturalist), Galerga (iNaturalist), Malaza (iNaturalist), Fulda (iNaturalist), and Hovala (iNaturalist). Other endemic butterflies include Charaxes andara (iNaturalist), Hypolimnas dexithea (iNaturalist), and Graphium cyrnus (iNaturalist). Endemic moths include the Madagascar Moon Moth (iNaturalist), the Sunset Moth (Wikipedia) (iNaturalist), a Malagasy polkadot moth Dubianaclia contigua (iNaturalist), and a sphinx moth Xanthopan praedicta (NHM-London) (iNaturalist).

Beetles unique to Madagascar include the Giraffe Weevil (iNaturalist), the flower beetles Pygora lenocina (iNaturalist) and Euchroea urania (zin.ru), a jewel beetle Polybothris sumptuosa (iNaturalist), and a longhorn beetle Stellognatha maculata (flickr). Other endemic insects include the Dracula Ant (Alexander Wild), the world’s largest mayfly Proboscidoplocia (BioFresh), the Malagasy Striped Whirligig Beetle (fig. f at ResearchGate), a tiger beetle Peridexia hilaris (Beetles in the Bush), a flatid bug Phromnia rosea (iNaturalist), a cave-dwelling assassin bug Mangabea troglodytes (ResearchGate), a cicada Yanga andriana (iNaturalist), a conehead katydid Malagasopus desutterae (Species New to Science), the grasshoppers Phymateus saxosus (iNaturalist) and Notocerus formidabilis (iNaturalist), the Lemur Skimmer (iNaturalist), and a stick insect Achrioptera manga (EurekAlert! WM).

Other endemic invertebrates families include scorpions in Heteroscorpionidae (SEA WM pdf) (iNaturalist) and Microcharmidae (MCD), amphipods in Sandroidae (GBIF) and Austroniphargidae (ResearchGate), mites in Nosybelbidae (BHL), and earthworms in Kynotidae (ResearchGate).

Other endemic invertebrate species include the Madagascar fire millipedes (iNaturalist), a giant pill-millipede Zoosphaerium neptunus (ResearchGate), a huntsman spider Olios coenobita (Blue Chameleon Ventures WM) living in snail shells, Darwin's Bark Spider (iNaturalist), the Ornamental Wandering Spider (Wikimedia Commons), a pelican spider Eriauchenus workmani (iNaturalist), a tarantula Encyocrates raffrayi (iNaturalist), a harvestman Decarynella gracilipes (iNaturalist), a freshwater crab Madagapotamon humberti (iNaturalist), the freshwater crayfish Astacoides (iNaturalist), the land snails Helicophanta (iNaturalist) and Tropidophora cuveriana (iNaturalist), a freshwater mussel Germainaia geayi (ResearchGate), a land planarian Humbertium girardi (iNaturalist), and a coral Stylophora madagascarensis (EDGE) (Corals of the World WM). A distinctive marine ecoregion off southern Madagascar includes such endemic mollusc species as a volute Lyria patbaili (VLIZ), a chiton Stenoplax lavanonensis (ResearchGate), a cone snail Conus chiapponorum (IUCN), a rock snail Chicoreus kantori (GBIF), and Vokesimurex rectaspira (GBIF).

Endemic trees include Grandidier’s Baobab (iNaturalist), a rosewood Dalbergia xerophila (iNaturalist), the Tapia (Wikipedia), and the Flamboyant (iNaturalist). Endemic tree genera include the Octopus Tree (iNaturalist), Melanophylla (MOBOT), Cinnamosma (iNaturalist), Humbertia (GBIF), Kaliphora (GBIF), Abrahamia (iNaturalist), Decarydendron (iNaturalist), Neobeguea (iNaturalist), the Forest Coconut (iNaturalist), Ravenala (iNaturalist), the Forest Bismarckia (ARKive WM), the Tahina Palm (IISE WM) and Takhtajania (ARKive WM). Endemic tree families include Asteropeiaceae (MOBOT), Sarcolaenaceae (MOBOT), Physenaceae (iNaturalist), and Sphaerosepalaceae (iNaturalist). Diegodendron humbertii (iNaturalist) is also sometimes considered to represent an additional endemic tree family (Google Books).

Other endemic plants include the medically important Madagascar Rosy Periwinkle (iNaturalist), Euphorbia geroldii (iNaturalist), Achyrocalyx decaryi (iNaturalist), the Madagascar Rubbervine (iNaturalist), Carlephyton (iNaturalist), Herreriopsis elegans (iNaturalist), Centauropsis (iNaturalist), Dialypetalum (iNaturalist), Perichlaena richardii (iNaturalist), Cathariostachys (ResearchGate), Perrierosedum (iNaturalist), Tachiadenus (iNaturalist), Xerosicyos (iNaturalist), Socratina (iNaturalist), Koehneria (botany.cz), Radamaea (iNaturalist), Nematostylis (iNaturalist), the Elephant's Foot Plant (iNaturalist), Darwin's Orchid (iNaturalist), and the orchid genera Grammangis (iNaturalist) and Sobennikoffia (iNaturalist). Barbeuiaceae is an additional endemic family (Flora of the World WM).

Endemic lichens include Chiodecton pustuliferum (100 New Lichens) and Clandestinotrema minutum and Pseudoramonia psoromica (both at ResearchGate). Endemic fungi include Marasmius brunneoaurantiacus (Mushroom Observer), Lentinula madagasikarensis (ResearchGate), Cantharellus albidolutescens (fig. A at Springer), Gymnopus tamatavae (ResearchGate), and Russula antsikana (p. 26 of MNHN pdf). Endemic non-vascular plants include the liverworts Caudalejeunea grolleana (ResearchGate) and Fossombronia isaloensis (ResearchGate) and the mosses Fissidens hookerioides (GBIF) and Macromitrium onraedtii (GBIF). Endemic marine macroalgae include Yonagunia atimo-vatae (ResearchGate) and Lobophora antsirananaensis (fig. A at ResearchGate).