Photographing Madagascar Lemurs

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Tuesday, 17 May 2022 - Rainy morning hike in the Analamazaotra Special Reserve near Andasibe where we spotted Eastern Bamboo lemurs, Red-fronted coua, Common Brown lemurs, and Diademed Sifaka despite misty conditions, heard the Indri calls, and then on the return trip to Antananarivo visited a reptile park seeing crocodiles, Parson's chameleons, Panther chameleons, Golden Mantella frogs, geckos, and other fascinating reptiles and amphibians.

Today was not looking good - rain started around 0400 - misty rain. Not great conditions for hiking in the rainforest to take pictures. But off we went to the Analamazaotra Special Reserve.

madagascar2022 — Near the start of the rainforest we spotted an Eastern Bamboo lemur it was rapid and this is a terrible photo. That was the reason I came early to test the conditions. Which helped me when the photo workshop began as I was used to the rough conditions and how to set up the camera.

madagascar2022 — We then spotted a Red Fronted Cooa.

madagascar2022 — We quickly saw a family of Common Brown lemurs in the trees - you can see the rain droplets on his tail.

madagascar2022 — Then after a hike through the underbrush and soaking wet we saw a family of Diademed Sifaka. I was able to get these pictures. Again a lesson in settings for capturing the eyes in very low light. Exciting to see the animals in the forest.

madagascar2022 — Diademed Sifaka on the side of a tree.

madagascar2022 — We heard the Indri then searched in the forest and did find one - but the rain and conditions prevented me from getting a good picture. I was excited to see the biggest lemur in the rainforest.

madagascar2022 — As we were leaving I snapped a photo of this ant 'hive' on the side of a tree.

madagascar2022 — We had a long trip back to Tana after the morning hike - and I was soaking wet. But Ravo had a great idea - to stop on the way back at a Reptile Park. I would not call it a zoo - the reptiles are kept in a 20x50 foot atrium where they can move around on the trees.

The first creature on the guided tour was the native crocodile.

madagascar2022 — A male Parson's chameleon with little horns - they live to be 9-10 years old.

madagascar2022 — The Parson's chameleon is protected by international regulation so it cannot be legally exported. The Parson's is found only in Madagascar.

madagascar2022 — The beautiful Panther chameleon is a native of Madagascar. This is a male - they are typically much more colorful than the female.

madagascar2022 — Not sure of the species on this little guy.

madagascar2022 — Another Panther chameleon - so colorful!!! I would turn from one tree to the next and sometimes find two or three on the same tree.

madagascar2022 — Panther chameleon will live for 5-7 years.

madagascar2022 — Panther chameleon pretty easy to spot in the jungle. It is a common misconception that chameleons of any kind can change color to match any color of their environments. All chameleons have a natural color range with which they are born and is dictated by their species. They will change color during mating season to assert dominance.

madagascar2022 — Parson's chameleon is "Near Threatened" due to poaching for pets and a very long reproductive period - eggs taking up to two years to hatch.

madagascar2022 — Panther chameleon peeking through the foliage.

madagascar2022 — The eyes move and focus independently of each other. This allows a chameleon to watch an approaching object while simultaneously scanning the rest of its environment. Chameleon eyes protrude laterally from the head, giving the lizard panoramic sight.

madagascar2022 — Panther chameleon named due to its spots like a leopard or spotted like a panther.

madagascar2022 — Female Panther chameleon when carrying eggs black with orange striping to signify to males they have no intention of mating.

madagascar2022 — A Panther chameleon making a move from one tree to another - slowly - leveraging his tail. The use of their prehensile tail offers stability when they are moving or resting while on a branch in the canopy; because of this, their tail is often referred to as a "fifth limb."

madagascar2022 — Not sure who this is, maybe a green chameleon.

madagascar2022 — Golden Mantella frog is one of Madagascar's most threatened amphibian species - partly due to over-collection for pets. It is thought that the brilliant colors exhibited by the Golden Mantella are an example of aposematism, warning predators of the poisonous nature of the frog.

madagascar2022 — Satanic gecko - named due to its small horns over each eye. Another species endemic to Madagascar, meaning it is found nowhere else.

Geckos possess no eyelids, just a transparent covering over their eyes, and so they use their long, mobile tongues to wipe away any dust or debris that gets into the eye.

madagascar2022 — The Brown Leaf chameleon is distinguished by its elongated, high, laterally squashed body that resembles a rolled-up, dead leaf. Despite its tiny size, the brown leaf chameleon has an imposing appearance due to two pronounced horns that protrude from the head above each eye.

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