13th October 2015. Peyrieras Nature reserve, Marazevo, Madagascar.
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There around 300 species of frog currently identified in Madagascar with many others identified by DNA analysis but awaiting description. Consequently, it is not surprising that I am unable to identify this one.
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Golden mantella (red form).
This is a tiny frog. It is brightly coloured to warn of its poisonous nature but still has some predators. It is restricted to three small regions and is critically endangered.
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This one of the three boa species in Madagascar, probably the Eastern Tree Boa. Madagascan boas are most closely related to the boas of Central and South America, which has been suggested as evidence for a land bridge at some ancient time between South America and Madagascar, through Antarctica.
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This is the Nile Crocodile. Swimming is not advised because they have the most ferocious bite of any animal.
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Unknown plated lizard or skink.
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Giant Madagascar Day Gecko.
It is diurnal, whereas most Madagascan geckos are nocturnal, and reaches a length of 30cm.
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Madagascan Flying Fox, the largest bat in Madagascar.
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The leaf-tailed geckos show amazing capacities for camouflage. They commonly stay facing downwards on trees, possibly to avoid avian predators catching the glint of their eyes. Not sure of the identification of this one. The next three images are also of leaf-tailed geckos. We were later to see one in the wild.
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Perhaps Uroplatus Alluaudi.
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Possibly the Giant Leaf-Tailed Gecko.
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Probably Uroplatus Lineatus.
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There are about 297 species of butterfly in Madagascar, 210 of which are endemic.
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Unidentified Madagascan snake.
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Langaha madagascariensis.
This is a snake masquerading as a twig. The female of this species has a long pointed nose. there are two other species in this genus.
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Comet Moth and coccoon.
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Murray Foote 
Amazing!
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Thank you!
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great pictures
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Thank you!
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welcome
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That is some wild camo some of those creatures have going. That first leaf tailed gecko could pretty much disappear if it closed its eyes. I also like ‘snake masquerading as a twig’.
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It’s amazing that there are so many magicians of camouflage in the wildlife of Madagascar. There’s a gecko coming up in a later post that was almost invisible on its tree trunk.
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I’m basically a biologist with a degree in medicine, and it’s your fault that I plan to come back as a photographer in Madagascar. Your images are wonderful, and not just in this ‘release’
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There’s so much diversity of amazing wildlife in Madagascar and much of it is located in very specific places, so you could keep on going back time after time and see different things each time. Not the easiest of countries to negotiate on your own though.
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Beautiful pics Murray
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Thanks very much, Kerry!
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[…] Frogs, geckos and snakes at Peyrieras […]
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Amazing shots with neat descriptions… 🙂
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Thanks very much!
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