24th October 2015. Berenty, Madagascar.

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The images in this post are from an early morning walk before breakfast, between 7am and 8am.

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Verraux’s Sifaka is listed as vulnerable due to habitat loss from land clearing.  Its main natural predator is the Fosa, though I presume there are no fosas here.

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They live in groups of many males and females from 8 to 14 members.  Their mating period is January and February, which is the only time they display aggression.  They bear single young.

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Here we see one feeding off leaves of a very spiky stem of a tree in the spiny forest.  The spiny forest covers a large semi-desert area in the south of Madagascar and we are on the edge of it here.

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They are well adapted for drought conditions and can if necessary gain sufficient moisture from succulent leaves and dew.

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This is a characteristic early morning poise, sitting back and soaking in the sun.

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Note the extra eye below.

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Young one leaping from branch to branch.

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A closeup of one of the spiny trees.  Not so easy for a human to climb with bare hands and feet.

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A chick of an unknown bird species.

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