FLORA AND FAUNA

Plant:

The flora of Madagascar is one of the world's largest, most unique and most diverse plant paradises.It is stocked with an enormous number of different plant species. Of the approximately 14,000 different plants and plants, around 90 percent are endemic. (Almost only occur on this island.) 6 plant species only thrive on Madagascar. The most famous species are probably the baobabs. There are around 1000 types of orchids alone. Madagascar used to be called the green island.

^{Ravenala the national plant of Madagascar}

Unfortunately, just less than 15 percent of the entire natural forest, rainforest, remains. The rest was and is being cleared mercilessly by humans. Be it for farming, agriculture or for buildings, factories and the like.A large part was also destroyed by fire.Only around two percent of the country's area is nature reserves or parks.

^{Orchid, one of more than 1000...}

The baobab, also known as the baobab tree because of its bread-sized, brown fruits, is primarily native to the west and southwest.

^{Baobab - the idiosyncratic tree - is only found here, with one exception.}

This unusual tree (Malagasy "Reniala" means mother of the forest) is not made of wood but rather of fibers in which water is stored. During the dry season it loses all of its leaves and lives on these water reserves.

^{Baobab Allee}

There are a total of 8 species of baobab in Madagascar. Only one in the rest of Africa.
You can find more plant pictures here...

Animals:

As a result of the island's long isolation, there are many endemic (only living there) species, which is why the animal world (fauna) is so unique.It's a beautiful feeling to see animals that are unique to our planet.The predators in Madagascar are only represented by the Fossa, the Fanaloka and the Falanuk. There are no traditional monkeys on the island, such as those we know from Africa.

^{Fossa - Madagascar's number 1 predator}

What is particularly pleasant for us tourists is the absence of poisonous animals.                       There are neither poisonous snakes nor poisonous spiders.

Animals like lemurs, on the other hand, only occur here.

^{Ring-tailed lemurs - Madagascar's cuddly toys}

^Lemur

Another group of animals that lives almost exclusively in Madagascar are the tenrecs. They look like hedgehogs but they aren't. They are predators and love earthworms.

^{Tenrec - Another predator.}

When Madagascar separated from the African continent, their ancestors had already settled in this region.The Bernese duck, now one of the rarest waterfowl in the world, is another example of a species found only in Madagascar.There are also Madagascar frogs and around 250 known species.Numerous different reptiles such as crocodiles, snakes and camaeleons are also represented.

^{Mini Camaeleon seen at Isalo National Park} 

New species are constantly being discovered and described, while at the same time their habitat is being destroyed at a rapid rate due to deforestation.
We show you more animal pictures here...