Site Report: Ankarafantsika Nature Reserve, Madagascar

Asian House Gecko (Hemidactylus frenatus)

Schlegel's Asity (Philepitta schlegeli)

Cuckoo-roller (Leptosomus discolor)

Madagascar Giant Day Gecko (Phelsuma kochi)

Nile Crocodile (Crocodylus niloticus)

Coquerel's Sifaka (Propithecus coquereli)

Little Heron (Butorides atricapilla)

Cuvier's Madagascar Swift Lizard (Oplurus cuvieri)

Madagascar Leaf-nosed Snake (Langaha madagascariensis)

Western Girdled Lizard (Zonosaurus laticaudatus)

Coquerel's Sifaka (Propithecus coquereli)

Purple Heron (Ardea purpurea)

Malagasy Kingfisher (Corythornis vintsioides)

Gunther's Leaf-tailed Gecko (Uroplatus guentheri)

Giant Madagascan Hognose (Leioheterodon madagascariensis)

Madagascan Flatid Leaf Bug (Phromnia rosea)

Broad-billed Roller (Eurystomus glaucurus)

Madagascan Flatid Leaf Bug (Phromnia rosea)

Harlequin Quail (Coturnix delegorguei)

Madagascar Jacana (Actophilornis albinucha)

Madagascar Cat-eyed Snake (Madagascarophis colubrinus)

Asian House Gecko (Hemidactylus frenatus)

Henkel's Leaf-tailed Gecko (Uroplatus henkeli)

Madagascar Hoopoe (Upupa marginata)

Madagascar Magpie-Robin (Copsychus albospecularis)

Madagascar Giant Day Gecko (Phelsuma kochi)

Madagascar Fish-Eagle (Haliaeetus vociferoides)

Oustalet's Chameleon (Furcifer oustaleti)

Golden Mouse Lemur (Microcebus ravelobensis)

Giant Millipede (Aphistogoniulus ssp)

Black Heron (Egretta ardesiaca)

Suraka Silk Moth (Antherina suraka)

Ankarafantsika Sphinx Moth (Dargeclanis grandidieri)

Ashy Cuckooshrike (Coracina cinerea)

Red-capped Coua (Coua ruficeps) - Male

Red-capped Coua (Coua ruficeps) - Female

Van Dam's Vanga (Xenopirostris damii)

Blonde Hognose Snake (Leioheterodon modestus)

White-breasted Mesite (Mesitornis variegatus)

Madagascar Turtle-Dove (Streptopelia picturata)

Cuckoo Roller (Leptosomus discolor) - Female

Greater Vasa-Parrot (Mascarinus vasa)

Nile Crocodile (Crocodylus niloticus)

Peter's Spotted Fish-scaled Gecko (Geckolepis maculata)

Dormouse Tufted-tailed Rat (Eliurus myoxinus)

Antsouhy Tomato Frog (Dyscophus insularis)

Greater Painted-snipe (Rostratula benghalensis)















































×















































Asian House Gecko (Hemidactylus frenatus)

Schlegel's Asity (Philepitta schlegeli)

Cuckoo-roller (Leptosomus discolor)

Madagascar Giant Day Gecko (Phelsuma kochi)

Nile Crocodile (Crocodylus niloticus)

Coquerel's Sifaka (Propithecus coquereli)

Little Heron (Butorides atricapilla)

Cuvier's Madagascar Swift Lizard (Oplurus cuvieri)

Madagascar Leaf-nosed Snake (Langaha madagascariensis)

Western Girdled Lizard (Zonosaurus laticaudatus)

Coquerel's Sifaka (Propithecus coquereli)

Purple Heron (Ardea purpurea)

Malagasy Kingfisher (Corythornis vintsioides)

Gunther's Leaf-tailed Gecko (Uroplatus guentheri)

Giant Madagascan Hognose (Leioheterodon madagascariensis)

Madagascan Flatid Leaf Bug (Phromnia rosea)

Broad-billed Roller (Eurystomus glaucurus)

Madagascan Flatid Leaf Bug (Phromnia rosea)

Harlequin Quail (Coturnix delegorguei)

Madagascar Jacana (Actophilornis albinucha)

Madagascar Cat-eyed Snake (Madagascarophis colubrinus)

Asian House Gecko (Hemidactylus frenatus)

Henkel's Leaf-tailed Gecko (Uroplatus henkeli)

Madagascar Hoopoe (Upupa marginata)

Madagascar Magpie-Robin (Copsychus albospecularis)

Madagascar Giant Day Gecko (Phelsuma kochi)

Madagascar Fish-Eagle (Haliaeetus vociferoides)

Oustalet's Chameleon (Furcifer oustaleti)

Golden Mouse Lemur (Microcebus ravelobensis)

Giant Millipede (Aphistogoniulus ssp)

Black Heron (Egretta ardesiaca)

Suraka Silk Moth (Antherina suraka)

Ankarafantsika Sphinx Moth (Dargeclanis grandidieri)

Ashy Cuckooshrike (Coracina cinerea)

Red-capped Coua (Coua ruficeps) - Male

Red-capped Coua (Coua ruficeps) - Female

Van Dam's Vanga (Xenopirostris damii)

Blonde Hognose Snake (Leioheterodon modestus)

White-breasted Mesite (Mesitornis variegatus)

Madagascar Turtle-Dove (Streptopelia picturata)

Cuckoo Roller (Leptosomus discolor) - Female

Greater Vasa-Parrot (Mascarinus vasa)

Nile Crocodile (Crocodylus niloticus)

Peter's Spotted Fish-scaled Gecko (Geckolepis maculata)

Dormouse Tufted-tailed Rat (Eliurus myoxinus)

Antsouhy Tomato Frog (Dyscophus insularis)

Greater Painted-snipe (Rostratula benghalensis)
Dry forest reserve in Western Madagascar
Visits
- 2017-11-19: We spent most of the day driving from Tana to the hotel. Tensions boiled over at the roadside restaurant. That was probably the only bad food of the entire trip.
- 2017-11-20: We walked all around the reserve, which was full of snakes, today. The dry forest was very interesting and in addition to snakes, there were some Sifakas, crocodiles, and random endemic birds with shiny colors. And flatid leaf bugs.
- 2017-11-21: One final day in Ankara to check out some cool baobab trees before heading to Mahajanga.
Species Seen
Kingdom: Animals (76 records)
Phylum: Arthropods
(4 records)
Class: Insects
(3 records)
- Order: Butterflies and Moths
(2 records)
- Family: Emperor and Giant Silk Moths
- Suraka Silk Moth (Antheraea suraka)
- Family: Sphinx Moths
- Ankarafantsika Sphinx Moth (Dargeclanis grandidieri)
- Order: True Bugs
(1 record)
- Family: Flatidae
- Madagascan Flatid Leaf Bug (Phromnia rosea)
Class: Millipedes
(1 record)
- Order: Cylindrical Millipedes
(1 record)
- Family: Flatplate Millipedes
- Giant Millipede (Sechelleptus sp)
Phylum: Chordates
(72 records)
Class: Amphibians
(1 record)
- Order: Toads and Frogs
(1 record)
- Family: Narrowmouth Toads
- Antsouhy Tomato Frog (Dyscophus insularis)
Class: Birds
(53 records)
- Order: Anseriformes (4 records)
- Order: Bucerotiformes
(1 record)
- Family: Hoopoes
- Madagascar Hoopoe (Upupa marginata)
- Order: Cranes, Rails, and Allies
(2 records)
- Family: Rails, Gallinules, and Allies
- Eurasian Moorhen (Gallinula chloropus)
- White-throated Rail (Dryolimnas cuvieri)
- Order: Cuckoo-Rollers
(1 record)
- Family: Cuckoo-Rollers
- Cuckoo-roller (Leptosomus discolor)
- Order: Cuckoos
(4 records)
- Family: Coucals
- Malagasy Coucal (Centropus toulou)
- Family: Cuckoos
- Coquerel's Coua (Coua coquereli)
- Crested Coua (Coua cristata)
- Red-capped Coua (Coua ruficeps)
- Order: Doves and Pigeons
(1 record)
- Family: Pigeons and Doves
- Malagasy Turtle-Dove (Nesoenas picturatus)
- Order: Hawks, Eagles, Kites, and Allies
(2 records)
- Family: Hawks, Eagles, and Kites
- Black Kite (Milvus migrans)
- Madagascar Fish-Eagle (Icthyophaga vociferoides)
- Order: Kingfishers, Bee-eaters, Motmots
(3 records)
- Family: Bee-eaters
- Olive Bee-eater (Merops superciliosus)
- Family: Kingfishers
- Malagasy Kingfisher (Corythornis vintsioides)
- Family: Rollers
- Broad-billed Roller (Eurystomus glaucurus)
- Order: Mesites
(1 record)
- Family: Mesites
- White-breasted Mesite (Mesitornis variegatus)
- Order: Parrots
(2 records)
- Family: New World Parrots
- Greater Vasa Parrot (Coracopsis vasa)
- Lesser Vasa Parrot (Coracopsis nigra)
- Order: Pelicans
(12 records)
- Family: Cormorants
- Reed Cormorant (Microcarbo africanus)
- Family: Falcons and Caracaras
- Malagasy Kestrel (Falco newtoni)
- Family: Herons
- Black Heron (Egretta ardesiaca)
- Great Egret (Ardea alba)
- Humblot's Heron (Ardea humbloti)
- Little Egret (Egretta garzetta)
- Little Heron (Butorides atricapilla)
- Purple Heron (Ardea purpurea)
- Squacco Heron (Ardeola ralloides)
- Western Cattle-Egret (Ardea ibis)
- Family: Jacanas
- Madagascar Jacana (Actophilornis albinucha)
- Family: Stilts and Avocets
- Black-winged Stilt (Himantopus himantopus)
- Order: Perching Birds
(18 records)
- Family: Asities
- Schlegel's Asity (Philepitta schlegeli)
- Family: Bulbuls
- Long-billed Bernieria (Bernieria madagascariensis)
- Malagasy Bulbul (Hypsipetes madagascariensis)
- Family: Cuckoo-shrike
- Madagascar Cuckooshrike (Ceblepyris cinereus)
- Family: Drongos
- Crested Drongo (Dicrurus forficatus)
- Family: Jays and Crows
- Pied Crow (Corvus albus)
- Sickle-billed Vanga (Falculea palliata)
- Van Dam's Vanga (Xenopirostris damii)
- White-headed Vanga (Artamella viridis)
- Family: Larks
- Madagascar Lark (Eremopterix hova)
- Family: Old World Sparrows
- Red Fody (Foudia madagascariensis)
- Family: Paradise-flycatcher
- Malagasy Paradise-Flycatcher (Terpsiphone mutata)
- Family: Prinias and Apalis
- Madagascar Cisticola (Cisticola cherina)
- Family: Reed Warblers and Allies
- Malagasy Brush-Warbler (Nesillas typica)
- Family: Starlings and Mynas
- Common Myna (Acridotheres tristis)
- Family: Sunbirds
- Souimanga Sunbird (Cinnyris sovimanga)
- Family: Thrushes and Allies
- Madagascar Magpie-Robin (Copsychus albospecularis)
- Family: White-eyes
- Malagasy White-eye (Zosterops maderaspatanus)
- Order: Shorebirds and Allies
(1 record)
- Family: Painted-Snipes
- Greater Painted-snipe (Rostratula benghalensis)
- Order: Turkey-like birds
(1 record)
- Family: Grouse, Turkeys, and Allies
- Harlequin Quail (Coturnix delegorguei)
Class: Mammals
(4 records)
- Order: Primates
(3 records)
- Family: Cheirogaleidae
- Golden Mouse Lemur (Microcebus ravelobensis)
- Gray Mouse Lemur (Microcebus murinus)
- Family: Lepilemuridae
- Coquerel's Sifaka (Propithecus coquereli)
- Order: Rodents
(1 record)
- Family: Forest Rat
- Dormouse Tufted-tailed Rat (Eliurus myoxinus)
Class: Reptiles
(14 records)
- Order: Alligators and Crocodiles
(1 record)
- Family: Crocodiles
- Nile Crocodile (Crocodylus niloticus)
- Order: Lizards and Snakes (13 records)
- Family: Geckos
- Asian House Gecko (Hemidactylus frenatus)
- Gunther's Leaf-tailed Gecko (Uroplatus guentheri)
- Henkel's Leaf-tailed Gecko (Uroplatus henkeli)
- Madagascar Giant Day Gecko (Phelsuma kochi)
- Peter's Spotted Fish-scaled Gecko (Geckolepis maculata)
- Family: Lamprophiidae
- Blonde Hognose Snake (Leioheterodon modestus)
- Giant Madagascan Hognose (Leioheterodon madagascariensis)
- Madagascar Cat-eyed Snake (Madagascarophis colubrinus)
- Madagascar Leaf-nosed Snake (Langaha madagascariensis)
- Family: Plated Lizards
- Western Girdled Lizard (Zonosaurus laticaudatus)
- Family: Three-eyed Lizard
- Cuvier's Madagascar Swift Lizard (Oplurus cuvieri)