Cal and VA | Adventures | Madagascar

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Sunday, May 29, 2022 - We lost a day in travel as the plane from Tana to Taolagnaro was delayed by over 6 hours. The trip from the airport to Berenty Reserve (only 50 miles) took 4.5 hours. So we did not arrive until well after dark - no photos for Saturday.

madagascar2022 — We are staying on a Sisal plantation - Sisal comes from Mexico and is grown for its stiff and durable fibers used in ropes, cloth, rugs and other items. This sign used the local Malagasy language name for the plant - Fantsiolotra.

madagascar2022 — A Malagasy Kestrel high up looking for small birds, frogs, little mammals and insects.

madagascar2022 — The lemurs do not rise very early - my first Ring-Tailed lemur sitting on the road. The Ring-Tailed spend time on the ground so we would often see them on the roads and forest floor.

madagascar2022 — Here is a Ring-Tailed in the trees.

madagascar2022 — The Verreaux's Sifaka has a wide range on the island, several families were present in Berenty.

madagascar2022 — A Ring-Tailed lemur in the zen pose - they often did this to warm themselves in the morning sun.

madagascar2022 — Here the Ring-Tailed is on the ground in the zen position warming up.

madagascar2022 — We then took 4-wheel trucks to the Spiny Forest close to the hotel. The Spiny Forest is a desert forest of Alluaudia procera or Madagascar Ocotillo - which are not ocotillo - not even a cactus. They have a similar appearance but are much larger - and only found in Madagascar.

A Verreaux's Sifaka perched on the Madagascar Ocotillo.

madagascar2022 — It was challenging to follow the lemurs through the Spiny Forest - basically a cactus forest and then to catch them in the best light and have them to look your way. This Verreaux's Sifaka is watching me crash through the underbrush.

madagascar2022 — A Verreaux's Sifaka literally sitting in a tree.

madagascar2022 — A Verreaux's Sifaka holds onto a prickly Madagascar Ocotillo

madagascar2022 — A good profile of a Verreaux's Sifaka - although it makes him look chubby. They are not - very svelte.

madagascar2022 — Another Verreaux's Sifaka clinging to a Madagascar Ocotillo

madagascar2022 — Trying to escape the photographer, a Verreaux's Sifaka climbs higher.

madagascar2022 — A Verreaux's Sifaka calling out makes for a comical expression.

madagascar2022 — A leaping Verreaux's Sifaka - rarely did they come to the ground instead jumping from tree to tree - sometimes a great distance.

madagascar2022 — Looking for trouble.

madagascar2022 — Ring-Tailed lemur in a tree.

madagascar2022 — Two Ring-Tailed crossing a road.

madagascar2022 — A Ring-Tailed eating a leaf.

madagascar2022 — The Ring-Tailed likes to throw their tail over their shoulders.

madagascar2022 — A Yellow-Billed Kite - way up in a tree.

madagascar2022 — Cute little Verreaux's Sifaka resting in a tree.

madagascar2022 — So funny how they like to sit in the trees.

madagascar2022 — Jumping Ring-Tailed from a Vahombey aloe to the ground.

madagascar2022 — The focus for the afternoon was Verreaux's Sifaka lemurs crossing one of the plantation roads - they move sideways in hops which makes them look as if they are dancing. The goal was to catch the dancing lemurs.

The Verreaux's Sifaka crosses one at a time and is very deliberate - they do not like being on the ground, so they wait and then suddenly dart across. Here is a dancing lemur.

madagascar2022 — They are adorable in their sideways hops.

madagascar2022 — This one looks like he is stepping out - I like how his tail is trailing behind him.

madagascar2022 — Some would jump very high in their hops.

A video of the dancing Verreaux's Sifaka lemur

madagascar2022 — A Ring-Tailed lemur watches me walking back to the hotel.

madagascar2022 — While we ate lunch this little group watched us - looking for any opportunity.

madagascar2022 — A gang of Ring-Tailed lemurs is hanging out on the road.

madagascar2022 — Madagascar White-Browed owl male and female in the Spiny Forest.

madagascar2022 — Madagascar Golden Orb Weaver spider - a big spider and an even larger web - they were all over the Spiny Forest. A good reason to have the others go ahead of me in the forest.

madagascar2022 — As we are leaving the Spiny Forest a small tortoise was on the path - a Spider Tortoise which is only found in Madagascar. They live approximately 70 years.

madagascar2022 — A Ring-Tailed lemur walking toward me.

madagascar2022 — A Warty Chameleon was spotted in a tree - for all the walking and hunting I never found a lizard in the trees.

They move slowly and are great at camouflage.

madagascar2022 — A closeup of the Warty Chameleon - he has a little dead skin on him from a recent molting.

madagascar2022 — We head out to find the Verreaux's Sifaka lemur crossing the roads. Spotted this one moving toward the road.

madagascar2022 — This guy could really hop - they were quite fun to watch.

madagascar2022 — We then head out for a night walk in the Spiny Forest to search for nocturnal lemurs. We had two local guides searching.

This is the third Grey Mouse lemur we spot the first two jumped through the tress very quickly so it was challenging to capture a picture. This one sat in the crook of a Madagascar Ocotillo. They are only 3 inches tall.

madagascar2022 — The second lemur species we discover was the White-Footed Sportive lemur. This one was nice enough to pose for a long time.

madagascar2022 — Another White-Footed Sportive lemur in the Madagascar Ocotillo

madagascar2022 — The Madagascar Scops Owl - we chased this one through the forest. It was amazing that our guides could track it in the dark forest.

madagascar2022 — Very hard to see at night - the Madagascar Nightjar

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