The iconic ring-tailed lemur of Madagascar (the only place that the primates known as “true lemurs” have ever existed) is rapidly headed towards extinction, according to new research from the University of Victoria in British Columbia and CU Boulder. The research found that as a result of growing levels of: habitat destruction, deforestation, open-pit mining, […]
More than 28,000 endangered lemurs (across a variety of different species) are currently illegally kept as pets in the only country that they exist in, Madagascar, according to a recent study. Even important public figures, and also those who are supposed to enforce the ban, were apparently found by the study to keep them as […]
True Lemurs, found only on the isolated island of Madagascar, are the most endangered mammalian group on the planet — more than 90% of all known lemur species are rapidly approaching extinction, primarily as the result of deforestation and habitat loss. Previous conservation efforts have been generally ineffective, so how do you prevent their extinction? […]
Two islands located east off Madagascar — Réunion and Mauritius — have recently revealed they are hiding a micro-continent that was once a part of what is now Madagascar and India. The micro-continent — or continent fragment — known as Mauritia detached approximately 60 million years ago as Madagascar and India drifted apart from one another, but […]
The world’s fourth largest island and the subject of quite a funny animated film, Madagascar is caught on camera by the European Space Agency’s satellite Envisat on 30 June, 2009. The image was caught using the Medium Resolution Imaging Spectrometer (MERIS) instrument and shows very clearly the beautiful green and browns of the island. Source: […]
As far as biodiversity ‘hot spots’ go, it’s hard to beat Madagascar, a medium sized island off the southeast coast of Africa. According to the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), from 1999 to 2010 some 615 new species have been discovered on the subtropical island. That list of new species is comprised of 42 invertebrates, 61 reptiles, 69 amphibians, 17 fish, 385 plants, and 41 mammals. Biologists believe that the island nation’s quite ancient, geologic isolation from the mainland of Africa and the more recent separation from the Indian section of the crustal plate (about 80 mya) set the stage for its uniquely evolved biodiversity.
Tortoises can live to a ripe old age, and, apparently, they can mate to a ripe old age as well. A couple of super old tortoises at the Knoxville Zoo, Al (130 years old) and Tex (90 tears old), have been living without ladies for decades. They are male Aldabra tortoises, tortoises which are classified as threatened. Now, however, a few female tortoises from an Atlanta zoo have come to visit and Al and Tex have given them a warm welcome.
NASA’s AIRS instrument aboard the Aqua satellite captured more images of Cyclone Bingiza as it moved its way across Madagascar and into the Mozambique Channel. When NASA’s Aqua satellite flew over Madagascar this morning, Feb. 15 at 11:11 UTC (6:11 a.m. EST), the Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) instrument read the temperatures of the cold thunderstorm […]
Since we had plenty of news last Friday and I was heading out of town, I decided to leave our weekly roundup of global weirding and environmental/wildlife news (that we didn’t already cover) to Monday. Here’s the environmental/wildlife portion. Tainted Water Still a Concern in Pennsylvania Gas Drilling in 2011 I have written before about […]
Here’s our weekly roundup of environment and wildlife news. Enjoy.
The Sea Shepherd Conservation Society has put out a report from Madagascar saying along the coasts, there has been a dramatic decrease in all marine life due to excessive demand of shark fin and sea cucumbers from China.