Madagascar Animals: There are such exciting and diverse species of animals that live in Madagascar. They are different from most others on their planet. Their uniqueness is what makes them extraordinary. So let us look at the animals that live in Madagascar to increase our knowledge.
Madagascar has over fifty nature reserves and national parks, which serve as a home to the primarily endemic animals. These animals cannot be found elsewhere. We have revised a list of Madagascar animals found in Madagascar in this article.
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List of Animals in Madagascar
Name of animals which live in Madagascar
- Lemur
- Radiated tortoise
- Satanic leaf-tailed gecko
- Pit
- Nosy hara chameleon
- Madagascar long eared owl
- Aye Aye
- Tomato frog
- Silky Sifaka or Verreaux
- Giraffe weevil
- Tenrec
- Bat
- Indri
- Painted mantilla
- Fossa
- Ploughshare tortoise
- Humblot’s heron
- Madagascan pochard
- Madagascar fody
- Subantarctic fur seal
- Madagascar hissing cockroach
- Comet moth
- Giant day gecko
- Rockhopper penguin
- Panther chameleon
- Blue coua
- Barn owl
- Black widow spider
- Scorpions
Fascinating facts about the animals on the list
Lemur
The lemur or the ring-tailed lemur is an endangered species that is considered to be one of the smallest primates in the world. It has a characteristic feature of having a body similar to a squirrel, has highly athletic abilities and highly social behaviour. The long tail of the lemur helps it to balance itself on trees and change its direction.
| Kingdom | Animalia |
| Phylum | Chordata |
| Class | Mammalia |
| Order | Primates |
| Family | Strepsirrhini |
| Genus | Lemuriformes |
| Scientific name | Lemuriformes gray |
Radiated tortoise
It is a large species of tortoise that is a critically endangerd species living in the forests and scrublands of Madagascar. It has a high domed, smooth shell with yellow line markings that radiate from the centre of each dark plate. It has a yellow body with a black patch on its head.
| Kingdom | Animalia |
| Phylum | Chordata |
| Class | Reptilia |
| Order | Testudines |
| Family | Testudinidae |
| Genus | Astrochelys |
| Scientific name | Astrochelys radiata |
Satanic leaf-tailed gecko
It is a skilled animal species since it is able to camouflage itself with the leaves and branches of its habitat. It has an arched body with stripes all along it to cover its skin. Its tail has a similar structure to a folded leaf which helps it to hide among the leaves or the foliage.
It commonly has brown tones with tiny black spots on its body, but it can vary.
| Kingdom | Animalia |
| Phylum | Chordata |
| Class | Reptilia |
| Order | Squamata |
| Family | Gekkonidae |
| Genus | Uroplatus |
| Scientific name | Uroplatus phantasticus |
Rice Tenrec
It is a species of mammal that lives in Madagascar. It has the features of a tenrec with brownish or blackish fur all over its body, a pointed mouth and an elongated tail. It can be one of two species native to Madagascar. They are found in abundant and are of least concern for conservation.
| Kingdom | Animalia |
| Phylum | Chordata |
| Class | Mammalia |
| Order | Afrosoricida |
| Family | Ternrecidae |
| Genus | Oryzorictes |
| Scientific name | Oryzorictes hova |
Nosy hara chameleon
It is a species of endemic chameleon at it is one of the smallest known chameleons in Madagascar. An adult nosy hara chameleon can grow up to around one inch in length. When people discovered it, it was the smallest species of chameleon and now it is the second smallest chameleon in the world. It has a significantly large head and a small orange tail.
| Kingdom | Animalia |
| Phylum | Chordata |
| Class | Reptilia |
| Order | Squamata |
| Family | Chamaeleonidae |
| Genus | Brookesia |
| Scientific name | Brookesia micra |
Madagascar long eared owl
This species of owl is endemic to Madagascar and it is a medium sized owl. It is sometimes conspecific with the long eared owl. It has prominent ear tuffs and its plumage is mostly brown with dark streaks. Another noticeable feature is its bright orange eyes.
| Kingdom | Animalia |
| Phylum | Chordara |
| Class | Aves |
| Order | Strigiformes |
| Family | Strigidae |
| Genus | Asio |
| Scientific name | Asio madagascariensis |
Aye Aye
It has a curious appearance and though it looks like a rodent, it is the largest nocturnal primate in the entire world.
It has some distinctive characteristic features such as elongated and curved fingers which helps it to capture insects deep into the ground. It also can reach difficult places to reach such as tree trunks to find food. It has greyish fur and a long bushy tail.
It is a long-fingered lemur primate native to Madagascar which is rodent-like.
| Kingdom | Animalia |
| Phylum | Chordata |
| Class | Mammalia |
| Order | Primates |
| Family | Daubentoniidae |
| Genus | Daubentonia |
| Scientific name | Daubentonia madagascariensis |
Tomato frog
Tomato frogs are among any of the three species and they are endemic to Madagascar. These are named due to their bright red colour. When threatened, these frogs can puff up its body and they secrete a thick substance that can numb the predator’s eyes and mouth, causing them to release the frog.
| Kingdom | Animalia |
| Phylum | Chordata |
| Class | Amphibia |
| Order | Anura |
| Family | Microhylidae |
| Genus | Dyscophus |
| Scientific name | Dyscophus grandidier |
Silky Sifaka or Verreaux
It is known as the angel of the forest due to its white silky fur. It is one of the rarest animals of earth. It is a unique species of white primate with a black face. It also has a long tail that enables it to jump between the trees with great flexibility. It mostly inhabits the tropical jungles and the desert areas of Madagascar.
| Kingdom | Animalia |
| Phylum | Chordata |
| Class | Mammalia |
| Order | Primates |
| Family | Indriidae |
| Genus | Propithecus |
| Scientific name | Propithecus diadema |
Giraffe weevil
The giraffe weevil is a species with an elongated neck, from which jt derives its name. A male’s neck is typically two to three times longer than the female’s. It has typical red elytra covering its flying wings and the rest of the body is black.
| Kingdom | Animalia |
| Phylum | Arthropoda |
| Class | Insecta |
| Order | Coleoptera |
| Family | Attelabidae |
| Genus | Trachelophorus |
| Scientific name | Trachelophorus giraffa |
Tenrec
It is a mammal with a characteristic long snout and a body covered with small spikes that help it to defend itself. They have the ability to communicate by creating a sound by rubbing different parts of its body. This feature also helps them to attract their partners. They exist in the humid and tropical forests of Madagascar and feeds on earthworms.
| Kingdom | Animalia |
| Phylum | Chordata |
| Class | Mammalia |
| Order | Afrosoricida |
| Family | Ternrecidae |
| Genus | Oryzorictes |
| Scientific name | Oryzorictes tetradactylus |
Bat
Bats are one of the major parts of the indigenous mammalian fauna of Madagascar. There are more than forty species of bats in Madagascar. These are mammals and have colonised in Madagascar from Africa and Asia.
| Kingdom | Animalia |
| Phylum | Chordata |
| Class | Mammalia |
| Order | Chiroptera |
| Family | Hipposideridae |
| Genus | Macronycteris |
| Scientific name | Macronycteris gigas |
Indri
It is by far the largest lemur in the world and weighs around ten kilograms. It has different fur colours ranging from dark brown to white with some black spots. It is characterised with the same partner that it has chosen until its death. It feeds on nuts and fruits.
| Kingdom | Animalia |
| Phylum | Chordata |
| Class | Mammalia |
| Order | Primates |
| Family | Indriidae |
| Genus | Indri |
| Scientific name | Indri indri |
Painted mantilla
It is the name of a species of frog with variable colour markings. They have irregularly streaked black and yellow. Usually they have blackish markings on their body, sometimes green or yellow stripes.
| Kingdom | Animalia |
| Phylum | Chordata |
| Class | Amphibia |
| Order | Anura |
| Family | Mantellidae |
| Genus | Mantellia |
| Scientific name | Mantellia madagascariensis |
Fossa
This animal is a carnivorous mammal that is endemic to Madagascar. They are closely related to the mongoose family. It has semi retractable claws and pretty flexible ankles that make it able to climb up and down trees head fist and can also jump from tree to tree.
| Kingdom | Animalia |
| Phylum | Chordata |
| Class | Mammalia |
| Order | Carnivora |
| Family | Feliformia |
| Genus | Cryptoprocta |
| Scientific name | Cryptoprocta ferox |
Ploughshare tortoise
These tortoises live in a small stretch of territory in the north western region of Madagascar. They have unique growth rings projecting from its shell that is a distinctive feature. These animals are diminishing due to poaching and loss of habitat. These have a high price since many collect them as exotic pets.
| Kingdom | Animalia |
| Phylum | Chordata |
| Class | Reptilia |
| Order | Testudines |
| Family | Testudinidae |
| Genus | Astrochelys |
| Scientific name | Astrochelys yniphora |
Humblot’s heron
The Humblot’s heron was named after the French naturalist Leon Humblot. It is a large and long species of water birds with long legs. They inhabit the north and the west coasts of Madagascar. The loss of wetlands endangers its existence.
| Kingdom | Animalia |
| Phylum | Chordata |
| Class | Aves |
| Order | Plelcaniformes |
| Family | Ardeidae |
| Genus | Ardea |
| Scientific name | Ardea humbloti |
Madagascan pochard
It is an endemic wetland bird species in Madagascar and is very rare, found in only one single location through the northern central plateau in the Lake Alaotra basin. It is marked as a critically endangered species of bird with dark brown plumage and a white contrasting tail.
| Kingdom | Animalia |
| Phylum | Chordata |
| Class | Aves |
| Order | Anserifomes |
| Family | Anatidae |
| Genus | Aythya |
| Scientific name | Aythya innotata |
Madagascar fody
It is a red cardinal fody native to Madagascar and is a common bird at the site. It has a bright red body with black wings. It is found in abundance in the island.
| Kingdom | Animalia |
| Phylum | Chordata |
| Class | Aves |
| Order | Passeriformes |
| Family | Ploceidae |
| Genus | Foudia |
| Scientific name | Foudia madagascariensis |
Subantarctic fur seal
It is a medium sized seal compared to other fur seals. They are present in abundance and their bellies are brownish, with creamy orange chests.
| Kingdom | Animalia |
| Phylum | Chordata |
| Class | Mammalia |
| Order | Carnivora |
| Family | Otariidae |
| Genus | Arctocephalus |
| Scientific name | Arctocephalus tropicalis |
Madagascar hissing cockroach
It is among the largest species of cockroach in the world, and is native to Madagascar.
These large roaches are often kept as pets there. Unlike other cockroaches, these insects are wingless, are excellent climbers and can scale smooth surfaces. The insects can produce a hissing sound for which it is named and it is the only species of cockroach that can make such a sound.
| Kingdom | Animalia |
| Phylum | Arthopoda |
| Class | Insecta |
| Order | Blattodea |
| Family | Blaberidae |
| Genus | Gromphadothina |
| Scientific name | Gromphadothina portentosa |
Comet moth
It is a species of moth native to the rain forests of Madagascar. It is one of the world’s largest moths from which we can produce silk. The adult moth is bright yellow in colour with orange dots.
| Kingdom | Animalia |
| Phylum | Arthopoda |
| Class | Insecta |
| Order | Lepidoptera |
| Family | Saturniidae |
| Genus | Argema |
| Scientific name | Argema mittrei |
Giant day gecko
It is a unique species of gecko and is native to areas of the tropical and subtropical forests in the northern part of Madagascar. Many people keep them as exotic pets due to their bright green colour. The lizard can be rarely bluish green and a red stripe extends from the nostril to the eye.
| Kingdom | Animalia |
| Phylum | Chordata |
| Class | Reptilia |
| Order | Squamata |
| Family | Gekkonidae |
| Genus | Phelsuma |
| Scientific name | Phelsuma grandis |
Rockhopper penguin
It is one of the three species of penguins of the area. These are among the smallest species of penguins and the males and females cannot be distinguished without a DNA test.
| Kingdom | Animalia |
| Phylum | Chordata |
| Class | Aves |
| Order | Sphenisciformes |
| Family | Spheniscidae |
| Genus | Eudyptes |
| Scientific name | Eudyptes chrysocome |
Panther chameleon
It is a chameleon species that can grow up to twenty cm in length. The males are vibrantly coloured than the females. The colour varies with their location and habitat. They can be of blue, green, orange, or red.
| Kingdom | Animalia |
| Phylum | Chordata |
| Class | Reptilia |
| Order | Squamata |
| Family | Chamaeleonidae |
| Genus | Furcifer |
| Scientific name | Furcifer pardalis |
Blue coua
It is a bright blue species of bird of the cuckoo family. It has deep blue feathers and distinctive blue oval areas around the eyes which are free of feathers. It has large feet and a reversible third toe.
| Kingdom | Animalia |
| Phylum | Chordata |
| Class | Aves |
| Order | Cuculiformes |
| Family | Cuculidae |
| Genus | Coua |
| Scientific name | Coua caerulea |
Barn owl
It is a common species of owl with a white body, feathers covering its body and brownish wing feathers. There are different species of them present in the island. They usually stay in pairs and live on trees and are easily distinguished from other such owl species.
| Kingdom | Animalia |
| Phylum | Chordata |
| Class | Aves |
| Order | Atrigiformes |
| Family | Tytonidae |
| Genus | Tyto |
| Scientific name | Tyto alba |
Black widow spider
These are black spiders with a red abdomen. They are highly venomous and can cause muscle aches and cause nausea.
| Kingdom | Animalia |
| Phylum | Arthopoda |
| Class | Arachinida |
| Order | Araneae |
| Family | Theridiidae |
| Genus | Latrodectus |
| Scientific name | Latrodectus tredecimguttatus |
Scorpions
Like other areas, Madagascar also has scorpions and there are many species available in the island. They release fluorescent toxins and are venomous species.
| Kingdom | Animalia |
| Phylum | Chordata |
| Class | Arthopoda |
| Order | Scorpiones |
| Family | Thysanura |
| Genus | Centruroides |
| Scientific name | Centruroides vittatus |