Question: What is your favorite animal from the Madagascar?

Sive Finlay answered on 10 Nov 2013:

Well obviously I love tenrecs because they’re the group of animals that I’m studying but Madagascar has so many other amazing animals it’s hard to pick just one!
Madagascar is one of the world’s biodiversity hotspots; it’s an island roughly the size of France but its home to 5% of all of the world’s plant and animal species and most of those species (around 80-90%) don’t live anywhere else in the world. That’s because Madagascar has been separated from the mainland for millions of years so plants and animals evolved under very different conditions to produce unique species. There are also lots of different environments and climate zones on the island so all that variety also contributes to the diversity of the species.
All that means that there are lots of cool animals to choose from 🙂

Here’s my top three favourites;
1) Sifakas; they’re a member of the lemur family and I love how they move across the ground by jumping on their hindlegs. Some people used to think they were ghosts jumping through the forest. I just love how they dance!

2) Brookesia micra which was discovered (http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/17028940) so recently that it doesn’t have a common name yet. It’s the world’s smallest chameleon; they’re only 30mm long and they can sit on top of a matchstick! It just makes me excited for how many other amazing animals are still waiting to be discovered.

3) Sucker-footed bats which, as their name suggests, have round pads on their wrists and ankles which they use to cling onto leaves; a bit like the suction pads used to attach signs to your car windscreen!

Madagascar has lots of other weird and wonderful animals, what’s your favourite?