At Maromizaha, all 18 of us students had the unique
privilege of going on night hikes through the preserve. During these hikes
(which went from dusk until dinner at 7:30), one can experience a unique side
of the rainforest that very few people get to see. Chameleons become visible,
frogs of all kinds become active, and a wide array of nocturnal lemurs come out
of their daytime hiding places.
Maromizaha has 6 species of nocturnal lemurs, from the owl-faced
Avahi to the tiny rodent-like Mouse Lemurs. On our first nocturnal hike— which
took us through a level path along a stream— we didn’t see many lemurs, but did
get some good looks at Lepilemur mustelinus: a brown, weasel-like creature that is one of
several dozen species of “sportive lemurs”. We also happened to encounter a White-Throated Rail that was sleeping
in the center of a palm tree (first time I’ve ever seen any rail taking a
snooze).
On our second nocturnal hike, we returned to Belle Vue,
where a Madagascar Nightjar called
repeatedly and eventually flew past us like a giant moth. Up here, our luck was
much better with lemurs: We saw at least 8 Avahis
(also known as Wooly Lemurs), 3 Lepilemurs,
a Goodman’s Mouse Lemur, and a Greater Dwarf Lemur (a slow-moving
canopy-dweller that our guide wasn’t even expecting to find).
Unfortunately, I did not bring my telephoto lens on these
hikes, so my only pictures were those of pixelated, glowing eyes.
(picture coming soon!)
…and Chameleons.
(picture coming soon!)
No comments:
Post a Comment