Madagascar, is one of the world's largest Islands, situated in the Indian Ocean off the coast of Africa. It is diverse in both habitats and climate from, dry spiny deserts in the south to the rainforests of the east, to the bizarre rock formations (tsingy) of the north. It's primitive creatures are unique to the Island and are severely threatened with extinction.

Famed for its charismatic Lemurs to its wonderful array of chameleons and plant life. The Island has been severely deforested and this had led to mass erosion, when viewed from the air it almost looks like the country is bleeding, due to the rich red soil eroding away. The animals there are found nowhere else on earth!

Tropical & desert, generally hot.

RSCC animals of the region

red ruffed lemur

varecia variegata rubra

They cannot move their fingers like a monkey, so they groom themselves with their teeth. Six bottom teeth form a toothcomb.

Females are capable of having up to 6 offspring, but normally only 2 or 3 offspring are born at a time.

Females do not carry their young, instead they build nests in the trees for them, and line them with their own hair.

Status

Critically endangered

The inhabitants of Madagascar are a mix of people descended from both Africa and Indonesia, known as the Malagasy.

Madagascar Periwinkle, this flower is actually an endangered species in it's native Madagascar, however, it is now a popular garden plant.

This plant has been found to contain incredible properties and is used to make medicines to combat diabetes, leukemia, Hodgkin's Disease and cancers. You can see this plant in flower at RSCC in the Madagascar garden.

The region is famous for growing cacao, spices, sisal and vanilla. Vanilla is one of Madagascars most valuable export crops. RSCT are currently contributing to the conservation of the Blue Eyed Black Lemur in Madagascar through the commercial sale of Madagascan Black Vanilla in the U.K. Vanilla is actually a seed pod of a vanilla orchid (vanilla planifolia). Vanilla can be found in ice-cream, chocolate and cosmetics. It takes a vanilla orchid over 2 years to produce a mature pod from a flower.