National Geographic Kids USA - September 2017

STEPHEN ALVAREZ / NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC CREATIVE (MAIN, SIFAKA, LEAF-TAILED GECKO, DAY GECKO, DROPWING, LEAF-NOSED SNAKE); BLICKWINKEL / ALAMY (KESTREL, KINGFISHER, HOGNOSE SNAKE); IMAGEBROKER / ALAMY (BAT); ARTO HAKOLA / ALAMY (IGUANA); MARTIN WALZ (MAP)

A DECKEN’S

SIFAKA (ALSO

IN BIG PHOTO)

HANGS OUT ON

ONE OF THE

PARK’S LIME-

STONE SPIKES.

MADAGA

ANIMA

GET MO

natgeokids.com/september

CRIMSON

DROPWING

DAYGECKO COLLARED

IGUANA

LEAF-NOSED

SNAKE

separate island within an island.” That’s
because the wildlife of Tsingy de Bemaraha
had to adapt to the park’s challenging sur-
roundings, learning to survive everywhere
from pitch-black caves to humid, jungle-like
pockets of tropical dry forests that sprouted
up through crevasses in the landscape.
Lemurs in particular thrive in the tsingy—
11 species call it home. Six of those species
are endangered. Among them is the white-
furred Decken’s sifaka, which developed pow-
erful hind legs to leap up to 30 feet from
peak to peak. Its hands have developed soft
pads that allow it to grip the rocks as it clings
vertically and leaps across the park’s spikes.

Even the plants have adapted to life in the

unusual tsingy. For example, xerophytes (pro-

nounced zee-ROH-fites) found in the tsingy’s

dry forests can stretch their long, ropelike

roots into various parts of the rock face in

search of water.

MORE TO EXPLORE

There’s still so much to uncover in this

strange and stunning no-man’s-land, and

scientists continue to encounter new plant

and animal species as they study the park.

Who knows what new discoveries await those

brave enough to venture into Tsingy de

Bemaraha’s treacherous terrain?

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