| Ambohitantely Special Reserve | |
|---|---|
IUCN category IV (habitat/species management area) | |
 Anodonthyla vallani is not known outside the Ambohitantely Reserve. | |
  Map of Madagascar | |
| Location | Ankazobe, Analamanga, Madagascar |
| Coordinates | 18°09′40″S47°18′07″E / 18.161°S 47.302°E [1] |
| Area | 5,600 ha (14,000 acres) |
| Established | 1982 |
Ambohitantely Special Reserve is a 5,600-hectare (14,000-acre) wildlife reserve of Madagascar. [3]
This reserve is situated in Analamanga region, 140 km (87 mi) north-west of the town of Antananarivo in the district of Ankazobe. It covers 1,800 ha (4,400 acres) of primary rainforests and 3,800 ha (9,400 acres) of grassland savannah. [3] It consists of several sections of the last primary rainforest, on the high plateau in central Madagascar, along with grasslands, caves and waterfalls, at an altitude of 1,300 metres (4,300 ft) to 1,650 metres (5,410 ft). The mean annual rainfall is 1,823 millimetres (71.8 in). [4] [5] The entrance to the reserve is on route 4, near the village of Arazana and the nearest hotel is at Ankazobe. [5]
The ethnic groups living in and around the reserve are the Betsileo, Betsimisaraka, and Merina peoples. [4]
The main habitats of the reserve are primary rainforests and grassland savannah. The black-bark tree, Fanola ( Asteropeia amblyocarpa ) is registered as critically endangered on the IUCN Red List, and Schizolaena tampoketsana with its twisted fissured trunk is believed to have only 160–370 mature individuals in existence. [6] Sihara palm ( Dypsis onilahensis ), Manambe palm ( Dypsis decipiens ), and rosewood ( Dalbergia monticola ) are all registered as vulnerable species.
Three lemur species are found in the reserve: brown mouse lemur (Microcebus rufus), eastern woolly lemur (Avahi laniger), and common brown lemur (Eulemur fulvus). Rare birds found in the reserve include the Malagasy harrier (Circus macrosceles) and Madagascar ibis (Lophotibis cristata). [3] The frog Anodonthyla vallani is likely occurs only within the reserve. [7]
The reserve is the only known habitat of the critically endangered Darth Vader giant pill millipede ( Zoosphaerium darthvaderi ). [8]
The area is threatened with slash-and-burn agriculture and irrigation for rice paddies. [4]
Dypsis decaryi is a species of flowering plant in the Arecaceae family. It is commonly known as the triangle palm. It is indigenous to the Madagascan rainforest. Some specimens grow to a height of some 15 metres (49 ft) in the wild. It is relatively new to cultivation however, so outside its native habitat it rarely achieves anything like that height. The leaves are about 2.5 metres in length, growing almost upright from the trunk and arching gracefully outward about a metre from their tips. The leaf bases are arranged in three vertical columns set about 120 degrees apart on the main stem, forming a triangular shape in cross section. This shape has given rise to the palm's common name.
Andasibe-Mantadia National Park is a 155 square kilometre protected area, located about 150 km east of Antananarivo, consisting principally of primary growth forest in Alaotra-Mangoro Region in eastern Madagascar. The park's elevation ranges from 800 to 1260 meters, with a humid climate. Average annual precipitation is 1700 mm, with rainfall on 210 days of each year. This rainforest is habitat to a vast species biodiversity, including many endemic rare species and endangered species, including 11 lemur species. The park's two component parts are Mantadia National Park and Analamazoatra Reserve, which is best known for its population of Madagascar's largest lemur, the indri.
Ankazobe is a municipality in Analamanga Region, in the Central Highlands of Madagascar. It is the administrative capital of Ankazobe District and is situated at 75 km north of the capital Antananarivo.
Dypsis bejofo is a species of flowering plant in the Arecaceae family. It is a palm endemic to Madagascar. It grows on hilltops and slopes in rainforest habitat. The species is threatened by overcollection of seeds and by habitat loss. There may be only about 300 mature individuals remaining. Some grow in protected areas.
Dypsis faneva is a species of flowering plant in the Arecaceae family. It is a palm endemic to Madagascar, where it grows in rainforests. It is threatened by habitat destruction. Fewer than 70 mature individuals are thought to remain.
Anodonthyla nigrigularis also known as the Black-throated Climbing frog is a species of frog in the family Microhylidae. It is endemic to Madagascar. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests, subtropical or tropical moist montane forests, and heavily degraded former forest. It is threatened by habitat loss from agriculture, timber extraction, charcoal manufacturing, spread of non-native eucalyptus, livestock grazing and human settlement. The exact population is unknown but it is seemingly abundant in well-managed Andohahela National Park and less common in Ambohitantely Reserve which is not well managed. Not much else is known about the species.
Ambatovaky Special Reserve is a tropical rainforest and wildlife reserve in the north-east of Madagascar. It is designated by Bird Life International as an Important Bird Area for the large number of endemic species of birds.
Anjanaharibe-Sud Special Reserve is a wildlife reserve in the north-east of Madagascar. The reserve was designated in 1958 and contains some of the last intact primary rainforest, along with several, rare and endemic animals and plants. The area was nominated to the UNESCO Tentative List of World Heritage Sites in Madagascar in 2008, as an extension of the rainforests of the Atsinanana.
Maningoza Special Reserve is a 9,826 hectares wildlife reserve in Madagascar. It was created in 1956 to protect the many endemic plants and animals, and it also contains some of the last remaining areas of dry deciduous forest on the island.
Holland's sportive lemur, or the Mananara-Nord sportive lemur, is a sportive lemur that is endemic to Madagascar. It is one of 26 species in the genus Lepilemur. This lemur is found specifically in the Mananara-Nord Biosphere Reserve, but the limits of its habitat have yet to be determined. It lives in primary and secondary rainforests. Holland's sportive lemur was described in 2009.
Anodonthyla vallani is a species of microhylid frog. The frog was discovered in Madagascar and was previously confused with Anodonthyla nigrigularis. This species is only found in high elevation forests of the Ambohitantely Reserve.
Schizolaena tampoketsana is a species of tree in the family Sarcolaenaceae endemic to the mid-altitude savanna of Ankazobe, Madagascar. It is threatened by wildfires and habitat loss due to rice farming. The International Union for Conservation of Nature designates it as critically endangered, as only 203-340 mature individuals are believed to exist.
Schizolaena exinvolucrata is a tree in the family Sarcolaenaceae. It is endemic to Madagascar.
Schizolaena hystrix is a tree in the family Sarcolaenaceae. It is endemic to Madagascar. The specific epithet hystrix is from the Latin meaning "spiny", referring to the porcupine-like appearance of the involucre.
Schizolaena parviflora is a tree in the family Sarcolaenaceae. It is endemic to Madagascar. The specific epithet parviflora is from the Latin meaning "small flowers".
Schizolaena pectinata is a tree in the family Sarcolaenaceae. It is endemic to Madagascar.
The Ankarana dwarf lemur or Sheth's dwarf lemur is a species of dwarf lemur, part of the C. medius group, known only from northern Madagascar. It has been found in two reserves as well as two protected areas. It was identified in 2014, but not formally described until 2016. Its conservation status has not been determined, but it is at risk from habitat destruction due to daily resource extraction by local human populations.
Ankazobe is a district of Analamanga in Madagascar.
Zoosphaerium darthvaderi, also known as the Darth Vader giant pill millipede, is a species of giant pill millipede endemic to the island state of Madagascar. It is named after the Star Wars character Darth Vader. The millipede is restricted to the Ambohitantely Reserve and is considered an extremely endangered species.
Analavelona, also known as Analavelona Massif, is a mountain in southwestern Madagascar. The massif is home to an enclave of montane subhumid forest, which is considered a sacred forest by the local people and notable for its biodiversity.
| Strict Nature Reserves |  | |
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| National parks |
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| Marine National Parks | ||
| Special Reserves | ||
| Other protected areas | ||