"Makira" New and Largest Madagascar Nature Preserve

[Motherlode Chameleon]

Madagascar has just set aside a new nature preserve in the north eastern part of the island that is larger than the state of Rhode Island. This preserve is going to be financied by carbon credits sales. Here's a link to an article about the new preserve.

http://news.mongabay.com/2012/0817-makira-madagascar-wcs.html

Here's a map.

http://dotearth.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/06/20/madagascar-a-bronx-tale-and-a-carbon-sale/

This is in the range of Orange Eye Parsonii and Furcifer bifudus.

 

[Motherlode Chameleon]

Here's an updated article about the Makira Preserve. It was officially considered established as the largest protected and continuous forest in Madagascar in 2012.

For the Chameleon experts out there, there is a picture of a Calumma oshaughnessyi photographed in the link I posted. If this specimen is located in Makira's forests it is located exceptionally far out of its species documented native range. If that specimen is located in Makira is it possibly a new population?

http://www.reddtalks.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2013/09/Makira-REDD+-Project-Brief.pdf

 

[laurie]

Jeremy thanks so much for helping me keep up on what in happening in Madagascar. You are the person on the forum that I count of for correct, information.

 

[Motherlode Chameleon]

Jeremy thanks so much for helping me keep up on what in happening in Madagascar. You are the person on the forum that I count of for correct, information.

It's my honor Laurie and I hate to say it however it is a responsibility that is important not just for you however for everyone on the forums to read.

Best Regards
Jeremy A. Rich

 

[CarlC]

Great info Jeremy! The whole area around this park is just amazing and so dense with forest

I think there was a population found around Masoala but I don't remember if it was labeled as ambreensis or oshaughnessyi. The pictured animal does not look like the ambreensis I saw . This area also has a population of cucullatum.

Carl

 

[Chris Anderson]

For the Chameleon experts out there, there is a picture of a Calumma oshaughnessyi photographed in the link I posted. If this specimen is located in Makira's forests it is located exceptionally far out of its species documented native range. If that specimen is located in Makira is it possibly a new population?

http://www.reddtalks.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2013/09/Makira-REDD+-Project-Brief.pdf

I think there was a population found around Masoala but I don't remember if it was labeled as ambreensis or oshaughnessyi. The pictured animal does not look like the ambreensis I saw . This area also has a population of cucullatum.

There is a record of C. oshaughnessyi from the vicinity of Maroantsetra (which is close to this new park) in Angel, 1942 based on a specimen donated by R. Decary, and this record is repeated in other sources (Brygoo, 1971; Glaw & Vences, 1994). It is a dubious record though as it is well outside the range of this species and no other specimens have ever been found. There are C. parsonii from this area, however, so its possible that the record of C. oshaughnessyi at this locality is actually a misidentified specimen of this species, or it could be a mixup on the collection site of the specimen. In either event, I doubt the C. oshaughnessyi in the PDF was actually photographed or seen in or around Makira.

Chris

 

[Motherlode Chameleon]

There is a record of C. oshaughnessyi from the vicinity of Maroantsetra (which is close to this new park) in Angel, 1942 based on a specimen donated by R. Decary, and this record is repeated in other sources (Brygoo, 1971; Glaw & Vences, 1994). It is a dubious record though as it is well outside the range of this species and no other specimens have ever been found. There are C. parsonii from this area, however, so its possible that the record of C. oshaughnessyi at this locality is actually a misidentified specimen of this species, or it could be a mixup on the collection site of the specimen. In either event, I doubt the C. oshaughnessyi in the PDF was actually photographed or seen in or around Makira.

Chris

Chris

I think it is worth a possible email to the Wildife Conservation Society as they are only listed as having conservation efforts in the Makira area of Madagascar and are not located any where near Ranomafana. If that Calumma oshaughnessyi is from the Makira area it could rediscover a possible once discovered and now overlooked population of Calumma oshaughnessyi. It would be huge to rediscover another population of Calumma oshaughnessyi even if it just ends up being following up on a lead with no population.

I am sending the Wildlife Conservation Society an email.

Kind Regards
Jeremy A. Rich

 

[Motherlode Chameleon]

Microsoft just made a large purchase of REDD carbon credits in Makira Natural Park.

Here's a link.
http://news.mongabay.com/2014/0215-madagascar-redd-microsoft.html?fbfnpg

 

[Motherlode Chameleon]

There is a record of C. oshaughnessyi from the vicinity of Maroantsetra (which is close to this new park) in Angel, 1942 based on a specimen donated by R. Decary, and this record is repeated in other sources (Brygoo, 1971; Glaw & Vences, 1994). It is a dubious record though as it is well outside the range of this species and no other specimens have ever been found. There are C. parsonii from this area, however, so its possible that the record of C. oshaughnessyi at this locality is actually a misidentified specimen of this species, or it could be a mixup on the collection site of the specimen. In either event, I doubt the C. oshaughnessyi in the PDF was actually photographed or seen in or around Makira.

Chris

For the record I just had a personnel communication with Chris Raxworthy (Department of Herpetology American Museum of Natural History). He stated that he has personally documented Calumma oshaughnessyi further north than Makira. Although he had not surveyed the Makira region it is nice to hear that there are records of them there such as this Wildlife Conservation Society photograph. Lets watch if further documentation of Calumma oshaughnessyi happens from this region. There is enough conservation going on in the region that more documentation should happen.

I am acquainted with the knowledge that Calumma parsonii inhabits the Makira region. Niels and I have posted photo's of Green Giants from Masoala Peninsula (on his web site and on my thread) and Orange Eyes are West and to the South of the area. The Mikira area seems to be a forested area where these two types meet.

Jeremy A. Rich

 

[Chris Anderson]

For the record I just had a personnel communication with Chris Raxworthy (Department of Herpetology American Museum of Natural History). He stated that he has personally documented Calumma oshaughnessyi further north than Makira. Although he had not surveyed the Makira region it is nice to hear that there are records of them there such as this Wildlife Conservation Society photograph. Lets watch if further documentation of Calumma oshaughnessyi happens from this region. There is enough conservation going on in the region that more documentation should happen.

I am acquainted with the knowledge that Calumma parsonii inhabits the Makira region. Niels and I have posted photo's of Green Giants from Masoala Peninsula (on his web site and on my thread) and Orange Eyes are West and to the South of the area. The Mikira area seems to be a forested area where these two types meet.

Jeremy A. Rich

Assuming he is referring to the nominate form (not C. ambreense, which some still consider a C. oshaughnessyi subspecies) and did not mean he had found them further north than Ranomafana (which they definitely do range well north of), it definitely belongs in the primary literature, as more recent sources (ex. Glaw & Vences 2007) are omitting such records from the distribution of C. oshaughnessyi altogether because it is so far north of all other records and had not been reported in the literature aside from the single old record.

Chris

 

[CarlC]

Chris do you remember if Lutzmann surveyed this area? I remember he did extensive survey's at Masoala.

Carl

 

[Chris Anderson]

Chris do you remember if Lutzmann surveyed this area? I remember he did extensive survey's at Masoala.

Carl

I know Nico's dissertation was on the Masoala peninsula, but I don't know for certain if he worked in what is now Makira at all. Masoala NP and Makira NP are quite close together (Masoala is outlined in yellow and Makira in pink in this map: http://www.chrisgoldenresearch.com/uploads/8/0/6/5/8065560/4797114.jpg?316), but include some somewhat different habitats from each other.

Chris

 

[Motherlode Chameleon]

Assuming he is referring to the nominate form (not C. ambreense, which some still consider a C. oshaughnessyi subspecies) and did not mean he had found them further north than Ranomafana (which they definitely do range well north of), it definitely belongs in the primary literature, as more recent sources (ex. Glaw & Vences 2007) are omitting such records from the distribution of C. oshaughnessyi altogether because it is so far north of all other records and had not been reported in the literature aside from the single old record.

Chris

Chris

Chris Raxworthy said he had personally documented Calumma oshaughnessyi north of Makira (personal communications). I am going to confirm he does not mean Calumma ambreense.

Jeremy A. Rich

Chris do you remember if Lutzmann surveyed this area? I remember he did extensive survey's at Masoala.

Carl

I know Nico's dissertation was on the Masoala peninsula, but I don't know for certain if he worked in what is now Makira at all. Masoala NP and Makira NP are quite close together (Masoala is outlined in yellow and Makira in pink in this map: http://www.chrisgoldenresearch.com/uploads/8/0/6/5/8065560/4797114.jpg?316), but include some somewhat different habitats from each other.

Chris

If you look at the second map on the first post. It shows that Makira actually connects to Masoala National Park. The habitats are extremely unique in Madagascar.

Jeremy A. Rich

 

[CarlC]

I didn't get to see Mikira or Masoala when I was there but I did get to photograph Calumma ambreense. As you can see from these pictures the species are similar in appearance but C. ambreense lacks the developed rostrals of C. oshaughnessyi.

Carl

 

[Motherlode Chameleon]

The literature should be updated Chris Raxworthy has stated that he has found Calumma oshaughnessyi north of Makira. Which species wise is great news.

Jeremy A. Rich

 

[ataraxia]

Thats is awesome! Thanks Jeremy for sharing this.