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Several operators offer camping tours in the park. Be prepared for long hikes and cold temperatures, especially at night. Province: Fianarantsoa Area: 31,160 Protected area status: National park Year established: 1999 General location: Location and Access: 47 km south of Ambalavao, 120 km south of Ranomafana Climate: Wet tropical to montane forest to high altitude vegetation Average temperature: 10-25°C* Elevation: 650 to 2658 m Precipitation: 130-400 cm* Description: Andringitra is characterized by high mountains (peak 2658m), deep valleys, and ridges. Andringitra, one of the most biodiverse parks in Madagascar, is made up of three distinct ecozones: 1) low altitude rainforest, 2) montane mountain, and 3) highland vegetation/forest. FAUNA Birds: 106 Reptiles: 34 Frogs: 55 Mammals: 54 Lemurs: 13 Rodents: 11 Insectivores: 16 Bats: 11 Crustaceans (Crayfish): 7 Lemur species: FLORA: Elevation 650-800 m: Wet tropical forest with canopy of 25-30 m and dominated by Canarium madagascariense (Burseraceae) and Sloanea rhodantha (Elaeocarpaceae). Elevation 1000 and 1200 m: transition zone between low altitude forest and montane forest (characterized by the presence of Podocarpus madagascariensis). Elevation 1200-1625 m: Montane sclerophyllous forest characterized by 5-10 m canopy and an abundance of foams and lichens. Thickets of bamboos, Arundinaria and Nastus, along with Podocarpus madagascariensis (Podocarpaceae), Weinmannia (Cunoniaceae), Pandanus (Pandanaceae), and Symphonia (Clusiaceae) are found in this zone. Higher elevation: Forests is replaced with a mosaic of stunted montane vegetation, lichens and rock exposures. Families: 130 Species: 1057 Dominant ethnic group(s): Betsileo Official web page Additional notes: Due to its elevation, Andringitra climate is variable and between August and May, the temperatures can fill below 0º. Accomodation: Tsara Camp The Tsara Camp lies in the Tsaranoro Valley with the Tsaranoro Mountain (800m) on one side and the giant mountain chains of Andringitra National Park on the other side. Accommodation is provided in ten tents, each with two simple beds, bedside-table and possibility to hang up clothes. MAP/Satellite Picture Page 1 | Page 2 | Page 3 | Page 4 | Page 5 --> Pictures on this site were taken with a Konica Minolta
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RECENT NEWS Five percent of ploughshare tortoise population perishes after botched smuggling attempt (05/14/2013) In March, two people were caught attempting to smuggle 54 ploughshare tortoises (Astrochelys yniphora) into Thailand. Listed as Critically Endangered, the tortoises' wild population is down to approximately 400-500 animals in its native Madagascar, meaning the smugglers were attempting to move over 10 percent of the total population. Now, the Scientific American blog Extinction Countdown reports that nearly half of the smuggled tortoises have died of unknown causes. Aquarium launches desperate search to save a species down to 3 individuals (05/10/2013) Aquarists at ZSL London Zoo have launched a worldwide appeal to find a female mate for a fish species that is believed to have gone extinct in the wild. Lemur has unexpectedly wide range, diversity of color variations (05/05/2013) An endangered lemur has a larger range than originally believed but is still at risk due to forest fragmentation and land clearing, reports a study published in the journal Primate Conservation. Acting Madagascar president breaks pledge not to stand in election (05/04/2013) President Andry Rajoelina broke his pledge not to run in Madagascar's upcoming presidential election, once again throwing the political stability of the island nation into question. Hibernating primates: scientists discover three lemur species sleep like bears (05/02/2013) Bears do it, bats do it, and now we know lemurs do it too: hibernate, that is. Since 2005, scientists have known that the western fat-tailed dwarf lemur hibernates, but a new study in Scientific Reports finds that hibernation is more widespread among lemurs than expected. At least two additional lemur species—Crossley's dwarf lemur and Sibree's dwarf lemur—have been discovered hibernating. So far lemurs, which are only found on the island of Madagascar, are the only primates known to undergo hibernation, raising curious questions about the relationship between lemur hibernation and more well-known deep sleepers. World's rarest duck on the rebound in Madagascar (05/01/2013) After a final sighting in 1991, the Madagascar pochard was thought to have vanished for good. But this diving duck was rediscovered in 2006 when a flock of 22 individuals was found on Lake Matsaborimena in northern Madagascar by conservationists during an expedition. Soon after Madagascar pochard eggs were taken and incubated in a joint captive breeding program by Durrell, the Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust (WWT), the Peregrine Fund, Asity Madagascar, and Madagascar government, which recently announced that the population—both captive and wild—has nearly quadrupled. Madagascar swamped by locust invasion (04/17/2013) More than 60 percent of Madagascar is suffering from a massive locust infestation that is threatening crops and livestock, potentially increasing risks to native wildlife and forests from hungry farmers, warns the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). Featured video: in-depth look at Madagascar's Ranomafauna National Park (04/03/2013) A new film Nosy Maitso takes a look at the people, researchers, and wildlife connected to Madagascar's Ranomafauna National Park. Apart of a World Heritage Site, the park was established in 1991 after a new species of lemur, the golden bamboo lemur (Hapalemur aureus), was discovered in its forests in the 1980s. The golden bamboo lemur is currently listed as Endangered by the IUCN Red List. Scientists discover new wasp species in a field box from the 1930s (photos) (04/03/2013) Searching through materials at the Natural History Museum in Paris, Simon van Noort recently came across a long-neglected field box of wasp specimens. Collected 80 years earlier by AndrĂ© Seyrig in Madagascar, the box contained several specimens of wasp in the Paramblynotus genus. The big surprise: wasps in this genus had never before been seen in Madagascar. Madagascar's chameleons came from African mainland (03/29/2013) Madagascar's color-changing chameleons originated in Africa and crossed over to the island some 65 million years ago, concludes a study published this week in the Proceedings of the Royal Society B. More news GEAR 
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