Ranomafana

Ranomafana is one of Madagascar's best known and most important parks. Created in 1991 following the 1986 discovery of the golden bamboo lemur, Ranomafana has served as a model for subsequent parks and reserves in the country and abroad.

Near the entrance of Ranomafana is Centre Valbio, a facility run by Dr. Patricia Wright that is now Madagascar's leading field research center. An interview with Dr. Wright is available at An interview with lemur expert Dr. Patricia Wright.

Ranomafana features a range of accomodations from basic to relatively deluxe. Internet access is usually available.

Province: Fianarantsoa

Area: 43,549

Protected area status: National park

Year established: 1991

General location: Eastern Madagascar

Location and Access: 60 km north of Fianarantsoa, 400 km south of Antananarivo

Climate: Montane rainforest

Average temperature: 14-20°C

Elevation: 400-1417 m

Precipitation: 230-400 cm

Description:

FAUNA
Birds: 115
Reptiles: 62
   Lizards: 10
   Chameleons: 12
   Snakes: 14
Frogs: 98
Butterflies: 90
Mammals: 43
   Lemurs: 12
   Rodents: 6
   Insectivores: 11
   Bats: 8
   Carnivores: 6
Fish: 6
Spiders: 350
Crustaceans (Crayfish): 6
Lemur species:

Hapalemur aureus

Hapalemur griseus

Hapalemur simus

Eulemur rubriventer

Eulemur fulvus rufus

Varecia variegata variegata

Propithecus diadema edwardsi

Avahi laniger

Lepilemur sp

Chreirogaleus major

Microcebus rufus

Daubentonia madagascariensis

FLORA:
Ranomafana is mostly mountainous and consists of low altitude rainforests (much of this is degraded or deforestated), mid-altitude forests, and montane rainforests.
Species:

Dominant ethnic group(s): Tanala, Betsileo

Official web page

Additional notes: While long, the drive from Tana to Ranomafana is spectacular, especially as you approach Ranomafana.



MAP/Satellite Picture



PHOTOS

White Spotted Reed Frog (Heterixalus alboguttatus)	Pink and orange spider	Uroplatus fimbriatus gecko
Metallic click beetle	Uroplatus phantasticus gecko	Brookesia superciliaris chameleon
Stick Mantid	Pill Millipede (Green color)	Rainforest Chameleon (Furcifer balteatus) [female]
Blue, green, orange, white, and brown Calumma crypticum chameleon [male]	White Spotted Reed Frog (Heterixalus alboguttatus)	Furcifer willsii (Female)
Male Calumma crypticum chameleon	Yellow, blue, and black caterpillar	Brookesia thieli chameleon
Mossy stick insect	Microcebus rufus (Brown mouse lemur)	Namorona River in Ranomafana
Heart-shaped lichen	Metallic click beetle	Furcifer balteatus (Ranomafana N.P.)
Arachnis flosaeris orchid (native to Indonesia, not Madagascar)	Furcifer willsii (Female)	Male side-striped chameleon (Calumma gastrotaenia)
Ranomafana rainforest	White Spotted Reed Frog (Heterixalus alboguttatus)	Magenta leaf-hopper
Blue-eyed dragonfly	Orchids	White Spotted Reed Frog (Heterixalus alboguttatus)
Mossy stick insect	Madagascar Pygmy-kingfisher (Ceyx madagascariensis)	Black butterfly with turquoise spots
Pill Millipede Ball	Namorona River in Ranomafana	Pink and purple insect with huge eyes
Black and white marbled weevil	Butterfly	White Spotted Reed Frog (Heterixalus alboguttatus)
Canopy Chameleon (Furcifer willsii)	Ranomafana rainforest creek	White Spotted Reed Frog (Heterixalus alboguttatus)
Female Furcifer balteatus chameleon	Blue, orange, and green Calumma crypticum chameleon [male]	Chute Andriamamovoka (waterfall) on the Namorona River in Ranomafana
Yellow and white flowers of Ophiocolea floribunda	Red ginger	Red flowers on a cactus
Mist Rising from the rainforest of Ranomafana National Park (Ranomafana N.P.)	Stunning male Calumma crypticum chameleon	Madagascar Fire Millipede (Aphistogoniulus sp)
Orchid near Ranomafana (Ranomafana N.P.)	Calumma nasuta chameleon	Blue, green, orange, white, and brown Calumma crypticum chameleon [male]
Plant	O'Shaughnessy's Chameleon (Calumma oshaughnessyi)	Land Snail (Ranomafana N.P.)
Red and orange flowers	Female Red-tailed Vanga (Calicalicus madagascariensis) holding a stick insect	Grey Bamboo Lemur (Ranomafana N.P.)
Milne-Edwards Sifaka	Mating butterflies	Mantidactylus pulcher
Rainforest Chameleon (Furcifer balteatus) [male]	Red flowers on a vine	Calumma brevicornis chameleon (female) (Ranomafana N.P.)
Microcebus rufus (Brown mouse lemur) (Ranomafana N.P.)	Golden bamboo lemur	Purple flowers
Pink and purple insect with huge eyes	Satanic Leaf-tail Gecko (Uroplatus phantasticus)	Broad-tailed Day Gecko, Phelsuma laticauda
Crematogaster ant trail going up the trunk of a canopy tree	Rainforest Chameleon (Furcifer balteatus) [male]	Deforestation near Ranomafana
Birdnest ferns	Namorona River in Ranomafana	Rice Fields near Ranomafana (Ranomafana N.P.)
Phelsuma day gecko (Ranomafana N.P.)	Pink and orange spider	Female Velvet Asity (Philepitta castanea) gathering leaves
Betsileo memorial stones Ranomafana National Park (Ranomafana N.P.)	Madagascar Pygmy-kingfisher (Ceyx madagascariensis)	Calumma globifer chameleon (Ranomafana N.P.)
Uroplatus phantasticus gecko (Ranomafana N.P.)	Striped Civet (Fossa fossana) (Ranomafana N.P.)	Painted Mantella (Mantella madagascariensis); Ranomafana
Heart-shaped lichen	Moss covered tree in Ranomafana river (Ranomafana N.P.)	Furcifer willsii (Male)
Female Calumma crypticum (Ranomafana N.P.)	White Spotted Reed Frog (Heterixalus alboguttatus)	Golden Bamboo Lemur (Hapalemur aureus)
Stick insects mating	Giraffe-necked Weevil	Mantidactylus lugubris frog

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Pictures on this site were taken with a Konica Minolta

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