The spokeswoman of the AG Chamäleons will be giving a visually stunning talk about not only, but also a great many chameleons on 21 October 2022 in Frankfurt am Main. Madagascar, located in the Indian Ocean a good 400 km east of mainland Africa, is known for its extremely high biodiversity. But the wild west of Madagascar is one thing above all: hot and dry. Nothing can really survive there – can it? The end of the rainy season is the best time to go herping in Madagascar: time to go where the pepper grows and see what the dry wild west is all about. A herpetological adventure!

The journey leads from the capital Antananarivo through the highlands to Ankarafantsika National Park, which, contrary to popular belief, has more to offer than just birds. Then it continues to the west coast town of Mahajanga on the Bay of Bombetoka. The opposite headland of Katsepy revealed one of its greatest secrets only two years ago with a chameleon thought to be extinct. Morondava, further south by the sea, is home to the famous Baobab Avenue. Not far from there is the Kirindy forest, where probably no animal is quite normal: a cathameral predator with clitoris bones, the world’s smallest mouse maki, a kangaroo rat, the shortest-lived chameleon on earth and a turtle called Kapidolo are just some of Kirindy’s strange inhabitants. From there, the journey continues off-road in the sand to the south, past the baobab forests of Andavadoaka to the beaches of Ifaty. In two spiny forests north and south of Toliara, day geckos, even more turtles and snakes can be found.

Dr Alexandra Laube The Wild West of Madagascar
DGHT City Group Frankfurt am Main
Zoo School of Frankfurt Zoo
Bernhard-Grzimek-Allee 1
60316 Frankfurt am Main
Admission is from 6.30 p.m., lecture begins at 7 p.m.

Photo: Furcifer voeltzkowi in Katsepy, photographed by Dr Alexandra Laube

Together with Jutta Dwinger, AG member Lars Dwinger will be giving a presentation full of pictures in Schleswig-Holstein on Friday, 21 October 2022. This year, the two travelled to the north of Madagascar, which is known for its extreme biodiversity.

The journey begins in the Marojejy National Park, which stretches across the gorges and steep slopes of the mountain range of the same name. There you can see extremely rarely photographed chameleons, but also a great variety of frogs, snakes and geckos. Afterwards, the journey led via the east coast towns of Sambava and Vohémar to the dry forest of Daraina. The next stop was the world-famous Tsingys in Ankarana National Park. Even in these two dry forests, there is a lot of small and big life. The final stop was camping in the middle of a chameleon paradise: The Montagne d’Ambre in the far north of Madagascar. Between tiny earth chameleons that just fit on the tip of a finger and the gentle giants of the rainforest, the two Hamburgers encounter many fascinating creatures on this trip.

Lars und Jutta Dwinger  Foray through four national parks in the north of Madagascar
DGHT Stadtgruppe Neumünster
Gaststätte “Schafstall”
May-Eyth-Str. 14
24537 Neumünster
Lecture starts at 8 pm

Picture: Brookesia betschi in Marojejy, photographed by Jutta Dwinger