After spending the night in Tana, we got in the van for the drive to Andasibe National Forest, one of the large rainforest parks in Madagascar. We stayed at the Feon'ny Ala hotel, which consisted of a collection of bungalows. The bungalows had well-constructed roofs made out of palm leaves (laid like shingles, not thatched), with window shutters to help reduce the insect count inside since the windows were unglazed. The beds were thoughtfully covered with mosquito nets. We went on an afternoon and a night walk, then a morning, afternoon, and night walk the next day (I skipped the second afternoon walk.)

Our guide was named Maurice. He was very educated on all the animals and plants in the forest, and knew latin names, behaviors, and in the case of plants, their common medicinal use, if any.



We saw the following:
Mammals
Common brown lemur (Eulemur fulvus)

Indri, the largest lemur species (Indri indri)


Eastern wooly lemur (Avahi laniger)

Gray bamboo lemur (Hapalemur griseus)


Goodman's mouse lemur (Microcebus lehilahytsara), which is effing adorable

Reptiles/Amphibians
Several species of leaf tailed gecko (Uroplatus)




Sneaky little bugger, ain't he?


Brookesia gecko (genus Brookesia, species something-or-other)


Boophis viridis
Boophis luteus

Nosy chameleon (Calumma nasuta)




Parson's chameleon (Calumma parsonii)
Short horned chameleon (Calumma brevicornis)
A skink in the Mabuya genus, I think gravenhorstii
A diurnal gecko, Phelsuma lineata (not sure which subspecies, probably elanthana or lineata)
Several species of frogs in the Pandanus (screw pines)

Birds
Crested drongo (Dicrurus forficatus)
Souimanga sunbird (Nectarinia souimanga)
Common jery (Neomixis tenella)
Blue coua (Coua caerulea), an enemy of the chameleon
Madagascar spine-tailed swift (Zoonavena grandidieri)
Long-billed green sunbird (Nectarinia notata)
Madagascar wagtail (Motacilla flaviventris)
Madagascar bee-eater (Merops superciliosus)
Hook-billed vanga (Vanga curvirostris)
White-headed vanga (Leptopterus viridis)
Tylas vanga (Tylas eduardi)
Blue vanga (Cyanolanius madagascarinus)
Madagascar coucal (Centropus toulou)
Red-fronted coua (Coua reynandii)
Madagascar paradise fly-catcher (Terpsiphone mutata)

Malagasy kingfisher (Alcedo vintsioides)


Velvet asity (Philepitta castanea)

Insects/Arachnids
Crab spider
Giraffe weevil, appropriately classified as Trachelophorus giraffa. We only saw the female in Andasibe.
A grasshopper, which Maurice called "cone nosed grasshopper", but which I don't find a reference for
Walking stick insect

Golden silk orb-weaver (Nephila madagascariensis)


Cockroaches galore
Owl moth
Leeches, one of which bit me

Plants/Fungi
Traveler's Palm (Ravenala madagascariensis)
Soapbush (Clidemia hirta) - used by the locals to make a tea to cure stomachaches
Camellia sinensis
Wild asparagus (Asparagus officinalis)
Lygodium (I think lanceolatum), which Maurice said was good for fatigue
Mahogany, one of the Khaya species
A Solanum species with purple flowers and green berries (a relative of the tomato)
Ginger lily, Hedychium (I think flavescens)
Loquat (Eriobotrya japonica)
Some species of Aspidistra
Centella asiatica, used in treating leprosy and to aid wound healing
A species of rubus, in the Rosaceae family (speaking of, I'm dying for some Rubus fruticosus or idaeus)
Lantana camera, which I think is quite pretty
Bearded lichen, one of the Usneas
Some species of Grevillea
Pinus casea
Taro
Large tree ferns in the Cyatheaceae family
Pandanus, not sure which species
Strangler fig
Rhipsalis baccifera, a funny-looking epiphytic cactus
Pothos scandens, used to treat scorpion stings
Dracaena, an example of which I have in my office
A fungus Maurice called "zebu tongue fungus"
A Bulbophyllum orchid
A dwarf palm species of Dypsis with red berries
Wild peppercorn (Piper nigrum)
A species of Passiflora