Critters In Madagascar "For Rhiannon"

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Today is my niece's birthday!

Rhiannon turns 21 today and the other night, while I was skyping with the family, she informed me that she doesn't read the blogs that deal with "bugs & critters". I guess they creep her out. I was surprised to hear this because, while they can be nasty (cockroaches), some are incredibly beautiful.

Today, I am posting this last blog from Madagascar in her honour!

Happy Birthday, Rhiannon. I don't remember my 21st birthday... not because the party was so good, but because it was so long ago. If you have half as much fun on "your day" as I have had on this trip to Madagascar, you will be one lucky lady.

Enjoy the pictures and stories.

Uncle Bob

xo

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Photos

Unknown Critter
We were walking into the second park to look at lemurs and Herman spots this critter in a series of green branches. Herman's eyes are something else!

Stick Insects Having Sex
You need to look closely to appreciate this one... The smaller one, the male, is on the left. The larger is the female, on the right.
Apparently, they will mate for three weeks and then the female will kill the male and eat him.... He is no good to her after the three weeks is up.

Ant Nest In The Rain Forest
This thing is bigger than the size of a football (or for those of you from Europe, a rugby ball). The ants build it so it is suspended in the air. That way, the humidity doesn't affect the structural integrity of it.

The Blue Coua (Koo-ah)
Thiis blue bird with the blue eyes feeds on tiny chameleons... Like the ones we found during our night trek.

Boa Constrictor
We found this guy sleeping in the sun, in the wide open, at the second forest I went to with Herman.

The Boophis Frog
This is one of the small frogs that make a very big noise. You would swear there are 5 pound bull frogs sitting outside your window every night once these guys start talking.

A Crab Spider
I had to shoot this guy against the cloudy sky so that you could see his shape. He really does look like a crab.

Frog In The National Forest
This colourful little guy make a noise similar to that of two small wooden sticks being hit together... Like the wooden sticks kids would play in the kindergarten band.

Giraffe Necked Beetle - Male
The male is far more impressive than the female. Herman spotted this guy on a leaf of a tree as we were driving home from the National Park. It is no bigger than 2 inches in length.

Giraffe Necked Beetle - Female
While still impressive, not a cool as the male. Her neck isn't as long.

The Golden Orb Web Spider
This thing was gorgeous!
It was as if it was dressed up in black velvet with its finest gold jewellery. The web is pretty impressive as well. The size of the spider was close to 2 inches.

A Tiny Frog
There are about 100 varieties of frogs in Madagascar. Their colours are so beautiful.

Hedge Hog
Herman found this guy in the forest. He kind of looks like a possum back home.

Madagascar Moth
This is the biggest moth in Madagascar. Its wing span is approximately 6 to 7 inches across.

Termite Nest
We found this in the second forest we visited to look at lemurs. This is located on the ground and is approximately 3 feet tall. Herman told me it is a small nest.

Millipede
Again, not my hand holding it.

Snail
Found many of these in the National Forest on our first trip to see lemurs. The moisture was perfect for these guys. This one is about the size of the palm of my hand .

Tomato Frogs
I guess they are called this for obvious reasons.

Comments

[Jeff]

Just buggin'
Was there anything you were told to stay away from because they were dangerous? So far your blogs read "big snake...but I was able to get right into his face to take this picture!"