Tsingy de Namoroka Strict Nature Reserve
Encyclopedia
Tsingy de Namoroka Strict Nature Reserve, also known as Namoroka National Park, is a strict nature reserve located in the northwestern part of Madagascar
in the Mahajanga Province
, specifically, the Soalala District
.
, Tsingy de Namoroka has a dry season lasting about seven months with a rainy season lasting only five months. The resulting precipitation is about 115 cm per year, while the average temperature hovers around 25°C.
The park is known for its tsingy
walls, caves, canyons, and natural swimming pools.
Tsingy de Namoroka is also home to over 30 species of reptiles, five types of frogs, and 16 mammals, including eight lemurs. Specifically, Namoroka is home to the following lemur species:
Madagascar
The Republic of Madagascar is an island country located in the Indian Ocean off the southeastern coast of Africa...
in the Mahajanga Province
Mahajanga Province
Mahajanga is a former province of Madagascar with an area of 150,023 km². It had a population of 1,896,000 . Its capital was Mahajanga.Except for Fianarantsoa, Mahajanga Province bordered all of the country's other provinces:...
, specifically, the Soalala District
Soalala District
Soalala is a district in western Madagascar. It's a part of Boeny Region and borders the districts of Mitsinjo in northeast, Ambato-Boeni in east, Kandreho in south and Besalampy in west. The area is and the population was estimated to be 27,434 in 2001....
.
Climate and geography
Located in the northwestern part of Madagascar about 50 km south of SoalalaSoalala
Soalala is a town and commune in western Madagascar. It belongs to the district of Soalala, which is a part of Boeny Region. The population of the commune was estimated to be approximately 15,000 in 2001 commune census....
, Tsingy de Namoroka has a dry season lasting about seven months with a rainy season lasting only five months. The resulting precipitation is about 115 cm per year, while the average temperature hovers around 25°C.
The park is known for its tsingy
Karst topography
Karst topography is a geologic formation shaped by the dissolution of a layer or layers of soluble bedrock, usually carbonate rock such as limestone or dolomite, but has also been documented for weathering resistant rocks like quartzite given the right conditions.Due to subterranean drainage, there...
walls, caves, canyons, and natural swimming pools.
Fauna
Like much of Madagascar, Tsingy de Namoroka is known for its abundant and diverse wildlife. Of its over 81 species of birds, 31 are endemic to Madagascar with 23 other species endemic to Madagascar and other neighboring islands.Tsingy de Namoroka is also home to over 30 species of reptiles, five types of frogs, and 16 mammals, including eight lemurs. Specifically, Namoroka is home to the following lemur species:
- Von der Decken's Sifaka
- Red LemurRed LemurThe red lemur , also known as the rufous brown lemur or northern red-fronted lemur, is a species of lemur from Madagascar. Until 2001, the species E. rufus was considered a subspecies of the common brown lemur, E. fulvus, after which it was classified as its own species...
- Eastern Lesser Bamboo Lemur
- Masoala Fork-crowned LemurMasoala Fork-crowned LemurThe Masoala fork-marked lemur , also known as the eastern fork-marked lemur or Masoala fork-crowned lemur, is found in the coastal forests of northern and western Madagascar....
- Gray Mouse LemurGray Mouse LemurThe gray mouse lemur , or lesser mouse lemur, is a small lemur, a type of strepsirrhine primate, found only on the island of Madagascar. Weighing , it is the largest of the mouse lemurs , a group which include the smallest primates in the world...
- Milne-Edwards' Sportive LemurMilne-Edwards' Sportive LemurThe Milne-Edwards' sportive lemur , or Milne-Edwards' weasel lemur, is a species of lemur in the Lepilemuridae family. It is endemic to Madagascar. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical dry forests. It is threatened by habitat loss....
- Fat-tailed Dwarf LemurFat-tailed dwarf lemurThe fat-tailed dwarf lemur , also known as the lesser dwarf lemur, western fat-tailed dwarf lemur, or spiny forest dwarf lemur, is one of the smallest primates. It is endemic to Madagascar....
- Aye-ayeAye-ayeThe aye-aye is a lemur, a strepsirrhine primate native to Madagascar that combines rodent-like teeth and a special thin middle finger to fill the same ecological niche as a woodpecker...