a 13 day deep-dive across 3 primary locations, during the best time of year & alongside accomplished regional experts.
THE HERPETOFAUNA OF MADAGASCAR IS A COMPLEX, THREATENED, AND ANCIENT ENIGMA WORTHY OF ANY NATURALIST’S CURIOSITY. WHILE NEW SECRETS AND SPECIES ARE OFTEN BEING DISCOVERED AND REDISCOVERED, MANY ANIMALS CALLING THE NATION HOME ARE SO POPULAR THAT THEY’VE BECOME HOUSEHOLD NAMES AND TOP TARGETS FOR WILDLIFE PHOTOGRAPHERS GLOBALLY. FORTUNATELY FOR US, THERE IS MUCH MORE HERE THAN MEETS THE EYE AS FAR AS HERPETOFAUNA IS CONCERNED.
From the coastal and reef-influenced systems of Nosy Be to the humid montane gradients of Amber Mountain National Park and the intact elevational transects of Marojejy National Park, this expedition samples high-endemism assemblages across THE sharply structured habitats and microclimates THROUGHOUT northern Madagascar. WE WILL ENCOUNTER MANY SPECIES YOU’VE LIKELY NEVER EVEN HEARD OF.
VISUALIZE OUR PLAN AND EXPLORE THE FULL ITINERARY BELOW.
Madagascar was previously a part of the ancient supercontinent Gondwana. it split from Africa around 165 million years ago and from India around 88 million years ago- leaving the island isolated long enough for its ancient crust, heavily eroded highlands, and unusual landscapes to evolve in relative isolation—essentially turning it into a long-separated fragment of Earth’s deep geological history; a perfect storm to set the stage for extreme endemism.
Aloys holds a Master’s degree in Biology, Ecology, and Evolution, during which he spent a countless days studying amphibians- specifically, at the Mapinguari Lab in Brazil and the CNRS in France. However, Aloys remains an eternal snake enthusiast! He has spent many years traveling the world trying to observe and photograph the most fascinating species. Currently, he works for an environmental consultancy as the Wildlife Project Officer (Chargé d’étude faune). He has prior experience in Madagascar and surrounding regions, and we’re lucky to have him on the team. Last year, Aloys and a small team surveyed and inventoried herp species in several of the areas we’ll be visiting. Many of the photos you see here are by Aloys (identifiable by his watermark) from that expedition.
We would like to give specific appreciation to Samuel Guiraudou and Clément Legoult, who helped him work on the species' biology and the compilation of species data for each park. Aloys is clear that without his team and the people behind it, the mission would have been impossible.
YOUR PRIMARY GUIDE, ALOYS PICHARD. HE WILL BE LEADING YOU, ALONGSIDE LOCAL GUIDES AND IAN BRELAND.
The Malagasy leaf-nosed snake (Langaha madagascariensis) uses its bizarre leaf-shaped nose and perfect twig camouflage to vanish among branches in the forests of Madagascar. This is a top target for us. All watermarked photos are courtesy of Aloys Pichard.
