Magical Madagascar’s Multiplying Mammals

Antananarivo, new species of mammals benches’, dining and cooking areas, long- (as well as birds, reptiles, frogs and drop toilets and bathing areas are others) are being described at a steady constructed along a convenient stream and rate. To take frogs as an example, 100% the field school participants set up their of species are endemic (found nowhere tents in carefully designated areas in the else in the world), 233 species have been forest. Then begins a week of non-stop described, with at least 150 remaining to work, setting up and checking pitfall-trap be described. For bats, from just 28 Above: Goodman’s mouse lemur. lines (30 buckets set in three lines of ten), species recognized in 1995, the number rodent traps, mistnets (for birds by day has now reached 46 and is still rising. and bats by night) and harp traps to catch What is most remarkable about Below: Two families of hedge-hog-like all manner of vertebrates. Every day is Madagascar’s flora and fauna is its tenrecs (Hemicentetes sp.) full of surprises! Sexy lemurs, colourful extremely high endemicity. Apart from birds, reptiles and insects and a introduced rats and shrews, all bewildering variety of tenrecs, most Madagascar’s terrestrial mammals – its Paddies in the central plateau of Madagascar. shrew-like, some mole-like and others lemurs, tenrecs and rodents of the hedgehog-like were caught. During the Our campsite for the 2007 Field School. subfamily Nesomyinae - are endemic. 2007 Field School we were terrorized by biting horseflies. During the 2008 Field Most of Madagascar’s bat species are School, it rained solidly for six days and eep in the humid forests of endemic. Some species previously we were plagued by leeches! But the Madagascar, we sat in the dark thought to occur in both Africa and haunting whale-like songs of the sifaka Dwaiting for bats to fly into our mist Madagascar have been shown to be lemur more than made up for it. These nets. We were about to abandon our post unique endemic species on Madagascar. field schools have gone a long way to for the night when a Malagasy student For example, populations identified as transforming some of Durban’s ‘lab rat’ emerged from the dense forest carrying a little free-tailed bats (Chaerephon university students into true field tiny furry creature with enormous eyes, pumilus) on Madagascar are genetically biologists! long tail and delicate fingers. The animal unrelated to African C. pumilus, and had become tangled in another mistnet. remain to be described as a new species My three visits to Madagascar also “Goodman’s mouse lemur”, proclaimed endemic to Madagascar (Goodman et al. involved giving lectures to staff and my companion, Steve Goodman (the in press). Likewise, the lesser long- students at the University of Chicago Field Museum’s Field Biologist fingered bat (Miniopterus fraterculus), Antananarivo, as well as making extended stationed in Madagascar), casually, thought previously to occur in Africa and road trips across Madagascar to collect “recently described from one locality, Madagascar, was shown in fact to data and samples (for DNA, chromosomes nearby.” comprise two unrelated species in postgraduate students, are collaborating and echolocation calls) from bats from Madagascar, M. sororculus from the on a study of the evolution and molecular known roost sites. In 2007, we drove for Such is the rate of discovery of new Central Highlands and M. petersoni from systematics of African and Malagasy free- two days from the capital, Antananarivo species in Madagascar that this newly southeastern lowland forests (Goodman et tailed bats (Family Molossidae) and we Leigh Richards (left) and Fanja to the town of Toliara in the extreme described species of lemur was hardly al 2007a, 2008). Currently, several new are also undertaking a survey of the Durban Natural Science Museum’s Anita Ratrimomanarivo (right), PhD students southwest, whilst in 2008 we traveled to surprising (see chart below for plots of endemic species of long-fingered bats are chromosomes of Madagascar’s bats, Rautenbach admires a colourful from South Africa (UKZN) and Mahajanga on the west coast. In 2009 we species’ discoveries of different groups of being described from the west and north tenrecs and nesomyine rodents. The bat flew from Antananarivo to Diego in the mammals in Madagascar). Thanks largely of Madagascar. This island even boasts its chromosome work will involve chameleon during the October 2008 Madagascar (University of Antananarivo) extreme north and from there drove to the to two decades of intensive biological own endemic bat family, Myzopodidae, ‘chromosome painting’ molecular studies Madagascar Field School. respectively. famous Ankarana Forest. This forest is surveys by Dr Steve Goodman and his sucker-footed bats. Until recently thought undertaken in the lab of collaborator Dr known for having the highest primate Malagasy collaborators and students from to consist of just one species, in 2007 Victor Rambau of Stellenbosch densities (i.e. of lemurs) in the world. Association Vahatra (a conservation NGO Goodman and his colleagues (Goodman University and this work will form an Thus, between 2007and the end of 2009, formed by Steve) and University of et al. 2007b) discovered that the family integral part of the PhD of Museum we had covered a south-north transect of actually comprises two distinct species Intern, Leigh Richards. Hopefully, this Madagascar, obtaining chromosomal from western and eastern Madagascar. Far technique may shed light on the samples of most of Madagascar’s bats. from being extremely rare, his team relationships of Madagascar’s sucker- These cross-country trips afforded discovered these bats were common, footed bats to other families of bats, as wonderful opportunities to observe roosting abundantly in the leaves of previous studies have left this in some Madagascar’s diverse and surprising Ravenala madagascariensis, the beautiful doubt. landscapes. The prevalence of rice Traveller’s Palm of the Family paddies is a reminder of Madagascar’s Strelitziaceae. So far, seven South African students oriental origins (the earliest Malagasy (including the Museum’s Mammal inhabitants probably came from Borneo!). For me as a mammalogist, it was highly Technician, Anita Rautenbach) have The rugged central highlands are mostly rewarding to join Steve Goodman for participated in two ‘Field Schools’ in deforested. In the south, we encountered three field seasons in Madagascar, in Madagascar in 2007 and 2008. These the strange spiny thickets, punctuated with October 2007, October 2008 and Field Schools are not for the faint- magnificent baobabs. In the west we December 2009. This collaboration hearted! Because of the paucity of roads encountered dry forest, quite different emanated from a three year project funded in Madagascar, and because so much of from the humid forests of eastern by the Volkswagen Foundation (not to be Madagascar’s forests have been destroyed Madagascar. In the forests of Ankanarana confused with the car company!) which (only 8% remains), we hike for some in the north we saw spectacular jagged has as its main aim, the training of hours from the nearest road, aided by limestone outcrops, known as ‘Tsingy’ - Malagasy and South African biologists. At porters, to reach our remote field sites. these formations were featured in Sarah Downs, MSc student from UKZN, the same time, Steve, Prof Jenny Lamb Under the direction of the legendary camp National Geographic magazine in learns how to skin mammals from Steve from UKZN and I, along with several manager, ‘Ladada’, tarpaulins, ‘lab November 2009. Goodman during a Field School. Plot showing rate of species discovery of different orders of mammals.

32 33 Magical Madagascar’s Multiplying Mammals

Antananarivo, new species of mammals benches’, dining and cooking areas, long- (as well as birds, reptiles, frogs and drop toilets and bathing areas are others) are being described at a steady constructed along a convenient stream and rate. To take frogs as an example, 100% the field school participants set up their of species are endemic (found nowhere tents in carefully designated areas in the else in the world), 233 species have been forest. Then begins a week of non-stop described, with at least 150 remaining to work, setting up and checking pitfall-trap be described. For bats, from just 28 Above: Goodman’s mouse lemur. lines (30 buckets set in three lines of ten), species recognized in 1995, the number rodent traps, mistnets (for birds by day has now reached 46 and is still rising. and bats by night) and harp traps to catch What is most remarkable about Below: Two families of hedge-hog-like all manner of vertebrates. Every day is Madagascar’s flora and fauna is its tenrecs (Hemicentetes sp.) full of surprises! Sexy lemurs, colourful extremely high endemicity. Apart from birds, reptiles and insects and a introduced rats and shrews, all bewildering variety of tenrecs, most Madagascar’s terrestrial mammals – its Paddies in the central plateau of Madagascar. shrew-like, some mole-like and others lemurs, tenrecs and rodents of the hedgehog-like were caught. During the Our campsite for the 2007 Field School. subfamily Nesomyinae - are endemic. 2007 Field School we were terrorized by biting horseflies. During the 2008 Field Most of Madagascar’s bat species are School, it rained solidly for six days and eep in the humid forests of endemic. Some species previously we were plagued by leeches! But the Madagascar, we sat in the dark thought to occur in both Africa and haunting whale-like songs of the sifaka Dwaiting for bats to fly into our mist Madagascar have been shown to be lemur more than made up for it. These nets. We were about to abandon our post unique endemic species on Madagascar. field schools have gone a long way to for the night when a Malagasy student For example, populations identified as transforming some of Durban’s ‘lab rat’ emerged from the dense forest carrying a little free-tailed bats (Chaerephon university students into true field tiny furry creature with enormous eyes, pumilus) on Madagascar are genetically biologists! long tail and delicate fingers. The animal unrelated to African C. pumilus, and had become tangled in another mistnet. remain to be described as a new species My three visits to Madagascar also “Goodman’s mouse lemur”, proclaimed endemic to Madagascar (Goodman et al. involved giving lectures to staff and my companion, Steve Goodman (the in press). Likewise, the lesser long- students at the University of Chicago Field Museum’s Field Biologist fingered bat (Miniopterus fraterculus), Antananarivo, as well as making extended stationed in Madagascar), casually, thought previously to occur in Africa and road trips across Madagascar to collect “recently described from one locality, Madagascar, was shown in fact to data and samples (for DNA, chromosomes nearby.” comprise two unrelated species in postgraduate students, are collaborating and echolocation calls) from bats from Madagascar, M. sororculus from the on a study of the evolution and molecular known roost sites. In 2007, we drove for Such is the rate of discovery of new Central Highlands and M. petersoni from systematics of African and Malagasy free- two days from the capital, Antananarivo species in Madagascar that this newly southeastern lowland forests (Goodman et tailed bats (Family Molossidae) and we Leigh Richards (left) and Fanja to the town of Toliara in the extreme described species of lemur was hardly al 2007a, 2008). Currently, several new are also undertaking a survey of the Durban Natural Science Museum’s Anita Ratrimomanarivo (right), PhD students southwest, whilst in 2008 we traveled to surprising (see chart below for plots of endemic species of long-fingered bats are chromosomes of Madagascar’s bats, Rautenbach admires a colourful from South Africa (UKZN) and Mahajanga on the west coast. In 2009 we species’ discoveries of different groups of being described from the west and north tenrecs and nesomyine rodents. The bat flew from Antananarivo to Diego in the mammals in Madagascar). Thanks largely of Madagascar. This island even boasts its chromosome work will involve chameleon during the October 2008 Madagascar (University of Antananarivo) extreme north and from there drove to the to two decades of intensive biological own endemic bat family, Myzopodidae, ‘chromosome painting’ molecular studies Madagascar Field School. respectively. famous Ankarana Forest. This forest is surveys by Dr Steve Goodman and his sucker-footed bats. Until recently thought undertaken in the lab of collaborator Dr known for having the highest primate Malagasy collaborators and students from to consist of just one species, in 2007 Victor Rambau of Stellenbosch densities (i.e. of lemurs) in the world. Association Vahatra (a conservation NGO Goodman and his colleagues (Goodman University and this work will form an Thus, between 2007and the end of 2009, formed by Steve) and University of et al. 2007b) discovered that the family integral part of the PhD of Museum we had covered a south-north transect of actually comprises two distinct species Intern, Leigh Richards. Hopefully, this Madagascar, obtaining chromosomal from western and eastern Madagascar. Far technique may shed light on the samples of most of Madagascar’s bats. from being extremely rare, his team relationships of Madagascar’s sucker- These cross-country trips afforded discovered these bats were common, footed bats to other families of bats, as wonderful opportunities to observe roosting abundantly in the leaves of previous studies have left this in some Madagascar’s diverse and surprising Ravenala madagascariensis, the beautiful doubt. landscapes. The prevalence of rice Traveller’s Palm of the Family paddies is a reminder of Madagascar’s Strelitziaceae. So far, seven South African students oriental origins (the earliest Malagasy (including the Museum’s Mammal inhabitants probably came from Borneo!). For me as a mammalogist, it was highly Technician, Anita Rautenbach) have The rugged central highlands are mostly rewarding to join Steve Goodman for participated in two ‘Field Schools’ in deforested. In the south, we encountered three field seasons in Madagascar, in Madagascar in 2007 and 2008. These the strange spiny thickets, punctuated with October 2007, October 2008 and Field Schools are not for the faint- magnificent baobabs. In the west we December 2009. This collaboration hearted! Because of the paucity of roads encountered dry forest, quite different emanated from a three year project funded in Madagascar, and because so much of from the humid forests of eastern by the Volkswagen Foundation (not to be Madagascar’s forests have been destroyed Madagascar. In the forests of Ankanarana confused with the car company!) which (only 8% remains), we hike for some in the north we saw spectacular jagged has as its main aim, the training of hours from the nearest road, aided by limestone outcrops, known as ‘Tsingy’ - Malagasy and South African biologists. At porters, to reach our remote field sites. these formations were featured in Sarah Downs, MSc student from UKZN, the same time, Steve, Prof Jenny Lamb Under the direction of the legendary camp National Geographic magazine in learns how to skin mammals from Steve from UKZN and I, along with several manager, ‘Ladada’, tarpaulins, ‘lab November 2009. Goodman during a Field School. Plot showing rate of species discovery of different orders of mammals.

32 33 Movements of the Museum’s Mammalogist! Rare Birds of KZN Cape Eagle-Owl Bubo capensis A. Smith 1834

t is particularly pleasing to reproduce here this painting by Dr Phillip IClancey of a Cape Eagle-Owl. This series on ‘The Rare Birds of KwaZulu- Natal’ is based on the original paintings done by Dr Clancey to illustrate his book The Rare Birds of South Africa. This book was published by Winchester Press in 1985 and the original paintings were To obtain chromosomal preparations subsequently donated to the Museum by involved operating a manual centrifuge in Dr Clancey. Unfortunately, a gremlin our bush lab! enough, a few of southern Africa’s obviously crept into the 1985 volume. The endemic rodents including the ground published painting shows an owl without Madagascar’s annual rainfall varies from squirrel and tree rat (pictured below left). almost 2m in the north to less than any eyes! Just two black holes where the 500mm in the south. It is a spectacular One of the Project Advisors, leading brilliant orange irises should be visible. island of contrasts and bizarre creatures rom 8-14 November, Peter Taylor and international expert on rodents in Dr Clancey must have completed the that must be experienced by nature- Museum Volunteer Kate Richardson agriculture, Dr Grant Singleton (Head of illustration later and so here, for the first lovers! Working with Steve Goodman and Fattended the final workshop of the the International Rice Research Institute, time, we can appreciate the owl in its full his talented and friendly Malagasy three-year “Ecorat” Project (Development IRRI in the Philippines) elected to visit optic glory! students and colleagues, one realizes that of Ecologically-Based Rodent Durban and the DNSM following the the Age of Discovery is far from over! Management for the Southern African workshop. Hosted by Dr Taylor, he The Cape Eagle-Owl occurs in southern More important perhaps, is the race to Region), which was held at Etosha pan in viewed the Cato Crest settlement and eastern Africa as far north as save what still remains of one of the Namibia (group photo above). (pictured above) which was the subject of Ethiopia. It is part of a ‘superspecies’ of world’s biodiversity hotspots. an earlier DNSM project on rodent-borne The aim of the ECORAT project diseases, as well as the Museum’s owls that includes the Pharoah Eagle-Owl In March 2009, Steve and some of his (www.nri.org/ecorat) is to strengthen the displays and Research Centre and he took Bubo ascalaphus of North Africa and the colleagues and students visited Durban to generation of appropriate, cost-effective time to meet the Acting Director of Arabian Peninsula, the Eurasian Eagle- undergo training in molecular methods and sustainable rodent pest management Libraries and Heritage (Guy Redman) and Owl, B. bubo, of Europe and Asia, the (under Prof Jenny Lamb at UKZN) and technologies and strategies for small-scale to sign the DNSM’s Wall of Excellence Rock Eagle-Owl, B. bengalensis, of the ecological modeling. This ‘Laboratory farming communities in the SADC (pictured below). Indian sub-continent, the Great Horned School’ seemed to be as rewarding for the region. Along with others in Namibia, Owl, B. virginianus, of the Americas and Malagasies as their field schools have South Africa, Swaziland and Tanzania, the the Magellanic Horned Owl, B. been for us South Africans! Late, in DNSM is a major partner in this project, September 2009, two Malagasy students responsible for taxonomy and magellanicus, of eastern South America. attended a workshop on acoustic identification of some 1000 rodent A superspecies is a group of similar and monitoring of bats, hosted by BatsKZN specimens received during the project closely related species characterized by and held at Sudwala caves in (>700 of which are deposited in the not overlapping in their breeding ranges. Mpumalanga (pic). Hopefully the VW DNSM’s Mammal Collection). These birds therefore seem to divide the Project will be just the beginning of globe up equally between them. Another greater and ongoing scientific Dr Taylor also headed a Work Package on and very similar example is the collaboration between South Africans and Capacity Building aimed at creating a superspecies represented by the large, our island neighbours. generation of scientists-in-training in SADC countries. A total of 34 interns was generalist falcons, i.e. the Lanner Falcon, Dr Peter Taylor trained during the project, attending some Falco biarmicus, of Africa, Europe and Curator: Mammalogy 22 workshops, meetings and training the Middle East, the Sakar Falcon, F. Durban Natural Science Museum sessions. A final project report will be cherrug, of Asia, the Laggar Falcon, F. . submitted early in 2010, but delegates to juggar, of the Indian sub-continent, the l e d

(Revised 28 December 2009, from original article the Etosha workshop concluded that most y

Prairie Falcon, F. mexicanus, of North e c published in The Bat Mag: Newsletter of BatsKZN, n a rd th of the expected targets were met. The 19 America and the Gyrfalcon, F. rusticolus, l C

3 & 4 quarters, 2008). p i l

delegates at the Etosha meeting found l of the Arctic Circle. i h P

References time to view not just Etosha’s spectacular r large mammals but also, appropriately D Goodman, S. M. Ryan, K. E. Maminirina, C. P. Fahr, J, Christidis, L., The Cape Eagle-Owl further betrays the Appleton, B. 2007a. Specific status of populations on Madagascar referred to Miniopterus fraterculus (Chiroptera: Vespertilionidae), apparent temperate roots suggested by its massive feet. It’s prowess as a nocturnal Barn Owl, African Grass-Owl, Spotted with description of a new species. Journal of Mammalogy. superspecies affinities in its habitat assassin is reflected in a known menu that Eagle-Owl, Marsh Owl, and even 88(5):1216-1229. choice. This owl is characteristic of open includes mammalian victims as large as members of its own species! Goodman, S. M., Rakotondraparany, F. & Kofoky, A. F. 2007b. The description of a new species of Myzopoda (Myzopodidae: Chiroptera) montane rocky conditions. Although it hares, springhares, canerats, hyraxes, from western Madagascar. Mammalian Biology 72:65-81. will occur down to sea-level at the cooler mongooses and genets, and even juvenile The Cape Eagle-Owl is not classed as a Goodman, S. M., Bradman, H. M., Maminirina, C. P. Ryan, K. E. southern extremities of its range, it is civets, duikers and klipspringers. The formally threatened species. But if it is the Christidis, L. L. & Appleton, B. 2008. A new species of Miniopterus (Chiroptera: Miniopteridae) from lowland southeastern Madagascar. restricted to increasingly higher altitudes bulkiest bird prey features francolins, meek that are to inherit the earth, then this Mammalian Biology. Zeitschrift fur Saugetierkunde 73(3):199-213. as its distribution approaches the Equator. guineafowl, korhaans, lapwings, thick- butcher’s days must be numbered! Taylor, P. J., Lamb, J. Reddy, D., Naidoo, T. Ratrimomanarivo, F. and knees, gulls, kites, falcons, kestrels, Goodman, S. M. 2009. Cryptic lineages of little free-tailed bats, Peter Taylor explores Sudwala Caves with Chaerephon pumilus (Chiroptera: Molossidae) from southern Africa The Cape Eagle-Owl is a fierce predator egrets, and ibises. This hit-man also shuns David Allan S Malagasy researchers Beza (right) and e and the western Indian Ocean islands. African Zoology 44 (1):55-80. t h capable of tackling sizable prey. This is professional courtesy and its ‘charge- Curator: Ornithology

E Amyot (left) during a training workshop i s e

b evidenced in its disproportionately sheet’ regularly lists other owls such as Durban Natural Science Museum

All Photographs by Dr. Peter Taylor on bat detectors held in September 2009.

34 35