Rosy Periwinkle - Madagascar

Formerly known as the Malagasy Republic, Madagascar occupies the fourth largest island in the world, if considering Australia as a continent. Despite its close proximity to the African mainland, the first inhabitants of Madagascar were of Polynesian descent and arrived from the Sunda Islands between 200 BC and 500 AD.

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Catharanthus roseus - Of the eight known species of periwinkles, seven are endemic to Madagascar. The rosy periwinkle is found in the eastern and southeastern regions. The slash and burn practice of clearing land for agricultural use has contributed in making the rosy periwinkle a rare sight in Madagascar, but it is easy to cultivate and can be found worldwide in tropical and subtropical regions. The ability to self-pollinate and its high tolerance to environmental discord has allowed the rosy periwinkle to thrive beyond its native range.

Elephant Bird - Madagascar

Aepyornis maximus - The elephant bird is an extinct flightless bird endemic to Madagascar. Remains of this giant suggests a height of 3 meters and a weight of 400 kilos. The eggs had a circumference of 1 meter and reached lengths of 34 centimeters. The volume of such an egg is equal to 6.5 ostrich eggs, currently the largest egg produced by any animal. The elephant bird could be found throughout Madagascar until the 17th century, when human encroachment caused their demise.

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The island of Madagascar formed when it broke away from the Indian sub-continent. As India drifted northwards to collide with Asia, Madagascar drifted westwards. It merged briefly with Africa and then drifted back out to sea and is now separated from Africa by the 416 kilometer Mozambique Channel. The long separation from Africa explains the absence of the larger mammals found on the mainland and why over 90% of the flora and fauna found on Madagascar is endemic only to Madagascar.

African Frogs

A fossilized frog known as Triadobatrachus was discovered in Northern Madagascar during the 1930’s. This “proto-frog” dates back to the early Triassic period, 250 million years ago when the area of present day Madagascar was still attached to the landmass of Africa and the super continent of Gondwana.

Frogs are amphibians and belong to the order Anura, an order containing over 90 percent of all amphibians. There are three orders in the amphibian class: Anura (frogs and toads), Urodela (newts and salamanders), and Apoda (caecilians).

All species in the 31 families of Anura are frogs. The family Ranidae contains true frogs and the family Bufonidae contains true toads. True frogs are known for their bulging eyes, longer and stronger hind legs, moist skin, laying eggs in clusters, leaner bodies, and having a preference for aquatic settings. True toads have stubby bodies, short hind legs, dry or warty skin, deposit eggs in long chains, and are adapted to an aquatic or terrestrial lifestyle. These traits are not a definitive method of discerning frog from toad in the other 29 families of Anura.  

The frogs depicted are the Witu forest tree frog (Leptopelis concolor), the red-legged running frog (Kassina maculata), and the common ornate frog (Hildebrandtia ornatissima).