Herpetological trip to Madagascar
March 1st – 23rd 2026

Back to part 1

Ankarafantsika

At the end of the next day, Bobby and Laura flew out to Kenya, while the rest of us slept at Hotel Zara again, before driving north an entire day. After dark, we arrived at Ankarafantsika. Although the security guards of the park were not too happy about us prospecting the road edges, we had just enough time to find some nice new species, including a potato frog I liked very much.

Furcifer oustaleti

Furcifer oustaleti

Furcifer lateralis

Blaesodactylus antongilensis

Blaesodactylus antongilensis

Laliostoma labrosum

Dyscophus insularis

Dyscophus insularis

The daytime hikes showed us that dry forest is a different ballgame than wet forest. The number of seemingly randomly scattered hog-nose snakes was very nice and offered us some opportunities to try to get the locals to overcome their fear of these harmless giants. An afternoon boatride on the Ravelobe Lake and the good eye of our boatsman delivered us a sneaky crocodile. Other highlights included a third Uroplatus species and a chunky and shiny Amphiglossus.

Leioheterodon madagascariensis

Lygodactylus morii

Furcifer oustaleti mating

Zonosaurus laticaudatus

Coquerel’s Sifaka Propithecus coquereli

Crocodylus niloticus

Crocodylus niloticus

Crocodylus niloticus

Dromicodryas quadrilineatus

Dromicodryas quadrilineatus

Lycodryas pseudogranuliceps

Sanzinia volontany

Phelsuma kochi

Furcifer rhinoceratus - female

Mimophis occultus

Dromicodryas bernieri

Sanzinia volontany

Sanzinia volontany

Mantidactylus ulcerosus

Amphiglossus reticulatus

Amphiglossus reticulatus

Uroplatus guentheri

Furcifer rhinoceratus - male

Boophis doulioti

Brookesia brygooi

Paraoedura stumpffi

Heterixalus luteostriatus

Ambositra

Leaving with another day-long drive and a night in Tana, we did another long drive to Ambositra the next day. In the morning, we admired some stunning captive Furcifer minor.

Heterixalus betsileo

Phelsuma quadriocellata

Lygodactylus pictus

Furcifer minor - male (captive)

Furcifer minor - female (captive)

Anja

Passing Ambalavao after another long drive, we hit Anja reserve immediately, getting another sweet Brookesia and the famous ring-tailed lemurs. A nice bouldering hike had us enjoying a sunset on the rocks. A small but sweet collection of lizards were added to our findings.

Ring-tailed Lemur Lemur catta

Trachylepis vato

Laliostoma labrosum

Paragehyra felicitae

Madagascarophis meridionalis

Madagascarophis vs. Laliostoma

Paraoedura rennerae - juvenile

Sanzinia volontany

Sanzinia volontany

Boophis tephraeomystax

most likely Lycodryas guentheri

Brookesia brunoi

The Anja morning we spent in another unsuccessful search for a ground boa, finding some other snake species, lizards, and a third Mantella species for the trip.

Thamnosophis lateralis

Dromicodryas bernieri

Mantella betsileo

Mimophis mahfalensis

Oplurus quadrimaculatus

Oplurus grandidieri

herping in the ditch

Ranomafana

Unfortunately, it was soon time to go again, heading back north towards the probably most well-known herping destination of Madagascar, Ranomafana NP. Ample frogs and chameleons made this an extremely worthy final chapter of our trip.

in the garden of our accommodation - Boophis elenae

? Calumma fallax

Boophis madagascariensis and a leech

? Calumma fallax

Calumma oshaughnessyi

Brown Mouse Lemur Microcebus rufus

Calumma crypticum

Calumma oshaughnessyi

Anodonthyla boulengerii

Boophis elenae

Uroplatus phantasticus

Boophis quasiboehmi

Palleon nasus

Stumpffia nigrorubra

probably Calumma tjiasmantoi

Gephyromantis sculpturatus

Platypelis pollicaris

Spinomantis aglavei

Spinomantis aglavei

as usually found - Palleon nasus

Gephyromantis enki

arboretum herping

Trachylepis gravenhorstii

Calumma parsonii

Calumma parsonii

Calumma parsonii

Calumma parsonii

Heterixalus alboguttatus

probably juvenile Boophis bottae

Furcifer balteatus

Heterixalus betsileo

Boophis tephraeomystax

probably Boophis tasymena

Sanzinia madagascariensis

Boophis elenae

Boophis bottae

Furcifer lateralis

Madascincus ankodabensis/melanopleura

? Anodonthyla sp.

Mantidactylus sp.

Mantella baroni

probably Mantidactylus katae but could be M. glosi

Trachelophorus giraffa - © Bert Vandebosch

Boophis reticulatus

William looking for Guibemantis and more

Guibemantis pulcher

? Boophis rhodoscelis

Calumma glawi - juvenile

digging for worm snakes

Flexiseps melanurus

Zonosaurus ornatus

Plethodontohyla notosticta