Tsingy de Bemaraha Strict
Nature Reserve (1990)
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||Tsingy de Bemaraha Strict Nature Reserve comprises karstic landscapes and
limestone uplands cut into impressive 'tsingy' peaks and a 'forest' of limestone
needles, the spectacular canyon of the Manambolo river, rolling hills and high
The undisturbed forests, lakes and mangrove swamps are the habitat for rare and endangered lemurs and birds.
Lemurs are primates, an order that includes monkeys, apes and humans. There are approximately 32 different types of lemurs in existence today, all of which are endemic to Madagascar.
In order to understand the differences between lemurs and other primates, it helps to go down a level. Primates can be broken into two suborders: anthropoids and prosimians. Monkeys, apes and humans are anthropoids. Lemurs are prosimians. Other prosimians include galgoes (bushbabies) found in Africa, lorises found in Asia, and tarsiers found in Borneo and the Philippines. Unlike all other primates, prosimians have moist noses and rely on their sense of smell to determine what is safe to eat and to distinguish between individuals in their social groups. In prosimian species, females play the dominant role. They get the best food choices in the wild, defend the group and choose with whom they mate.
Sources and links:
Other World Heritage sites on Madagascar (on this web site). Please refer to the UNESCO-listing, Madagascar Section, for further information about the individual properties.
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Revised 20 jul 2006