Ireo biby mampiavaka ny tandavan'ala Ranomafana-Andrigitra-Ivohibe, Mijasoa Andriamarovololona sy Julia Jones
A number of excellent field guides to Malagasy species have been published which really bring the biodiversity of the country alive and have enthused a generation of amateur naturalists, conservationists and ecotourists. However very little is available in the Malagasy language (with the exception of the excellent Fieldguide to the Reptiles and Amphibians of Madagascar). Although many rural Malagasy are extremely knowledgeable about the species that live in their local area, they do not have information on which species are considered rare or of interest to conservation.
If local people are to play the role of valuable partners in conservation, then information on the ecology, status and nomenclature of species must be available locally. We approached the authors of the major field guides (Nick Garbutt, Pete Morris, Frank Hawkins, Miguel Vences and Frank Glaw) who were only too willing to help by letting us use their pictures free of charge. The field guide we produced is very basic and not a formal identification guide. However it has been very popular with the villagers who have received copies. The guide was produced with support from Conservation International, Rufford Maurice Laing Foundation and Ecoregional Interventions.
We did a print run of 1000 copies. We would be delighted if anyone wanted to use our text to develop an improved version. The photographers have all said they are happy for their pictures to be used for non-commercial purposes within Madagascar (although it would be best to check with them). A word document of the guide is available from us.
The field guide can be downloaded here (2MB).
