Ambohitantely Special Reserve
{{Infobox protected area
| name = Ambohitantely Special Reserve
| alt_name =
| iucn_category = IV
| photo = Anodonthyla vallani02.jpg
| photo_alt =
| photo_caption = Anodonthyla vallani is not known outside the Ambohitantely Reserve.
| photo_width =
| map = Madagascar |relief=1
| map_alt =
| map_caption = Map of Madagascar
| map_width =
| mark = Green pog.svg
| location = Ankazobe, Analamanga, Madagascar
| nearest_city =
| coordinates = {{coords|-18.161|47.302|region:MG|notes={{Cite web |url= http://protectedplanet.net/sites/Ambohitantely_Special_Reserve |title= Ambohitantely Special Reserve |work=protectedplanet.net}}|display=inline, title}}
| area = {{Convert|5600|ha|abbr=on}}
| established = 1982
| visitation_num =
| visitation_year =
| governing_body =
| world_heritage_site =
| url =
}}
Ambohitantely Special Reserve is a {{Convert|5600|ha|adj=on}} wildlife reserve of Madagascar.{{cite web|title=Réserve Spéciale Ambohitantely|url=http://www.parcs-madagascar.com/aire-prot%C3%A9g%C3%A9e/r%C3%A9serve-sp%C3%A9ciale-ambohitantely|website=Madagascar National Parks|access-date=9 November 2016}}
Geography
This reserve is situated in Analamanga region, {{Convert|140|km|abbr=on}} north-west of the town of Antananarivo in the district of Ankazobe.
It covers {{Convert|1800|ha|abbr=on}} of primary rainforests and {{Convert|3800|ha|abbr=on}} of grassland savannah. It consists of several sections of the last primary rainforest, on the high plateau in central Madagascar, along with grasslands, caves and waterfalls, at an altitude of {{convert|1300|m}} to {{convert|1650|m}}. The mean annual rainfall is {{convert|1823|mm}}.{{cite web|title=Ambohitantely Special Reserve|url=http://www.travelmadagascar.org/PARKS/Ambohitantely-Reserve.html|website=Travel Madagascar|access-date=8 November 2016}}{{cite web|title=Ambohitantely Special reserve|url=http://www.madagaskar.com/parks-and-reserves/ambohitantely-special-reserve.html|website=Madagaskar.com|access-date=8 November 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150926025434/http://www.madagaskar.com/parks-and-reserves/ambohitantely-special-reserve.html|archive-date=26 September 2015|url-status=dead}} The entrance to the reserve is on route 4, near the village of Arazana and the nearest hotel is at Ankazobe.
The ethnic groups living in and around the reserve are the Betsileo, Betsimisaraka, and Merina peoples.
Flora and fauna
The main habitats of the reserve are primary rainforests and grassland savannah. The black-bark tree, Fanola (Asteropeia amblyocarpa) is registered as critically endangered on the IUCN Red List, and Schizolaena tampoketsana with its twisted fissured trunk is believed to have only 160–370 mature individuals in existence.{{cite web|last1=Lucas|first1=James|title=Demographic Survey of the Sohisika (Schizolaena tampoketsana) at Ankafobe, Madagascar|url=http://digitalcollections.sit.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=2783&context=isp_collection|website=SIT Digital Collections|publisher=School for International Training|access-date=26 August 2016}} Sihara palm (Dypsis onilahensis), Manambe palm (Dypsis decipiens), and rosewood (Dalbergia monticola) are all registered as vulnerable species.
Three lemur species are found in the reserve: brown mouse lemur (Microcebus rufus), eastern woolly lemur (Avahi laniger), and common brown lemur (Eulemur fulvus). Rare birds found in the reserve include the Malagasy harrier (Circus macrosceles) and Madagascar ibis (Lophotibis cristata). The frog Anodonthyla vallani is likely occurs only within the reserve.{{cite iucn |author=IUCN SSC Amphibian Specialist Group |date=2020 |title=Anodonthyla vallani |volume=2020 |page=e.T190944A176030045 |doi=10.2305/IUCN.UK.2020-3.RLTS.T190944A176030045.en |access-date=13 November 2021}}
The reserve is the only known habitat of the critically endangered Darth Vader giant pill millipede (Zoosphaerium darthvaderi).{{cite iucn |author=Rudolf, E. |author2=Wesener, T. |year=2017 |title=Zoosphaerium darthvaderi |volume=2017 |page=e.T65524428A65527890 |doi=10.2305/IUCN.UK.2017-1.RLTS.T65524428A65527890.en |access-date=1 April 2022}}
Threats
The area is threatened with slash-and-burn agriculture and irrigation for rice paddies.
References
{{Reflist|30em}}
External links
- [http://www.parcs-madagascar.com/ Madagascar National Parks]
{{National parks of Madagascar}}
{{authority control}}
Category:1982 establishments in Madagascar
Category:Special reserves of Madagascar