Berenty Reserve

🇲🇬 Madagascar

🦎 Watch Spiny Chameleons Hunt at Dawn

🌍 #220 Global · 3.4 ★★★★★ ★★★★★ #47 in Africa #19 in Desert & Scrub

Madagascar, Madagascar 310 spp. recorded

Berenty Reserve is a protected dry scrub and spiny forest habitat situated along the Mandrare River in southern Madagascar. Visitors walk beneath towering tamarind trees and across arid, thorny terrain on flat, sandy paths that wind through a striking desert landscape.

-25.009° S 46.309° E

Wildlife

⭐ Iconic Species

Red-fronted Brown Lemur

Eulemur rufifrons

Insufficient data

Petter's Sportive Lemur

Lepilemur petteri

Insufficient data

Spiny Chameleon

Furcifer verrucosus

80–90% · Very likely

📊 Most Spotted

Black Kite

Milvus migrans

90–100% · Very likely

Crested Coua

Coua cristata

90–100% · Very likely

Crested Drongo

Dicrurus forficatus

80–90% · Very likely

Pied Crow

Corvus albus

80–90% · Very likely

Madagascan Kestrel

Falco newtoni

80–90% · Very likely

Helmeted Guineafowl

Numida meleagris

80–90% · Very likely

Madagascar Coucal

Centropus toulou

70–80% · Very likely

Madagascar Iguana

Chalarodon madagascariensis

70–80% · Very likely

Madagascar Paradise-Flycatcher

Terpsiphone mutata

70–80% · Very likely

Madagascar Magpie-Robin

Copsychus albospecularis

60–70% · Likely

White-browed Owl

Ninox superciliaris

60–70% · Likely

Common Jery

Neomixis tenella

60–70% · Likely

⭐ Iconic Species

Red-fronted Brown Lemur

Eulemur rufifrons

Insufficient data

Petter's Sportive Lemur

Lepilemur petteri

Insufficient data

📊 Most Spotted

Grey-brown Mouse Lemur

Microcebus griseorufus

Insufficient data

Grey Mouse-lemur

Microcebus murinus

Insufficient data

Small Indian Civet

Viverricula indica

Insufficient data

Peters's wrinkle-lipped bat

Mormopterus jugularis

Insufficient data

📊 Most Spotted

Black Kite

Milvus migrans

90–100% · Very likely

Crested Coua

Coua cristata

90–100% · Very likely

Crested Drongo

Dicrurus forficatus

80–90% · Very likely

Pied Crow

Corvus albus

80–90% · Very likely

Madagascan Kestrel

Falco newtoni

80–90% · Very likely

Helmeted Guineafowl

Numida meleagris

80–90% · Very likely

Madagascar Coucal

Centropus toulou

70–80% · Very likely

Madagascar Paradise-Flycatcher

Terpsiphone mutata

70–80% · Very likely

Madagascar Magpie-Robin

Copsychus albospecularis

60–70% · Likely

White-browed Owl

Ninox superciliaris

60–70% · Likely

Common Jery

Neomixis tenella

60–70% · Likely

Madagascar Bulbul

Hypsipetes madagascariensis

60–70% · Likely

⭐ Iconic Species

Spiny Chameleon

Furcifer verrucosus

80–90% · Very likely

📊 Most Spotted

Madagascar Iguana

Chalarodon madagascariensis

70–80% · Very likely

Thick Tail Gecko

Phelsuma mutabilis

60–70% · Likely

Dumeril's Boa

Acrantophis dumerili

50–60% · Likely

Modest Day Gecko

Phelsuma modesta

Insufficient data

Mocquard's Madagascar Ground Gecko

Paroedura bastardi

Insufficient data

Southern Carpet Chameleon

Furcifer major

Insufficient data

Reticulated Hognose Snake

Leioheterodon geayi

Insufficient data

Madagascar Ground Gecko

Paroedura picta

Insufficient data

Blonde Hognose Snake

Leioheterodon modestus

Insufficient data

Pencil Snake

Mimophis mahfalensis

Insufficient data

Madagascar Keeled Cordylid

Tracheloptychus madagascariensis

Insufficient data

Gold-spotted Mabuya

Trachylepis aureopunctata

Insufficient data

📊 Most Spotted

Madagascar Bullfrog

Laliostoma labrosum

Insufficient data

Animal Events

🦎

Chameleon Mating Season

AprMay

Madagascar Giant Chameleons (Furcifer verrucosus) become highly active, with males displaying vibrant colors to attract mates in the dry season.

Spiny Chameleon

Furcifer verrucosus

80–90% · Very likely

🦌

Nocturnal Lemur Foraging

JulOct

Gray Mouse Lemurs (Microcebus murinus) and Gray-brown Mouse Lemurs (Microcebus griseorufus) emerge at dusk to forage, offering rare nocturnal primate sightings in Berenty.

Grey Mouse-lemur

Microcebus murinus

Insufficient data

Grey-brown Mouse Lemur

Microcebus griseorufus

Insufficient data

🦌

Spiny Forest Lemur Dawn Chorus

MarSepOct

Red-fronted brown lemurs and Lepilemur petteri vocalize in synchronized choruses at dawn, creating a unique auditory experience in the spiny forest.

Red-fronted Brown Lemur

Eulemur rufifrons

Insufficient data

Petter's Sportive Lemur

Lepilemur petteri

Insufficient data

Sighting Calendar

Chance of spotting each species, month by month

Species Total

70–80

70–80

70–80

70–80

60–70

70–80

60–70

70–80

70–80

70–80

70–80

70–80

Red-fronted Brown Lemur

10–20

10–20

20–30

10–20

10–20

10–20

10–20

10–20

20–30

30–40

0–10

10–20

Petter's Sportive Lemur

10–20

10–20

20–30

10–20

10–20

10–20

10–20

10–20

20–30

30–40

0–10

10–20

Spiny Chameleon

80–90

80–90

80–90

70–80

80–90

80–90

60–70

80–90

80–90

80–90

70–80

70–80

90–100

90–100

90–100

90–100

90–100

90–100

90–100

90–100

90–100

90–100

90–100

90–100

90–100

90–100

90–100

90–100

90–100

90–100

90–100

90–100

90–100

90–100

90–100

80–90

80–90

80–90

80–90

80–90

80–90

80–90

60–70

90–100

90–100

90–100

80–90

90–100

80–90

80–90

70–80

80–90

80–90

80–90

60–70

90–100

90–100

90–100

80–90

90–100

Madagascan Kestrel

80–90

80–90

80–90

80–90

80–90

80–90

80–90

80–90

90–100

70–80

80–90

80–90

Helmeted Guineafowl

80–90

80–90

80–90

80–90

80–90

80–90

90–100

70–80

40–50

80–90

80–90

80–90

Madagascar Coucal

70–80

70–80

70–80

70–80

70–80

70–80

30–40

80–90

80–90

80–90

80–90

60–70

Madagascar Iguana

80–90

70–80

70–80

70–80

50–60

70–80

70–80

70–80

70–80

70–80

70–80

60–70

Madagascar Paradise-Flycatcher

70–80

70–80

70–80

70–80

70–80

70–80

50–60

80–90

80–90

80–90

60–70

80–90

Madagascar Magpie-Robin

60–70

60–70

60–70

60–70

60–70

60–70

40–50

50–60

80–90

60–70

70–80

70–80

White-browed Owl

60–70

60–70

60–70

60–70

60–70

60–70

70–80

60–70

30–40

60–70

70–80

50–60

60–70

60–70

50–60

60–70

60–70

60–70

40–50

70–80

50–60

60–70

70–80

70–80

Animal Events

🦎 Chameleon Mating Season

🦌 Nocturnal Lemur Foraging

🦌 Spiny Forest Lemur Dawn Chorus

Sighting Zones

Warm areas are where all species together are recorded most, so they track where people go as much as where animals are. For one species, see the map on its own page.

0.0 ★★★★★ ★★★★★ Good

🦎 Watch Spiny Chameleons Hunt at Dawn

🦜

Biodiversity

Good

How rich is the wildlife?

4.3 Global avg

2.6 ★★★★★ ★★★★★

Species by taxon

🦅 Birds

185

🐒 Mammals

42

🦎 Reptiles

77

🐸 Amphibians

6

310 Total Species

841 Global average across 280 parks

36 Threatened 1 Endemic

🔭

Sighting

Very good

How likely to see animals?

3.6 Global avg

3.6 ★★★★★ ★★★★★

🎯

Top-12 Avg Probability

62% Global avg

81%

📊

Coverage (73 species at ≥5% of 310 in the inventory)

24% Global avg

24%

🔀

Taxon variety in top 12 (10 bird, 2 reptile)

47% Global avg

37%

🔭

Species per 10 outings (distinct species a visitor would meet over 10 outings — effort held equal across parks)

132 Global avg

54

🌟

Iconic-group species (≥15%) (every species from the 19 iconic groups — monkeys, cats, toucans, macaws, sloths, crocodilians… — not just the 4 highlighted above)

14 Global avg

7

⭐

High-prob species (>40%)

26 Global avg

28

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