MADAGASCAR |
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images : alamy ; Daniel Austin |
slight movement and all at once its outline comes into focus . It ’ s huge — almost a foot long , I ’ d say . How had I missed that ? No ; more to the point , how on earth did Angeluc spot it in the first place ? This master of disguise is one of the many true wonders of Madagascar , known as a leaf-tailed gecko and capable of blending into its background with consummate precision .
By now we seem to be right upon the cacophony , and it ’ s becoming even more unfathomable with each step . The sound has morphed into that of a congregation of cackling witches . I start going through all of the animals that I know make weird noises ; hyenas , kookaburras , cicadas , koalas , but I can think of nothing that might live in a Malagasy rainforest and cause such a racket .
FRIVOLOUS FROGS
As I ’ m beginning to plead with Angeluc for an explanation , yet another intriguing little forest dweller distracts me : a yellow
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frog . Not just regular yellow but a vivid canary yellow . Think buttercups , bananas , Bart Simpson . This dazzling beauty jumps past my foot and , swiftly kneeling with my camera , I have time to take just one picture before it leaps away with determination . This is a frog on a mission .
When I look up , Angeluc is beckoning to me with a broad grin on his face . As I stand and take a few steps forward , he pulls back a branch to reveal a spectacular scene that renders me speechless . I ’ m staring into a forest clearing filled with large puddles of water . The din is deafening now , and the reason is obvious . Everywhere as far as the eye can see is a veritable carpet of buttercup-banana-Bart-Simpson frogs . There must be thousands , probably tens of thousands , jumping , splashing and croaking contentedly .
Once I catch my breath , a closer look reveals the reason for their fervor . Each frog is , in fact , a female with a male clinging onto her back ( and , in several cases ,
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This dazzling beauty jumps past my foot and , swiftly kneeling with my camera , I have time to take just one picture before it leaps away .
Clockwise from above : Bright
yellow frogs ; birdwatching at
Amber Mountain National Park
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FALL 2023 • 35 |