An O'Shaughnessy's Chameleon seen on the roadside at Ranomafana
One animal I was most hoping to see in Ranomafana was the very cute mouse lemur. Before the trip in Madagascar I had read that Ranomafana was one of my best chances at seeing this tiny little primate, especially as they're enticed by offerings of banana from the local guides. The species we managed to see up close was the Brown Mouse Lemur. Body alone they only reach 12cm in size. Add another 12cm for their tail and you've got one of the smallest primates in the world. It is a hard concept to grasp that they're related to us. They moved incredibly quickly through the trees, so fast in fact that you didn't really see their limbs moving, rather they 'pinged' from branch to branch with amazing agility so as not to crash into nearby twigs.
The Latin word 'lemures' means 'ghost'. Traditionally Malagasy people have associated nocturnal lemurs, including this little species, with spirits no doubt because they are active at night. Brown Mouse Lemurs live solitary lives and only come together to mate. They're able to store up to 35% of their body weight in fat in their tails and hind legs, using it when food is scarce.
Hardly surprising, although sadly, they're listed as vulnerable by the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species due to habitat loss and the pet trade.