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Having the ideal conditions for the habitation of a panoramic range of animals, birds and reptiles, Madagascar abounds in diverse species of fauna that gives the island its uniqueness with respect to wildlife and ecology. Madagascar invertebrates are as important in the wildlife of country as the vertebrates. The number of invertebrates in Madagascar is equal to or may be more than the animal species. The island is home to an enormous number of invertebrates.
Madagascar invertebrates range from various types of millipedes to different kinds of cockroaches, spiders, lizards etc. A survey conducted by the California Academy of Science showed that 80% of the spiders found in Madagascar are specific to the island and also that there are around 1000 recorded species of invertebrates in Madagascar. 379 of the Madagascar invertebrates are native.
Among all the popular invertebrates of Madagascar are the millipedes which inhabit the forests of the island. The millipedes are non-poisonous and slow in their movements. They are herbivorous in nature and eat mostly decaying leaves and dead plants. There are a number of interesting types of millipedes in Madagascar the most fascinating of which belong to the Sphaerotheriida family.
Other invertebrate species of Madagascar include the scorpion which is commonly found in Isalo, the Red Beetle, the Green Mantid, the Leaf insect, the Teal and Black Butterflies, the fat black Scorpion, the Masoala peninsula beetle, the Comet moth, the Praying Mantis, Mantid Brown, Mantid Purple Antenna, Grey moth, Mantid yellow, Walking stick insect, Red clear-wing butterfly, green caterpillar, dragonfly, Thorn spider, grasshopper, leaf bugs, land crab, nymphs, snails, Cicada, Weevil and many more. The Madagascar invertebrates constitute an interesting aspect of the ecology of the island.
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