Berenty Reserve

🇲🇬 Madagascar

🦎 Watch Spiny Chameleons Hunt at Dawn
🌍 #252 Global · 3.1 ★★★★★ ★★★★★ #57 in Africa #22 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

SIGHTING PROBABILITY Share of citizen-science records from the park that report this species
<5%
Rare5–20%
With luck20–40%
Possible40–70%
Likely>70%
Very likely
ACTIVITY PATTERN
☀️ Diurnal 🌙 Nocturnal 🌅 Crepuscular ☀️🌙 Day & Night

⭐ Iconic Species

Red-fronted Brown Lemur ★
VU Endemic

Red-fronted Brown Lemur

☀️ Diurnal Mammal

Eulemur rufifrons

Insufficient data
Petter's Sportive Lemur ★
EN Endemic

Petter's Sportive Lemur

☀️ Diurnal Mammal

Lepilemur petteri

Insufficient data
Spiny Chameleon ★
LC Endemic

Spiny Chameleon

🌅 Crepuscular Reptile

Furcifer verrucosus

80–90% · Very likely

📊 Most Spotted

Black Kite
LC

Black Kite

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Milvus migrans

90–100% · Very likely
Crested Coua
LC Endemic

Crested Coua

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Coua cristata

90–100% · Very likely
Crested Drongo
LC

Crested Drongo

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Dicrurus forficatus

80–90% · Very likely
Pied Crow
LC

Pied Crow

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Corvus albus

80–90% · Very likely
Madagascan Kestrel
LC

Madagascan Kestrel

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Falco newtoni

80–90% · Very likely
Helmeted Guineafowl
LC

Helmeted Guineafowl

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Numida meleagris

80–90% · Very likely
Madagascar Coucal
LC

Madagascar Coucal

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Centropus toulou

70–80% · Very likely
Madagascar Paradise-Flycatcher
LC

Madagascar Paradise-Flycatcher

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Terpsiphone mutata

70–80% · Very likely
Madagascar Iguana
LC Endemic

Madagascar Iguana

☀️ Diurnal Reptile

Chalarodon madagascariensis

70–80% · Very likely
Madagascar Magpie-Robin
LC Endemic

Madagascar Magpie-Robin

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Copsychus albospecularis

60–70% · Likely
White-browed Owl

White-browed Owl

🌅 Crepuscular Bird

Ninox superciliaris

60–70% · Likely
Common Jery
LC Endemic

Common Jery

🌅 Crepuscular Bird

Neomixis tenella

60–70% · Likely

⭐ Iconic Species

Red-fronted Brown Lemur ★
VU Endemic

Red-fronted Brown Lemur

☀️ Diurnal Mammal

Eulemur rufifrons

Insufficient data
Petter's Sportive Lemur ★
EN Endemic

Petter's Sportive Lemur

☀️ Diurnal Mammal

Lepilemur petteri

Insufficient data

📊 Most Spotted

Grey-brown Mouse Lemur
LC Endemic

Grey-brown Mouse Lemur

🌅 Crepuscular Mammal

Microcebus griseorufus

Insufficient data
Grey Mouse-lemur
LC Endemic

Grey Mouse-lemur

🌅 Crepuscular Mammal

Microcebus murinus

Insufficient data
Peters's wrinkle-lipped bat
LC Endemic

Peters's wrinkle-lipped bat

Mammal

Mormopterus jugularis

Insufficient data
Small Indian Civet
LC Endemic

Small Indian Civet

🌅 Crepuscular Mammal

Viverricula indica

Insufficient data

📊 Most Spotted

Black Kite
LC

Black Kite

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Milvus migrans

90–100% · Very likely
Crested Coua
LC Endemic

Crested Coua

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Coua cristata

90–100% · Very likely
Crested Drongo
LC

Crested Drongo

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Dicrurus forficatus

80–90% · Very likely
Pied Crow
LC

Pied Crow

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Corvus albus

80–90% · Very likely
Madagascan Kestrel
LC

Madagascan Kestrel

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Falco newtoni

80–90% · Very likely
Helmeted Guineafowl
LC

Helmeted Guineafowl

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Numida meleagris

80–90% · Very likely
Madagascar Coucal
LC

Madagascar Coucal

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Centropus toulou

70–80% · Very likely
Madagascar Paradise-Flycatcher
LC

Madagascar Paradise-Flycatcher

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Terpsiphone mutata

70–80% · Very likely
Madagascar Magpie-Robin
LC Endemic

Madagascar Magpie-Robin

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Copsychus albospecularis

60–70% · Likely
White-browed Owl

White-browed Owl

🌅 Crepuscular Bird

Ninox superciliaris

60–70% · Likely
Common Jery
LC Endemic

Common Jery

🌅 Crepuscular Bird

Neomixis tenella

60–70% · Likely
Madagascar Bulbul
LC

Madagascar Bulbul

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Hypsipetes madagascariensis

60–70% · Likely

⭐ Iconic Species

Spiny Chameleon ★
LC Endemic

Spiny Chameleon

🌅 Crepuscular Reptile

Furcifer verrucosus

80–90% · Very likely

📊 Most Spotted

Madagascar Iguana
LC Endemic

Madagascar Iguana

☀️ Diurnal Reptile

Chalarodon madagascariensis

70–80% · Very likely
Thick Tail Gecko
LC Endemic

Thick Tail Gecko

🌅 Crepuscular Reptile

Phelsuma mutabilis

60–70% · Likely
Dumeril's Boa
LC Endemic

Dumeril's Boa

🌅 Crepuscular Reptile

Acrantophis dumerili

50–60% · Likely
Mocquard's Madagascar Ground Gecko
LC Endemic

Mocquard's Madagascar Ground Gecko

🌅 Crepuscular Reptile

Paroedura bastardi

Insufficient data
Modest Day Gecko
LC Endemic

Modest Day Gecko

☀️ Diurnal Reptile

Phelsuma modesta

Insufficient data
Southern Carpet Chameleon
LC

Southern Carpet Chameleon

🌅 Crepuscular Reptile

Furcifer major

Insufficient data
Reticulated Hognose Snake
LC Endemic

Reticulated Hognose Snake

Reptile

Leioheterodon geayi

Insufficient data
Blonde Hognose Snake
LC Endemic

Blonde Hognose Snake

☀️ Diurnal Reptile

Leioheterodon modestus

Insufficient data
Pencil Snake
LC Endemic

Pencil Snake

☀️ Diurnal Reptile

Mimophis mahfalensis

Insufficient data
Madagascar Ground Gecko
LC Endemic

Madagascar Ground Gecko

🌅 Crepuscular Reptile

Paroedura picta

Insufficient data
Tulear Velvet Gecko
LC

Tulear Velvet Gecko

🌅 Crepuscular Reptile

Blaesodactylus sakalava

Insufficient data
Light-banded Dwarf Snake
LC Endemic

Light-banded Dwarf Snake

🌅 Crepuscular Reptile

Heteroliodon occipitalis

Insufficient data

📊 Most Spotted

Madagascar Bullfrog
LC Endemic

Madagascar Bullfrog

🌅 Crepuscular Amphibian

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
LC Endemic

Spiny Chameleon

🌅 Crepuscular Reptile

Furcifer verrucosus

80–90% · Very likely
🦌

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
VU Endemic

Red-fronted Brown Lemur

☀️ Diurnal Mammal

Eulemur rufifrons

Insufficient data
Petter's Sportive Lemur
EN Endemic

Petter's Sportive Lemur

☀️ Diurnal Mammal

Lepilemur petteri

Insufficient data
🦌

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
LC Endemic

Grey Mouse-lemur

🌅 Crepuscular Mammal

Microcebus murinus

Insufficient data
Grey-brown Mouse Lemur
LC Endemic

Grey-brown Mouse Lemur

🌅 Crepuscular Mammal

Microcebus griseorufus

Insufficient data

Sighting Calendar

Chance of spotting each species, month by month

Months
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
Species Total
70–80
70–80
70–80
70–80
60–70
70–80
60–70
70–80
60–70
70–80
70–80
70–80
Red-fronted Brown Lemur
10–20
10–20
10–20
10–20
10–20
10–20
10–20
10–20
10–20
30–40
5–10
10–20
Petter's Sportive Lemur
10–20
10–20
10–20
10–20
10–20
10–20
10–20
10–20
10–20
30–40
5–10
10–20
Spiny Chameleon
80–90
70–80
80–90
70–80
70–80
80–90
60–70
70–80
80–90
80–90
70–80
70–80
Black Kite
90–100
90–100
90–100
90–100
90–100
90–100
90–100
90–100
90–100
90–100
90–100
90–100
Crested Coua
90–100
90–100
90–100
90–100
90–100
90–100
90–100
90–100
90–100
90–100
90–100
80–90
Crested Drongo
80–90
80–90
80–90
80–90
80–90
80–90
60–70
90–100
90–100
90–100
80–90
90–100
Pied Crow
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 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 Iguana
80–90
60–70
70–80
60–70
50–60
60–70
70–80
70–80
70–80
70–80
70–80
60–70
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
Common Jery
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
🦌 Spiny Forest Lemur Dawn Chorus
🦎 Chameleon Mating Season
🦌 Nocturnal Lemur Foraging

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

Where Wildlife Score

How good is this park for seeing wildlife?
🦜

Biodiversity

Good

How rich is the wildlife?

4.3 Global avg
2.4 ★★★★★ ★★★★★
Species by taxon
🦅 Birds
185
🐒 Mammals
42
🦎 Reptiles
77
🐸 Amphibians
6
310 Total Species
850 Global average across 296 parks
36 Threatened 142 Endemic
🔭

Sighting

Very good

How likely to see animals?

3.6 Global avg
3.5 ★★★★★ ★★★★★
🎯
Top-12 Avg Probability
62% Global avg
80%
📊
Coverage (73 species at ≥5% of 310 in the inventory)
24% Global avg
24%
🔀
Taxon variety in top 12 (10 bird, 2 reptile)
46% Global avg
37%
🔭
Species per 10 outings (distinct species a visitor would meet over 10 outings — effort held equal across parks)
134 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)
15 Global avg
7
⭐
High-prob species (>40%)
27 Global avg
28

Quick answers

What animals can you see in Berenty Reserve?

The most likely sightings are Black Kite (seen by 90–100% of wildlife watchers), Crested Coua (seen by 90–100% of wildlife watchers), Crested Drongo (seen by 80–90% of wildlife watchers), Pied Crow (seen by 80–90% of wildlife watchers), Madagascan Kestrel (seen by 80–90% of wildlife watchers) — among 310 recorded vertebrate species, based on citizen-science data from GBIF.

When is the best time to visit Berenty Reserve for wildlife?

October has the highest combined sighting rate for the park's top species in our month-by-month GBIF data. The full sighting calendar on this page shows each species' best months.

Can you see Red-fronted Brown Lemur in Berenty Reserve?

Yes — about 19% of wildlife watchers report a Red-fronted Brown Lemur sighting in Berenty Reserve, based on 1 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.

Can you see Petter's Sportive Lemur in Berenty Reserve?

Yes — about 19% of wildlife watchers report a Petter's Sportive Lemur sighting in Berenty Reserve, based on 1 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.

Can you see Spiny Chameleon in Berenty Reserve?

Yes — about 81% of wildlife watchers report a Spiny Chameleon sighting in Berenty Reserve, based on 19 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.

⚖️

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