Ifaty is a dry and often very hot part of southwestern coastal Madagascar. Out to sea, from its white sand beaches, lies one of the longest barrier reefs in the world. Inland, we find Madagascar's most unique habitat: the Spiny Forest.

For lemur lovers, the small private reserve of Berenty is a tremendous place to see Ring-tailed Lemurs and Verreaux's Sifakas. Two of Madagascar's rare tortoises exist here: the spider tortoise (Pyxis arachnoides) and the radiated tortoise (Astrochelys radiata); and Grandadiers mongoose (Galidictis grandidieri).

What is Spiny Forest 

Spiny Forests contain the greatest proportion of endemic species of any ecosystem in Madagascar. 95% of the plants you see here are found nowhere else. 

The most conspicuous plants within the Spiny Forest are woody trees of the endemic Didiereoideae subfamily. These are distant relatives of cacti, covered in long and dense spines that you really don't want to brush against. Incredibly, the largest lemurs found here, Verreaux's Sifakas, can leap from one spiny branch to another without impaling themselves on the dense spines. A human would simply be unable to grip hold of a branch without being left covered in blood. 

Baobab trees are another conspicuous occupant of the Spiny Forest. Whilst the species we find here do not reach the scale of Grenadiers Baobabs found in Madagascar's Tropical Dry Forest, they are photogenically set amongst other fascinating botanical forms, on vibrant red sandy soil and a skyline of predominantly clear blue sky. 

Geography and Climate 

Madagascar tends to get drier the further south and west you travel. Spiny forests are found in the far south and southwest, which explains why they occupy Madagascar's driest areas. Plants adapted to these desert-like conditions usually have to make do with limestone and red sand soils. 

Gallery forests exist where wet season rains are channelled (rainfall is usually limited to late December, January and February). These forests are dominated by broad-canopied 20 metre tall Tamarind trees (Tanarindus indica) known locally as kily. Wide Banyan trees (a type of Ficus) are also common in gallery forests, as well as an understorey of shrubs and saplings waiting for light. Ring tail lemurs Iike the gallery forest, of which the Berenty Reserve, situated along the Mandrare River in the deep south, provides an important refuge. 

Wildlife 

For most people, it is the unique botany of the Spiny Forest which is most striking; but for birders there are 8 avian species endemic to this habitat: 

• Verreaux's coua (Coua verreauxi)
• Running coua (Coua cursor)
• Lafresnaye's vanga (Xenopirostris xenopirostris)
• Red-shouldered vanga (Calicalicus rufocarpalis)
• Archibold's newtonia (Newtonia archiboldi)
• Littoral rock-thrush (Monticola imerinus)
• Subdesert mesite (Monias benschi)
• Long-tailed ground roller (Uratelornis chimaera) 

Source: WWF 

Conservation 

Spiny forests have managed to avoid the scourge of slash and burn agriculture. Even with the benefit of timber ash, their soils are quite infertile and dry for crops.  Pressure is growing, however, through burning to create low-grade grazing for zebu; and there is increasing pressure on them for timber extraction for building materials and charcoal. Only 3% of Madagascar's spiny forests are within protected areas, so the risk for species loss is very high.