Central Highlands (Madagascar)
The Central Highlands, Central High Plateau, or Hauts-Plateaux are a mountainous biogeographical region in central Madagascar. They include the contiguous part of the island's interior above 800 m (2600 ft) altitude.[1] The Central Highlands are separated from the Northern Highlands of the northern tip of Madagascar by a low-lying valley, the Mandritsara Window, which has apparently acted as a barrier to dispersal for species in the highlands, leading to species pairs such as Voalavo gymnocaudus and Voalavo antsahabensis in the Northern and Central Highlands.[2] Species restricted to the Central Highlands include the bats Miniopterus manavi[3] and Miniopterus sororculus;[4] the rodents Brachyuromys betsileoensis[5] and Voalavo antsahabensis;[6] the tenrecs Hemicentetes nigriceps[7] and Oryzorictes tetradactylus;[8] and the lemur Cheirogaleus sibreei.[9] Because of the continuous habitat of the Central Highlands, there is little local endemism, unlike the Northern Highlands.[10]
References
Literature cited
- Bronner, G.N. & Jenkins, P.D. 2005. Order Afrosoricida. Pp. 71–81 in Wilson, D.E. and Reeder, D.M. (eds.). Mammal Species of the World: a taxonomic and geographic reference. 3rd ed. Baltimore: The Johns Hopkins University Press, 2 vols., 2142 pp. ISBN 978-0-8018-8221-0
- Garbutt, N. 2007. Mammals of Madagascar: A Complete Guide. London: A & C Black, 304 pp. ISBN 978-0-7136-7043-1
- Goodman, S.M., Rakotondravony, D., Randriamanantsoa, H.N. and Rakotomalala-Razanahoera, M. 2005. A new species of rodent from the montane forest of central eastern Madagascar (Muridae: Nesomyinae: Voalavo). Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington 118(4):863–873.
- Goodman, S.M., Raxworthy, C.J., Maminirina, C.P. and Olson, L.E. 2006. A new species of shrew tenrec (Microgale jobihely) from northern Madagascar. Journal of Zoology 270:384–398.
- Goodman, S.M., Ryan, K.E., Maminirina, C.P., Fahr, J., Christidis, L. and Appleton, B. 2007. Specific status of populations on Madagascar referred to Miniopterus fraterculus (Chiroptera: Vespertilionidae), with description of a new species. Journal of Mammalogy 88(5):1216–1229.
- Goodman, S.M., Maminirina, C.P., Bradman, H.M., Christidis, L. and Appleton, B. 2009. The use of molecular phylogenetic and morphological tools to identify cryptic and paraphyletic species: Examples from the diminutive long-fingered bats (Chiroptera: Miniopteridae: Miniopterus) on Madagascar. American Museum Novitates 3669:1–34.
- Musser, G.G. and Carleton, M.D. 2005. Superfamily Muroidea. Pp. 894–1531 in Wilson, D.E. and Reeder, D.M. (eds.). Mammal Species of the World: a taxonomic and geographic reference. 3rd ed. Baltimore: The Johns Hopkins University Press, 2 vols., 2142 pp. ISBN 978-0-8018-8221-0
Coordinates: 20°S 47°E / 20°S 47°E