|
|
|
|
|
|
 Christie's Tri-color male Number 3 (above) is now known to us as "PETRIKY of Alika Cotons." He is named after the Petriky forest (pronounced "PET-tree-key") of the southeast of Madagascar, near the port of Fort Dauphin (now called Tolanaro) I spent many an interest day and night exploring the Petriky, a forest that overlooked the Indian Ocean to the south and the rain forested slopes of mountains to the north. I mapped areas, followed Mouse lemurs on their nocturnal rounds and hit the dirt when a meteorite skimmed low overhead, emitting a skyful of flames and the noise of a jet. Petriky the Coton is every bit as jaunty and bold as that exotic forest was. |
 |
|
Christie's beautiful White female Number 4, above, wears well the name of the coastal forest of Antsiraka. We call her "SIRA" ("SEAR-ah") for short. The forest of Antsikara is just below the northwestern bay made famous as a pirate settlement. The villagers in this region often bear the look of Malagasy crossed with European sailors, which was in many of their lineages. Antsiraka is the land of lemurs and giant orchids -- the largest flowering orchids on Earth. |
|
Below is a portrait of Christie's White female Number 5 . She's a cinnamon-marked bundle of fun named after the forest of Manafiafy. We call her "FIAFY," pronounced "FEE-ah-FEE." Manafiafy is north of Fort Dauphin, and is similar to Mandena, a rain forest environment that tapers into the Indian Ocean in the East.  |
 |
 |
|
|
|
