Voalavo

The Voalavo is a genus of rodents that belongs to the family Nesomyidae and the subfamily Nesomyinae.
The genus was first described in 1998 and contains two species: the northern voalavo ( Voalavo gymnocaudus ) and the eastern voalavo ( Voalavo antsahabensis ).
Both species are endemic to Madagascar, which means they are only found on this island.

The northern voalavo lives in the Northern Highlands of Madagascar, in the province of Antsiranana.
It has been recorded from two mountain ranges: the Anjanaharibe-Sud Reserve and the Marojejy National Park.
The eastern voalavo lives in the central-eastern part of Madagascar, in the province of Antananarivo.
It has been recorded from the Anjozorobe forest.

Both species of Voalavo are small rodents with a gray and soft fur, a white or light gray belly, and a tail that is partly white at the tip.
They have a delicate skull and no tuft of hair at the end of the tail, unlike some of their relatives in the genus Eliurus.
They are nocturnal animals that feed on seeds and other plant parts.
They can climb on thin lianas and may live in nests on the ground or in the leaf litter.

The Voalavo are threatened by habitat loss due to slash-and-burn agriculture, logging, and mining.
They are also vulnerable to predation by introduced animals such as dogs and cats.
The northern voalavo is classified as vulnerable and the eastern voalavo as endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
Conservation efforts are needed to protect these unique and rare rodents of Madagascar.

The Voalavo are nocturnal and arboreal, spending most of their time in the canopy of the forest.

They feed mainly on fruits, seeds, and insects, and use their long tails for balance and grasping.

They are social and form small groups that share nests made of leaves and twigs.

They communicate with each other using vocalizations and scent marks.

The breeding season is from October to December, and the gestation period is about 21 days.

The litter size is usually two or three, and the young are weaned after about four weeks.

The lifespan of the Voalavo is unknown, but it is probably less than two years.