▁of ▁lem ur ▁have ▁become ▁ext inct ▁since ▁humans ▁arrived ▁on ▁Mad agas car , ▁all ▁of ▁which ▁were ▁larger ▁than ▁the ▁surv iving ▁lem ur ▁species . ▁ ▁A ▁number ▁of ▁other ▁m amm als , ▁including ▁the ▁cat - like ▁f ossa , ▁are ▁en demic ▁to ▁Mad agas car . ▁Over ▁ 3 0 0 ▁species ▁of ▁birds ▁have ▁been ▁recorded ▁on ▁the ▁island , ▁of ▁which ▁over ▁ 6 0   percent ▁( including ▁four ▁families ▁and ▁ 4 2 ▁gener a ) ▁are ▁en demic . ▁The ▁few ▁families ▁and ▁gener a ▁of ▁re pt ile ▁that ▁have ▁reached ▁Mad agas car ▁have ▁divers ified ▁into ▁more ▁than ▁ 2 6 0 ▁species , ▁with ▁over ▁ 9 0   percent ▁of ▁these ▁being ▁en demic ▁( including ▁one ▁en demic ▁family ). ▁The ▁island ▁is ▁home ▁to ▁two - third s ▁of ▁the ▁world ' s ▁ch ame le on ▁species , ▁including ▁the ▁smallest ▁known , ▁and ▁research ers ▁have ▁proposed ▁that ▁Mad agas car ▁may ▁be ▁the ▁origin ▁of ▁all ▁ch ame le ons . ▁ ▁End em ic ▁fish ▁of ▁Mad agas car ▁include ▁two ▁families , ▁ 1 5 ▁gener a ▁and ▁over ▁ 1 0 0 ▁species , ▁primarily ▁inhab iting ▁the ▁island ' s ▁fresh water ▁la kes ▁and ▁rivers . ▁Although ▁in verte br ates ▁remain ▁poor ly ▁studied ▁on ▁Mad agas car , ▁research ers ▁have ▁found ▁high ▁rates ▁of ▁en dem ism ▁among ▁the ▁known ▁species . ▁All