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Recorded locations of the northern (red) and eastern (green) voalavos

The northern voalavo (Voalavo gymnocaudus) is a rodent found in the highlands of northern Madagascar first discovered in 1994. It is the type species of the genus Voalavo, and its closest relative is the eastern voalavo of the Central Highlands. It is found at 1,250 to 1,950 m (4,100 to 6,400 ft) above sea level in montane wet and dry forests in the northern massifs. It is nocturnal, solitary and terrestrial, but it can climb and probably eats plant matter. Despite having a small range, the species is classified as being of least concern because it lacks obvious threats and lives mainly in protected areas. It is a small, mouse-like rodent with soft, gray fur, only slightly darker above than below. The ears are short and rounded. The long tail appears mostly naked and lacks a distinct tuft. The skull is delicate, with a long, narrow front part, narrow space between the eyes, and no development of ridges on the braincase. The molars are relatively high-crowned. It has a body mass of 17 to 25.5 g (0.60 to 0.90 oz). (This article is part of a featured topic: Voalavo.)

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Did you know ...

Cippus in the form of a warrior head

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In the news

Naomi Osaka and Novak Djokovic

In Zamfara, Nigeria, 279 girls who had been kidnapped from a secondary school by armed bandits are released.
In tennis, Naomi Osaka wins the women's singles and Novak Djokovic wins the men's singles at the Australian Open (both winners pictured).
Porfirije is enthroned as the 46th Patriarch of the Serbian Orthodox Church.
NASA's Perseverance rover, carrying the Ingenuity helicopter, successfully lands on Mars.

On this day

March 6

Alamo Mission

961 – With the conclusion of the Siege of Chandax, the Muslim Emirate of Crete was conquered by the Byzantine Empire.
1836 – Texas Revolution: Mexican troops captured the Alamo Mission (pictured) in San Antonio from Texian forces after a 13-day siege.
1902 – The Spanish professional football club Real Madrid, one of the world's richest, was founded as Madrid Football Club.
1953 – Following Joseph Stalin's death, Georgy Malenkov succeeded him as Premier of the Soviet Union.
1988 – The Troubles: In Operation Flavius, the Special Air Service killed three volunteers of the Provisional Irish Republican Army conspiring to bomb a parade of British military bands in Gibraltar.

William Claflin (b. 1818)
Camilla Collett (d. 1895)
Sheila Varian (d. 2016)

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Today's featured picture

The Palais Galliera, formally known as the Musée de la Mode de la Ville de Paris, is a museum of fashion and fashion history located in the 16th arrondissement of Paris, France. Following the death of her husband in 1876, the Duchess of Galliera gave land and funds for the erection of a museum to house his collection of paintings and fine art that she proposed to give to the state. The building was completed in 1894, but the collections were in fact donated to Genoa, Italy, where they are now displayed at the Palazzo Rosso and the Palazzo Bianco.

Photograph credit: Joe deSousa

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