The Aye-aye (Daubentonia madagascariensis) is a long-fingered lemur that inhabits the rainforests in Madagascar. It is the world’s largest nocturnal primate and has a unique appearance. When first discovered, it was thought to be a type of large squirrel. The aye-aye was finally recognized in the mid-1800s as being a member of the lemur family but was classified in its own group by itself, as its closest lemur relatives are a mystery even today. These incredibly special animals are, however, under severe threat throughout a good part of their natural habitat. By 1980 it was thought they were nearly extinct, mainly because they were killed on sight by local people who believed that it is very bad luck to encounter an aye-aye.
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NocturnalNocturnality is an animal behavior characterized by being active during the night and sleeping during the day. The common adjective is "nocturnal",...
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OmnivoreAn omnivore is an animal that has the ability to eat and survive on both plant and animal matter. Obtaining energy and nutrients from plant and ani...
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CarnivoreA carnivore meaning 'meat eater' is an organism that derives its energy and nutrient requirements from a diet consisting mainly or exclusively of a...
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FrugivoreA frugivore is an animal that thrives mostly on raw fruits or succulent fruit-like produce of plants such as roots, shoots, nuts, and seeds. Approx...
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HerbivoreA herbivore is an animal anatomically and physiologically adapted to eating plant material, for example, foliage, for the main component of its die...
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InsectivoresAn insectivore is a carnivorous plant or animal that eats insects. An alternative term is entomophage, which also refers to the human practice of e...
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ArborealArboreal locomotion is the locomotion of animals in trees. In habitats in which trees are present, animals have evolved to move in them. Some anima...
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AltricialAltricial animals are those species whose newly hatched or born young are relatively immobile. They lack hair or down, are not able to obtain food ...
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Island endemicIsland endemic animals are found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island. Animals or organisms that are indigenous to a place ar...
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ScansorialScansorial animals are those that are adapted to or specialized for climbing. Many animals climb not only in tress but also in other habitats, such...
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TerrestrialTerrestrial animals are animals that live predominantly or entirely on land (e.g., cats, ants, snails), as compared with aquatic animals, which liv...
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ViviparousAmong animals, viviparity is the development of the embryo inside the body of the parent. The term 'viviparity' and its adjective form 'viviparous'...
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PolygynandryPolygynandry is a mating system in which both males and females have multiple mating partners during a breeding season.
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Not a migrantAnimals that do not make seasonal movements and stay in their native home ranges all year round are called not migrants or residents.
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Harbingers Of MisfortuneYoung aye-ayes typically are silver colored on their front and have a stripe down their back. However, as the aye-ayes begin to reach maturity, their bodies will be completely covered in thick fur and are typically not one solid color. On the head and back, the ends of the hair are typically tipped with white while the rest of the body will ordinarily be a yellow and/or brown color. Among the aye-aye's signature traits are its fingers. The third finger, which is much thinner than the others, is used for tapping, while the fourth finger, the longest, is used for pulling grubs and insects out of trees, using the hooked nail. The skinny middle finger is unique in the animal kingdom in that it possesses a ball-and-socket metacarpophalangeal joint, can reach the throat through a nostril, and is used for picking one's nose and eating mucus (mucophagy) so harvested from inside the nose. The aye-aye has also evolved a sixth digit, a pseudo thumb, to aid in gripping.
The aye-aye is native to Madagascar. It inhabits a wide variety of habitats such as deciduous forests, primary and secondary rainforests, cultivated plantations, and sometimes mangrove forests and dry scrub.
The aye-aye is an arboreal and nocturnal animal, spending most of its time up in trees. Although they descend to the ground now and again, aye-ayes eat, sleep, travel, and mate high in the trees and usually are found near to the canopy where the dense foliage provides plenty of cover. During the day aye-ayes sleep in a spherical nest built from leaves, vines, and branches and situated in the fork of tree branches. They come out after dark to hunt for food. Aye-ayes are solitary animals that mark their large home territory with scent. The smaller territory of females often overlaps those of at least two males. A male will generally share his territory with other males and sometimes they can forage in tandem and share a nest (although at different times). They seem to tolerate one another until they hear a female calling, looking for a mate.
Aye-ayes are omnivorous animals. They eat a variety of fruits, nectar, honey, fungi, seeds, larvae, insects, and eggs.
Aye-ayes are polygynandrous (promiscuous) animals, with both males and females having multiple mates. A female ready to mate calls to males, which gather around her and fight aggressively amongst themselves for the right to breed with her. Contrary to a previous belief about a strict breeding season, the aye-aye seems to mate at any time of the year, dependent on when the female is in season. Gestation lasts about five months and one offspring is born. It stays safely in the nest for the first 2 months and is weaned at about 7 months old. It will remain with its mother until the age of two years when it leaves to establish its own territory. It is thought that female aye-ayes are sexually mature at the age of 3 to 3.5 years, and males from the age of 2.5 years.
The biggest threat to the aye-aye is habitat loss through deforestation and the increasing number of human settlements that impact its natural habitat. Aye-ayes are also hunted or killed outright by native Malagasy, as they are regarded both as crop pests and bad omens.
The Evolutionarily Distinct and Globally Endangered (EDGE) resource states that the current number of aye-ayes is unknown. However, an estimate would be 1,000-10,000 animals. Today aye-aye numbers are decreasing and it is classified as Endangered (EN) on the IUCN Red List.
Aye-ayes may help in the dispersal of the fruiting tree seeds which they consume. In addition, they are important predators of the larvae of the wood-boring beetle and may control its populations.
