Aye-aye/Daubentonia madagascariensis:
The Aye-aye is one of the Lemur species, and some say the most endangered. The Aye-aye is only found in Madagascar.
"Drawings copyright Stephen D. Nash / Conservation
International. Used
with permission".
Madagascar has many unusual plants and animals unique to the island. Separated from Gondwanaland, about 60 milllion years ago, it has developed into the most ecologically diverse area on the planet.
The unique characteristic that the Aye-aye has is that it taps wood to locate cavities under the surface. Its skills are so well developed that it can tell holes containing grubs from those that are empty. It is the only known mammal known to use such a technique.
Size:The Aye-aye has a body length of 36 to 44cm and a tail length of 50 to 60cm.
Weight:Adult Aye-ayes weigh about 2kg.
Distribution:Aye-ayes are only found in the wild in Madagascar, throughout eastern, northern and northwestern Madagascar. It adapts itself to primary and secondary rain forest, deciduous forest, secondary growth, and dry scrub forest. It is also sometimes found in cultivated areas, particularly coconut groves.
In the past, Aye-ayes enjoyed a greater distribution range within Madagascar, and had denser population structure.
Appearance:Aye-ayes are the size of a large cat. They have long, bushy tails and a shaggy brown coat. They sometimes also resemble rodents with a pair of enlarged front teeth , large eyes and huge bat-like ears.
Aye-ayes also have an exceptionally long middle finger with which it uses to find food.This specialized finger does the tapping and the big ears relay the nuances of sound to the brain. So sensitive is this specialized form of sonar that the ayeaye can detect grubs 2 centimeters below the surface of the wood. Once a grub has been located, the aye-aye tears into the wood with its forwardcurving, chisel-like teeth. The incisors are remarkable for a primate, for they keep on growing, just like those of rodents. When the grub-containing chamber has been reached, the long, narrow middle finger is inserted and the grub is retrieved.
Behavior:The Aye-aye is an elusive and nocturnal animal, thus is hard to spot. The Aye-aye is also thought to be a solitary animal as individuals are most often recorded. Its need for large trees in which to build its daytime nests, makes it very vulnerable to deforestation.
Diet: The Aye-aye is highly specialised for feeding on insect grubs excavated from rotting wood. Aye-ayes also eat fruits, principally coconuts, plant galls, adult insects and small vertebrates.
Lifespan:One captive specimen lived for 23 years and 3 months.
Why is it endangered:Destruction of habitat through logging and conversion to agricultural use. The Aye-aye is also killed by humans as it raids crops and because of local superstition that it is a vermin and a bad omen.
Conservation: The number of Aye-ayes today in Madagascar is unkown but it is thought to be in decline.
The first aye-aye born outside Madagascar for more than a century was born at Duke University Primate Center in North Carolina in April 1992.
The Aye-aye is
considered bad luck by local people and is often killed on sight. In the past the Aye-aye was protected by a local belief that anyone who harmed one would die within one year . But now, the belief has slowly died away making the Aye-aye very invulnnerable to humans.
What is even more interesting is a comparison of the aye-aye with many of the woodpeckers. Many woodpeckers also employ percussive foraging, have special bills for chiselling, and possess very long, spiny tongues for extracting grubs. In other words, the aye-aye is a primate that occupies the niche of a woodpecker.
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