The Aye-Aye or Daubentonia madagascariensis, is the largest nocturnal primate in the world. It is also the only primate known to use echolocation to find its prey: grubs in rotting trees. In addition to these interesting “onlys,” it is the most endangered mammals in Madagascar.
The Fascinating, and Strange, Aye-Aye
Aye-Ayes live for around twenty-three years in the wild and during that time will grow to be 40 centimeters in length and two kilos. Their long slender fingers are used to find their aforementioned food. They will tap their fingers on the tree, listening for hollow spaces. They then use their specially adapted slender fingers to extract the larvae from the holes.
They live in the rainforests and mangrove swamps of eastern Madagascar. These are truly unique animals will soon disappear if we do not act to stop the excessive deforestation of Madagascar.
What a cute little critter! Another good reason to work for biodiversity and the protection of all species!
By: montucky on April 24, 2008
at 12:49 am
What an amazing creature. Love the hair-do.
By: Bobbie on April 24, 2008
at 4:33 am
Love it – totally alien-looking
By: Adam R. Paul on April 24, 2008
at 2:49 pm
wow…. this looks like something off the Hobbit! Amazing guy… I wonder sometimes if the idea of wood fairies and myths of that nature comes from someone seeing something like this in the forest and attaches human qualities to it… Great post!
By: aullori on April 24, 2008
at 10:16 pm
Gotta love aye-ayes! I remember when I was a student at Duke one was born at their lemur center. It was big news at the time.
I went on tours at the lemur center there, but of course we didn’t get a chance to see it.
By: calevphoto on April 25, 2008
at 3:10 am
there hot
By: summer on September 15, 2008
at 7:38 pm
[...] During our last night, we decide to go out on a night hike. In the forest, we meet an aye-aye, a strange creature whose long fingers help it eat grubs stuck in dead trees (see my feature article on Aye-aye: http://scienceguy288.wordpress.com/2008/04/23/wildlife-wednesday-aye-aye/). [...]
By: Virtual Africa Trip: Post 10: Madagascar « Science & Soul on June 15, 2009
at 9:01 pm