The Aye-aye

Known for being the world’s largest nocturnal primate, the Aye-aye is one of the more interesting of lemurs found in Madagascar, with its way of finding food being most its most notable trait.

As a lemur, the Aye-aye’s features mirror the base physical characteristics which have defined lemurs as a whole, but it is unique with a thin middle finger that simply stand out from its hand, along with a set of rodent like front teeth.

With the use of its rodent like front teeth, the Aye-aye finds grubs by gnawing holes on wood, then uses its long and thin middle finger to pick and pull the grub out. There are only two known creatures which find their food this way, the Aye-aye and the Striped Possum.

With its eating habits likened with that of woodpeckers, the Aye-aye and the woodpecker are typically viewed from a similar ecological point of view, in the sense that they both hollow out grubs from trees.

Aye-ayes are typically found alone, which has led experts to conclude that they are solitary. Adult Aye-ayes are known to sport a thick coat of multi-hued fur, but they are generally born with a silver-hued coat of fur, that is complemented with a stripe that runs down their back.

Most Aye-aye measure up to three feet in length, with their tails generally as long as the rest of their bodies are. Though they are considered to be the largest type of nocturnal primate, it is their long and thin middle finger which has made them popular as an intriguing and interesting member of the lemur species.

Aye-aye Video