Aye-aye

(Daubentonia madagascariensis)
By Justin Degutis Period 8 APES

The Aye-aye (Latin name: Daubentonia madagascariensis) is the worlds largest nocturnal primate. Its coat has coarse hair that is black or brown flecked with white from longer guard hairs. It also has a long bushy tail which is longer than the length of the body. Aye-ayes have huge, leathery bat-like ears and large yellowish-orange eyes. They have long and narrow fingers with curved claw-like nails. The middle finger on each hand is much longer than the others and is skeletal in appearance. The make up of this creature is comprised of many unique adaptations, making it one of the most bizarre-looking animals on the planet. The origin of the common name Aye-aye is unknown but there are proposed beliefs. One belief is that the name is the direct result of European naturalists who claimed to hear the animal make the distinct sound aye aye! This is now known to be false. Another belief on the origin of the name is in regard to the Madagascar natives. Although the dialect of Madagascar (Malagasy) has almost disapeared, it is proposed that Aye-aye might be derived from from "heh heh," which is Malagasy for, "I don't know." The natural habitat for the Aye-aye is Madagascars primary and secondary rainforest, deciduous forest, and dry scrub forest. Due to deforestation however, Aye-ayes are being increasingly found in cultivated areas. In the rainforest, Aye-ayes spend the majority of there life in the canopy, at an elevation of roughly 700 meters. They sleep during the day in small nests made in the forks of trees. The behavioral aspects of the Aye-aye prove to be especially interesting. One aspect is that the Aye-aye is nocturnal and has especially strange feeding habits. It feeds primarily on sweet fruits; this is why they prove to be a nuisance to farmers. The Aye-aye was once thought to be a solitary creature but its is now known that the territories of these creatures overlap, and when encountering each other Aye-ayes often act socially with one another. Males territories

tend not to overlap with more than a few other Aye-ayes, they tend to be passive unless competing for a mate in which case they get very aggressive. Another very interesting behavioral quality of the Aye-aye is the females are dominant to males. The Aye-aye is endemic to Madagascar, meaning that this is the only location on earth in which it is found. Until recently, not much information was available on the distribution of this creature. It was believed to be limited to one area and be very nearly extinct. However it is now known that Aye-ayes live in low densities throughout the eastern rainforest belt in Madagascar. They are also found in the dry forests of the northwest and west part of the island. There are many reasons for the endangerment of the Aye-aye. By far the greatest contributor is deforestation, which forces the creatures into cultivated regions. This is especially bad because many native villages in Madagascar see the Aye-aye as a bad omen that signifies death. The result of this is often beating and the killing of this poor creature. The safety of these creatures is also greatly jeopardized by farmers. As previously mentioned, the Aye-aye has a strong liking of sweet fruits. This makes crops such as coconuts and sugar cane especially appetizing to them. Many farmers stakeout their cropland and upon discovery of the nocturnal animal, kill them to protect the future of their crops. Efforts are being made to conserve the endangered species. They are listed on Appendix I of CITES. Aye-aye populations are known to exist in 16 protected regions of Madagascar, nine Aye-ayes were also introduced to Nosy Mangabe Special Reserve, an island off the northeast coast of Madagascar. The hope is that a breeding colony will be formed. Throughout the world, there are roughly 45 Aye-ayes in captivity and efforts are underway to establish breeding programs for the creature. So, although the current situation for the Aye-aye may appear to be bleak, there is certainly hope for the future.

Citation:

Unknown. 2010. Aye Aye . The Animal Files [Internet]. [cited 2010 Dec 12]; 10:32. Available from: http://www.theanimalfiles.com/mammals/primates/aye_aye.html Unknown. 2010. 294. Aye-aye (Daubentonia madagascariensis) . edgeofexistence.org[Internet]. [cited 2010 Dec 12]; 10:37. Available from: http://www.edgeofexistence.org/mammals/species_info.php? id=16