Aye-aye

The Aye-aye is found only one place in the world. On the Island of Madagascar, this rarely seen animal lives exclusively, and although it doesn’t look like an ape of any kind, its related to a chimpanzee as well as a human.

The Aye-aye is dark brown or black in color and has a huge bushy tail that’s actually much larger than its own body.

The Aye Aye is very secretive, living in the trees all its life
The Aye Aye is very secretive, living in the trees all its life

They have very large eyes, and long slender fingers, as well as huge ears. Each finger features a long pointed claw, except for two, their big toes, that will permit them to dangle from a branch looking downward.

The Aye-aye will spend its whole life in the rain forest trees, and does its best to avoid ever coming down to earth.

Being nocturnal they spend their daytime hours curled up in a tight ball , in a nest that is also ball shaped, built of tree leaves and branches.

Their nests look a lot like a closed circle, with one single hole to enter and leave and are stuck in the fork of many large trees.

While they are perched in the tree, they will tap on it with their long fingers and listen for insects, such as wood boring larvae, that are moving around under the bark. They then take that very long middle finger to dig the larvae out, scooping them, as well as the fleshy part out of coconut and fruits that they eat besides the insects.

The Aye-aye breeds once each year, presenting one tiny blind hairless infant, which matures slowly.

For one reason or another the people of Madagascar have always considered the Aye-aye to be a bad omen, believe it brings bad luck to families and have for many years killed them on sight.

Because this was based on superstition , today they are protected by law.

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