Creature Feature

Aye-Aye

Fast Facts

• Scientific name: Daubentonia madagascariensis

• Part of the Lemur family

• Weight: 5.5 lb • Length: 12–15 in

with 17–21 in tail

Feeding Mechanism

• Taps on trees to find grubs

• Gnaws holes in the wood

• Inserts its elongated middle finger to pull the grubs out

• Middle finger can be up to three times longer than the others

Habitat

• World's largest nocturnal primate

• Lives in forest canopies• Natural habitat is

rainforest or deciduous forest

Distribution

Only found in Madagascar

Conservation

• Endangered species because its habitat is being destroyed

• Also due to native superstition.

• Besides being a general nuisance in villages, ancient Malagasy legend said that the Aye-aye was a symbol of death.

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kpkXHX_7ju0