Aye-aye

Daubentonia madagascariensis

Fascinating Facts

• Aye-ayes are the world’s largest nocturnal primates, and a type of lemur.
• They tap on trees to find grubs, then gnaw holes in the wood using their forward slanting incisors to create a small hole in which they insert their narrow middle finger to pull the grubs out.
• This type of feeding strategy is called percussive foraging.
• The aye-aye is an endangered species because of habitat loss as well as native superstition. Ancient Malagasy legend said the Aye-aye was a symbol of death so people frequently kill them on sight.

Habitat/Diet

Rainforests and deciduous forests of Madagascar. They eat animal matter, nuts, insect larvae, fruits, nectar, seeds, and fungi, classifying them as an omnivores.

Status in the Wild

Endangered – IUCN 2014

Range

Fragmented pockets of low population density across coastal Madagascar.

Location in the Zoo

Mammals Zone of the Sculpture Learning Plaza