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Aye-aye - DAUBENTONIA MADAGASCARIENSIS
Endangered
Class: Animals with Milk Glands (Mammalia)
The word "Aye-aye": "Aye-aye" is from the Malagasay word "aiay," which is probably an imitative word for the sound it makes.
Description: The aye-aye's coat consists of a short soft white inner layer overlaid by extremely long, coarse blackish brown hairs, resulting in paler areas here and there, especially on the snout and the underside of the body. Both hands and feet have long tapering fingers and toes, with the third finger on the hand particularly long and slender - almost skeletal. All the digits have pointed, curved clawlike nails except the first, which has a flat nail. The dentition is like that of the rodents, with incisors which grow as they are worn down, and a broad space where the canines would normally be found, which separates the incisors from the premolars. Length of head and body about 18 in, tail another 22 in, weight about 4.5 lbs.
Location: Eastern Madagascar.
Habitat: Arboreal. Forest, bamboo forests, mangrove swamp, dry scrub forest, and cultivated areas (especially coconut groves).
Behavior: This nocturnal animal sleeps hidden among vegetation or in tree hollows. In late afternoon, hopping from branch to branch, it hunts for larvae, beetles, and certain other insects. The conspicuously long and slender third finger is used to extract larvae from beneath the bark of trees and, together with its specialized incisors, enables the aye-aye to get at coconut meat. It lives alone or in pairs.
Reproduction: In February or March the female gives birth to a single young.
Go to the Primates Page to learn more about the other man-like animals.
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