Aye-aye
| Aye-aye |
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| Scientific Classification |
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| Binomial Name |
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Daubentonia madagascariensis |
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| 2 aye-aye's |
The Aye-aye is a specialized primate known by the scientific name Daubentonia Madagascariensis. Their species name is based only them being found only in Madagascar. They are the biggest nocturnal primate in the world. It has a unique adaptation which is its middle finger that can rotate 360 degrees. It stays in trees and eats insects and larvae which live within the tree as they gnaw poke and listen to their prey. They reproduce year round and give birth to 1 baby at a time. They have varied in being endangered, extinct and very populated multiple times. They are mostly hunted by humans but are also hunted by birds and fossa (cat-like, carnivorous mammal). [2]
Body Design
The body design of the Aye-aye is odd but also very acute for their survival. The Aye-aye has constantly growing teeth so that as they gnaw on wood they don't completely grind them away. They have a specialized third digit in their hands so that they can dig within the tree. They are the largest nocturnal primate in the world. Which means they are only active at night time. They have a light colored face, brownish colored fur with longer guard hairs which are lighter colored at the end, leathery ears, and have bright yellowish eyes.[3] The Aye-aye can reach from 14-17 inches, But its tail is longer than its body, becoming 24 inches alone. From their head to the end of their tails they can be from 36-41 inches long. It can also weigh up to 4 pounds altogether.[4]
Life Cycle
The aye aye reaches its sexual maturity at around the age of 3 years old to 3 1/2 years old.[5] There is no specific reproduction season for the aye aye. They reproduce year round, and the female vocalizes when she is ready to mate with them. There is great competition among males to mate with the female aye aye. She may end up mating with multiple males within one estrus period. Once she is pregnant the gestation period is 160 days(around 5 1/2 months). This is relatively long compared to the other primates. Once she gives birth the baby aye aye stays in the nest for the first 2 months. They are completely dependent upon the mother for milk in the first 7 months. The males stay with the mother for a little more than a year, but the female stays with the mother for just over 2 years.[6]
Ecology
The aye aye is found only in Madagascar. The aye aye spends most of its time in a nest high up in a tree. They often change locations due to predators. They use twigs and things to build the nest. The main predators of the aye aye are the fossa and birds, but humans are big ones too. They live alone and don't come together with other aye ayes unless they are mating.
Different Facts
The only place in Madagascar where the aye aye isn't found is in the southwest region of the island. They were thought to be extinct but as they found them more and more in the mid 1900's they became one of the most reproduced primates besides the humans. There were some aye ayes taken to the university of Duke as they were almost becoming endangered. They have fluctuated in population.
Video
True facts about the aye-aye.
References
- ↑ Wilson, Don. [1] Wikispecies. Web. Last edited 11 September 2013, at 12:32.
- ↑ KJ, Gron. [2] Primate Info Net Web. Last Edited November 21, 2011.
- ↑ Garbutt, Nick. [3] arkive.org. Web. Last Updated November, 2010.
- ↑ Softschools.com. [4] softschools.com. Web. Unknown 2005-2014.
- ↑ Softschools.com. [5] softschools.com. Web. Unknown 2005-2014.
- ↑ FlashDaWeb. [6] bioweb.uwlax.edu. Web. Unknown.
