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Description
Aye-ayes (Daubentonia madagascariensis) are the largest nocturnal lemurs alive today and without a doubt the most bizarre. First of all there are the typical massive eyes shared by other nocturnal primates. Then there are its hands. Aye-ayes have incredibly specialised hands, with two fingers being particularly elongated. While the fourth finger, the longest, is around as thick as the others, the third finger is incredibly thin, giving it a somewhat unsettling appearance. These two, together with the rodent like teeth, show this lemur’s adaption. In essence, the aye-aye fills the ecological niche of woodpeckers on Madagascar. They use their fourth finger to tap on wood, listening for echoes indicating the chambers of grubs living beneath the bark. If they find one, they bite open the bark with their teeth and use their thinnest finger to fish for the grub. Other than that the diet of this primate is varied, including fruits, seeds and fungi. With an appearance like this, it’s no wonder that there are a plethora of myths and legends surrounding the animal. Many of which depicting this harmless animal as an omen of death. The details vary, some saying seeing it is an omen, others say that it points at the person that will die, and others again say it will actually kill people itself. Sadly one possible consequence of these superstitions is that in some areas aye-aye’s are killed on sight.

Description
Aye-ayes (Daubentonia madagascariensis) are the largest nocturnal lemurs alive today and without a doubt the most bizarre. First of all there are the typical massive eyes shared by other nocturnal primates. Then there are its hands. Aye-ayes have incredibly specialised hands, with two fingers being particularly elongated. While the fourth finger, the longest, is around as thick as the others, the third finger is incredibly thin, giving it a somewhat unsettling appearance. These two, together with the rodent like teeth, show this lemur’s adaption. In essence, the aye-aye fills the ecological niche of woodpeckers on Madagascar. They use their fourth finger to tap on wood, listening for echoes indicating the chambers of grubs living beneath the bark. If they find one, they bite open the bark with their teeth and use their thinnest finger to fish for the grub. Other than that the diet of this primate is varied, including fruits, seeds and fungi. With an appearance like this, it’s no wonder that there are a plethora of myths and legends surrounding the animal. Many of which depicting this harmless animal as an omen of death. The details vary, some saying seeing it is an omen, others say that it points at the person that will die, and others again say it will actually kill people itself. Sadly one possible consequence of these superstitions is that in some areas aye-aye’s are killed on sight.