The Aye-Aye—A Misunderstood Monster
November 2, 2015 Monster Monday
The bizarre appearance of Madagascar’s nocturnal (active at night) aye-aye is likely at the root of its undeserved evil reputation. With its round amber eyes, large naked ears, and boney fingers, many people consider the aye-aye one of the world’s ugliest animals. Even worse, villagers on the island nation off the east coast of Africa are said to fear the native aye-aye as a symbol of bad luck and a harbinger of death.
Folktales claim that if the witch-like aye-aye points its elongated middle finger at a person, death will soon follow. In reality, the aye-aye’s odd features go against the actual shy and gentle nature of this harmless animal. The odd features are actually well suited for the aye-aye’s unique lifestyle as one of the strangest of all primates. Primates are the group of mammals that includes monkeys, apes, and human beings. The aye-aye is the only species in the family Daubentoniidae. Its scientific name is Daubentonia madagascariensis.
The cat-sized aye-aye has large front teeth that grow continuously, like rodent’s teeth. In fact, zoologists at first thought that the aye-aye was a rodent. The aye-aye’s teeth are useful for opening the hard-shelled ramy nuts that make up much of its diet. They also eat insect grubs that burrow into trees. Aye-ayes climb about in trees, ears pointing forward, tapping the branches with a thin, elongated middle finger. When the tapping reveals a hollow sound, the aye-aye knows a juicy grub is buried within. The aye-aye uses its sharp front teeth to gnaw through the bark and wood and its slender middle finger to spear the grub, which is quickly eaten.
Once thought to be nearly extinct, the aye-aye may be one of the most endangered animals in the world. Scientists do not know how many aye-aye there are in the wild, as they are difficult to observe at night and high in the trees. The government of Madagascar protects aye-ayes with laws that forbid hunting them. However, habitat destruction, poaching (illegal hunting), and superstitious killings continue to endanger this misunderstood animal’s survival.