Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: chordate
Class: Mammal
Family: Daubentoniidae
Order: Primate
Genus: Daubentonia
Species : Aye-Aye
All subspecies: No known subspecies
Existence : 55-60 million years
Living relatives : none
Ancestors : Plesiadapis
Physical description : coarse, shaggy black fur with a mantle of long white-tipped guard hairs. They have a round head, large triangular ears, yellow-orange eyes and a pink nose. They have long digits with long curved claws except for the big toes
Key characteristics : bushy tail that is larger than their body. They also feature big eyes, slender fingers, and large, sensitive ears.
Size: 12-16 inches
Weight : 5 pounds
Life span : Lifespan in the wild is unknown but aye-ayes have lived 23 years in captivity
Difference between males and females: The male aye-ayes live in large areas up to 80 acres, while females have smaller living spaces that go up to 20 acres
How much rainfall: lots, live in rainforest
Plants: Seeds. Canarium spp - seeds. Terminalia catappa, Nectar and flowers. Traveler's tree (Ravenala madagascariensis) - nectar and flowers. Banana flower, Fruits. Ficus tree, Bark and cankers. Intsia bijuga - cankers.
Animals: Sifakas, Fossa, Comet moth, Coua, Lemurs, Giraffe weevil, Chameleons
Temperature: captive temperature of 63º – 82º F
Terrain: rainforests along the east coast of Madagascar as well as the deciduous forests of the west
Continents found: Africa
Invasive?: Aye Aye are not invasive species
What do they eat?: seeds, nuts, fruits, nectar, plant exudates and fungi, but also xylophagous, or wood boring, insect larvae (especially cerambycid beetle larvae) and honey
How often?: 10% of time spent in search for food
How does it get all of its food?:The aye-aye listens for echoes to find hollow areas in the trees, a method called percussive foraging. Once an individual has found a hollow part of a tree, it gnaws into the bark and uses its middle finger to hunt for grubs and insects inside the tree
Any special foods:the aye-aye can also be found eating seeds, fungi, and fruits, which makes it an omnivore.
Packs or solo: Though foraging is usually solitary, they occasionally forage in groups
Roles within community: play an important role as predators of wood-boring beetle larvae.
Male or female led: females dominate, and males remain confined until copulation concludes.
Individuals that make up groups:
How they interact with others:Aye-ayes are generally solitary except for mating pairs and females with offspring. They may tolerate others foraging nearby but females often demonstrate aggression toward other females. Both males and females establish and scent mark territories.
How often they mate: Females are only receptive to mating every 2-3 years due to extensive parental investment.
How many mates: Individuals may have multiple partners, females mate with multiple people
Time of year: Aye-ayes have no fixed breeding season
Number of offspring: single offspring
Unique characteristics to mating: Females advertise their receptivity with loud vocalizations to attract nearby males and will mate with several males during the estrus period. Aye-ayes mate for up to two and a half hours hanging upside down from a branch.
Stages of development: Remain in or near the nest for 2-3 months after birth, Social and motor skills develop slowly, progressing more quickly on leaving the nest, Unsteady locomotor skill until > 2 months of age, Achieve full locomotor skills by c. 9 months, Begin solid food c. 3 months, Lose baby/milk teeth c. 20 weeks of age, Weaned by 28 weeks (c. 6-7 months) of age, observation of individuals in managed care, Growth rapid; nearly adult in size by 4-5 months
How old before sexual maturity: Average age at sexual or reproductive maturity (female): 2.5 years
Difference between males and females:Males cluster around a female; sleep and forage in proximity, Male ranges overlap; no overlap in female ranges. Males regularly visit the ranges of females
Predation: Humans, the Fossa and Birds of prey are all predators to the Aye Ayes
Sexual competition: The males compete for females as she calls them
Disease: A mysterious affliction has killed four endangered aye-ayes
Inter-species within the species: None
Inter- species with other species: None
What do they compete over: compete for the limited number of dead trees in rainforest
Affect of invasive species: Aye-aye numbers are decreasing and their populations are severely fragmented. Compared to other lemur species
What is the rating: Near threatened
Population: between 1,000 and 10,000 Aye Ayes left in the world.
Population trend: Listed as Endangered on the IUCN Red List, Aye-aye numbers are decreasing and their populations are severely fragmented
Impacts that have occured: Forests on Madagascar are being cleared for sugar cane and coconut plantations as well as the logging industry. Due to loss of their usual habitat, aye-ayes sometimes raid crops and may be killed by farmers
Potential future impacts: Human population growth and expansion and rainforest destruction cause the loss of aye-aye home ranges.
How long have humans been interacting: Humans haven't been known to interact with the Aye Aye due to how man y diseases they carry
Efforts being made to minimixe impacts:A number of breeding and conservation programs