OOW 15 - Aye-Aye
The scientific name for this organism is Daubentonia madagascariensis, but it is commonly called and “Aye-aye”. The taxonomic classifications are as follows:
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: MammaliaÂ
Order: Primates
Family: Â Daubentoniidae
Genus/Species: Daubentonia
The Aye-aye is a species from the Lemur family from the rainforests of Madagascar. Its the largest primate in the world, and its also the most unique looking animal due its possessive looking body. The body and long tail are covered in shaggy black or dark brown fur with a thin layer of of white hairs which helps them to blend in to the forests in the dark. The aye aye has very large eyes, a pointed face, a pink nose and rodent-like teeth. Aye-aye’s also have large ears with help for hearing predators when they come around. They have long body limbs with sharp pointed claws at the end of each finger.Â
Aye-ayes usually live in costs forests of eastern and northern Madagascar. Since 1983 their population numbers have increased because before 1983, they were thought to be extinct.Â
Aye Ayes have a very strict breeding season, depending on the when the female comes into season. When a female is ready to mate she calls to male Lemurs who are known to gather around her and will fight aggressively between one another for breeding rights.Â
After a gestation period that lasts for about five months, an infant is born and spends it's first two months in the safety of the nest, not being weaned until it is at least 7 months old. Young Aye Ayes will stay with their mother until they are two years old and leave to establish a territory of their own. A female Aye Aye is thought to be able to start reproducing when she is between 3 and 3.5 years old where males seems to be able to do so at least 6 months earlier.
The Aye Aye is an omnivorous animal that feeds on other animals and plant matter. Males are to cover distances of up to 4 km a night in their search for food, feeding on a variety of fruits, seeds, insects and nectar. Once the Aye Aye has detected it's prey it uses it's sharp teeth to get a hole into the wood. The Aye Aye is also known to use this long digit to eat eggs and coconut flesh and is thought to be the only primate to use echolocation when searching for food.
Fun fact: Aye-ayes have a third eyelid
Link:
http://a-z-animals.com/animals/aye-aye/?r
http://ipfactly.com/aye-aye/
