aye-aye
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aye-aye
Aye-Aye
(Daubentonia madagascariensis), a mammal of the suborder Lemuroidea; the sole representative of the family Daubentoniidae. The body length is 40 cm, and the tail length is 60 cm. The head is large, with a short snout and large and leathery ears. The tail is bushy. The coloration of the coat ranges from dark brown to black. There is one pair of mammae, in the inguinal area. The hind legs are longer than the front legs. All the digits have claws, but only the big toe has a flat nail. The middle finger, which is very slender and long, is used to remove insects from cracks in tree bark and similar places. There are 18 teeth, and the large front teeth are ever-growing.
Aye-ayes inhabit thickets in the rain forests of eastern Madagascar. They are nocturnal animals that live singly or in pairs. Aye-ayes feed on mangoes, coconuts, the pith of bamboo and sugarcane, and arboreal beetles and grubs. They sleep in tree hollows or nests. Their numbers are very few.