Ugdorable? Aye Aye, Sir!

Thanks to Zooborns for the news that a baby aye-aye has been born at the Philadelphia Zoo!

The aye-aye is a nocturnal prosimian (the same family as the much less ugly lemurs). Their keepers seem generally to have a sense of humor about them, which you see in the names they give their charges: this little guy is called Smeagol and his mom is Medusa.

For more info on the aye-aye and his relatives, check out the Duke Primate Center.


-Wombat (No Relation)

Aye-Aye Vision

I've heard the occasional rustling in the ivy that's overgrown by backyard fence. When I've gone out to investigate the noise, I am usually greeted with the green reflection of a pair of possum eyes staring at my flashlight. But if I caught a glimpse of this eating from my gnarly-fruit tree, I'd call my realtor the next day and relocate.

I've borrowed this aye-aye shot from the good folks over at Zooillogix. In their post, they write about a scientist who believes he may be coming close to proving that these nocturnal primates are able to see in color in the dark. I really hope they can. I'll be the first in line to purchase the first commercially available set of aye-aye night vision goggles (I would call them the Aye-Eyes).

Thanks for the link, Casey.

Photo source: Zooillogix

A distinctive digit

The aye-aye is one of the ugliest and strangest of primates. A nocturnal lemur, it has a curious adaptation in the form of an elongated middle finger which is perfect for holding on to a coffee cup - No, wait. There are no paper coffee cups in the wild in Madagascar, so although that fellow at the Duke Lemur Center has found a civilized use for his unique digit, that can't be right, can it?

Right. In fact, what the aye-aye does is use its finger to tap on trees to find cavities within them that might contain tasty grubs. It uses its teeth to dig into the cavity, and then the long finger fishes out the food.

The finger is extremely sensitive to vibrations, and now some scientists have discovered that it has another unusual property. When the aye-aye is searching for food, the finger heats up by several degrees, but is much cooler at other times. In the thermal image, you can see that the finger is black - cooler than the rest of the animal - when it's not in use:

It remains to be determined exactly what the mechanism is for heating and cooling the finger, but as for reason, the researcher says "Like any delicate instrument, it is probably best deactivated when not in use."

Knock Knock

Lemurs can be goofy looking creatures. The aye aye is one of the ugliest. This four-pound, nocturnal creature hails from Eastern Madagascar.

Take a look at those paws. See how one of the fingers is extra big, and one is extra skinny? That is because they roam around in the dark, knocking on tree trunks with those big fingers. Once they come across a hollow sounding spot, they dig their skinny digit in to extract grubs to grub on.















Photo courtesy: www.di-link.com.

Aye ayes are the only primate known to use ecolocation. They tend to live solitary lives, but are sometimes found in pairs. We believe that is a testimony to their ugliness. They cannot abide each other's appearance, even in the dark.

Bad Omen

Kat sent me this article of an aye aye that was born in a zoo in Bristol, UK. This is a very rare occurrence, and is a happy event. These little lemurs have been hunted to near extinction on their native Madagascar. It seems the locals on that island see them as a bad omen.

Come on locals. Stop with the hunting. The only precautions you have to take are not to feed them after midnight, and never, ever get them wet.

Photo source: SF Gate

Ugly Song and Dance

I've been saving this for a special occasion. I wasn't sure what that occasion would be, but now I know: it's to wipe from your mind the horrifying image of that wasp in the last post.

These are some Japanese children singing about the aye-aye. I'm not sure what they're saying other than some stuff about its long tail and round eyes, but I know that it's perfectly charming and innocent and there are no giant insects involved whatsoever.

You're welcome.
-Wombat (No Relation)

My Esteem

I think nearly every photo I've posted on the Aye Aye is of the same creature, just in different poses. I may have to travel to Madagascar myself to get some new images. But based upon what I've seen on this blog, I'm afraid to go there.

I'm willing to pay someone to go there for me. But I don't pay in 'money', only 'esteem'. And that's priceless.

Thanks for the photo, Kelly

How About It?

The aye-aye (daubentonia madagascariensis) has some very interesting qualities. But as far as looks go, they wouldn't be that horrific--until you look at those hands/paws. They look like something out of a werewolf flick. Or maybe a weremonkey movie. How about it, Hollywood?

Thanks for the link, Chris.

Photo source: WildMadagascar.org

Thanks, Madagascar

The island of Madagascar produces a disproportionate amount of ugly animals, for which I will be forever grateful.

Take this aye aye, for instance. This little primate looks more like the invention of a low-budget movie set rather than a highly-specialized primate. Those big ears are for hearing the grubs that its long fingers will dig out for food. In this little guy's defense, he isn't supposed to be attractive. He's nocturnal. It was us that brought him into the spotlight.

Thanks for leading us to this photo, Chris.