🐾 LandCare difficulty: AdvancedLegal complexity: High — restricted in many states
Aye-aye
Daubentonia madagascariensis
The aye-aye is a bizarre nocturnal lemur with rodent-like teeth and an elongated middle finger used to extract grubs from wood. Endangered by habitat loss and killing driven by superstition, it is one of Madagascar's most unusual and threatened primates.
Educational only. KinStation content is reviewed by licensed veterinarians but cannot replace an in-person exam. Always consult a licensed veterinarian or board-certified specialist for diagnosis, treatment, or any decision affecting your pet's health.
🩺 Need expert help with your aye-aye?
Connect with a specialist near you or ask a licensed vet — never substitute online guidance for hands-on care in an emergency.
Quick facts
| Size | Large nocturnal lemur ~30-40 cm body plus longer bushy tail. |
| Lifespan | 15–23 years |
| Native region | Madagascar |
| Climate | 🌴 Tropical |
| Genus | Daubentonia |
Habitat & enclosure
Lives in a range of Madagascan forests, foraging at night high in the trees. Deforestation reduces its habitat, and in some communities it is killed on sight due to a belief that it brings bad luck. It is strictly protected and CITES-listed; this profile is conservation/education only.
Diet
An omnivore specializing in wood-boring insect larvae, which it locates by tapping branches and listening, then extracts with a thin, elongated finger — a foraging method called percussive foraging found in almost no other mammal. It also eats nuts, seeds, fruit, and fungi.
Behavior & temperament
Solitary and nocturnal, its strange appearance and unique finger fill a woodpecker-like ecological niche absent in Madagascar. Combating superstition-driven killing and protecting forest are the keys to its conservation.
Reviewed and signed off by: KinStation Editorial — conservation profile (pending DVM/biologist review)