Aye-aye
Daubentonia madagascariensis
Weight: About
3 kg
Habitat:
It is mostly arboreal, prefers moist tropical forest and is dependent on
large forest trees.
Age to Maturity: Probably more than 2 years for females and more
than 1 year for males.
Gestation Period: About 170 days.
Birth Season: Year round.
Birth Rate: Probably every 2 – 3 years.
Maximum age: 23 years (captivity).
Diet: It
eats insect larvae, fruits, nuts, fungi and crops such as mangos, sugarcane
and coconuts.
Threats: When
loss of its forest habitat led the aye-aye to invade plantations, animals
were killed when they raided villagers' crops. In Madagascar it is regarded by some
as a harbinger of death and killed when sighted.
