# Aye-aye (*Daubentonia madagascariensis*)

> The aye-aye is a large nocturnal lemur found only in Madagascar, easily recognised by its bushy tail, rodent-like teeth and long, spindly middle finger. It weighs 2 to 3 kg (4.4 to 6.6 lb) and forages alone at night for insect larvae, fruit, nectar and fungi. Long-lived for a lemur, it can survive 20 to 23 years in the wild. The IUCN lists it as Endangered.

- **Category:** Mammal
- **Conservation status (IUCN):** Endangered
- **Range:** Endemic to Madagascar — eastern and northern rainforests and plantations with remaining native trees.
- **Canonical page:** https://globalanimalguide.org/animals/aye-aye/
- **Last reviewed:** 2026-07-16

## Scientific classification

- **Kingdom:** Animalia
- **Phylum:** Chordata
- **Class:** Mammalia
- **Order:** Primates
- **Family:** Daubentoniidae
- **Genus:** Daubentonia

## Facts at a glance

| Attribute | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Scientific name | Daubentonia madagascariensis |
| Diet | Omnivore — insect larvae, fruit, nectar, and fungi |
| Habitat | Rainforests and coconut plantations of Madagascar |
| Lifespan | 20–23 years in the wild (long-lived for a lemur) |
| Weight | 2–3 kg (4.4–6.6 lb) |
| Top speed | Slow arboreal locomotion; leaps between branches at night |
| Conservation status | Endangered (IUCN) |

## A unique way of finding food

The aye-aye feeds using a method found in no other primate, sometimes called percussive foraging. It taps rapidly along a branch with its slender middle finger and listens for the hollow echo of a tunnel left by wood-boring grubs. Once it locates a cavity, it gnaws a hole with its ever-growing incisors and hooks the larva out with that same thin finger. This tap-and-listen technique fills the same ecological niche that woodpeckers occupy elsewhere in the world.

## Diet beyond insects

Although insect larvae are a signature food, the aye-aye is an omnivore with a varied menu. It also eats fruit, nectar and fungi, and is fond of the seeds inside ripe coconuts and ramy nuts, which it opens with its powerful teeth. This flexible diet allows it to survive in both native rainforest and human-planted coconut groves. Its taste for cultivated crops occasionally brings it into conflict with farmers.

## Anatomy and senses

The aye-aye grows to around 0.9 m (3 ft) including its long, bushy tail, which is often longer than its body. Its most extraordinary feature is the elongated, almost skeletal middle finger, fitted with a ball-and-socket joint that lets it swivel freely. Large, sensitive ears give it acute hearing for detecting grubs beneath bark, and its huge eyes are adapted to gathering light on moonlit nights. Unusually among primates, its front teeth never stop growing, like a rodent's.

## Behaviour and lifestyle

Aye-ayes are strictly nocturnal and spend the daylight hours asleep in a spherical nest of leaves and twigs high in the canopy. They are largely solitary, moving slowly through the trees and leaping between branches to cover their large home ranges. Males range more widely than females and their territories often overlap, though individuals usually forage alone. They are surprisingly long-lived for a lemur, reaching over two decades in the wild.

## Why it is endangered

The aye-aye is listed as Endangered by the IUCN, threatened chiefly by the clearing of Madagascar's forests for farming and timber. It also suffers from direct persecution, because some local traditions regard the animal as an omen of bad luck and kill it on sight. Its slow reproduction, with females raising a single infant every two to three years, makes it hard for populations to recover. Protected reserves and captive-breeding programmes now play a key role in safeguarding the species.

## Frequently asked questions

### What is an aye-aye?

The aye-aye is a nocturnal lemur native to Madagascar and the world's largest nocturnal primate. It is famous for its long, thin middle finger, which it uses to fish grubs out of tree bark.

### Why does the aye-aye have such a long finger?

Its elongated middle finger is a specialised feeding tool. The aye-aye taps on branches to find hollow tunnels made by insect larvae, gnaws a hole in the wood, then uses the thin finger to hook the grubs out.

### What do aye-ayes eat?

Aye-ayes are omnivores. They eat insect larvae, fruit, nectar and fungi, and are especially fond of coconut flesh and the seeds inside hard nuts, which they crack open with their strong, ever-growing teeth.

### How long do aye-ayes live?

Aye-ayes can live 20 to 23 years in the wild, which is unusually long for a lemur. In captivity, well-cared-for individuals may live even longer.

### Are aye-ayes endangered?

Yes. The aye-aye is classified as Endangered by the IUCN. Habitat loss across Madagascar and killing driven by local superstition are the main threats to its survival.

### Where do aye-ayes live?

Aye-ayes live only on the island of Madagascar. They inhabit rainforests and, increasingly, coconut plantations, where they spend the day sleeping in leaf nests high in the trees.

## Sources

- [IUCN Red List — Daubentonia madagascariensis.](https://www.iucnredlist.org/search?query=Daubentonia%20madagascariensis&searchType=species)
- [Animal Diversity Web — Daubentonia madagascariensis. University of Michigan Museum of Zoology.](https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Daubentonia_madagascariensis/)

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Source: Global Animal Guide (https://globalanimalguide.org/animals/aye-aye/). Licensed CC BY-NC 4.0 — free for non-commercial reuse with attribution.