The Aye-Aye in Madagascar: It Pays To Be Ugly
The Aye-aye
It Pays to be Ugly
In this paper, the writer will take on the persona of one of the strangest primates in the world – the Aye-aye. Found only in the forest of Madagascar, this unusual creature said to be closely related to chimpanzees as well as humans is a nocturnal primate under the family of lemurs (Daubentonia madagascariensis). Considered to be giants compared to other lemurs in the island of Madagascar, what makes this primate interesting to talk about is its unique yet strange physical features that in most cases throughout its life in the forest deem very helpful for its biological needs and necessities; however, ironically, as the author will try to discuss, it is these same peculiar features of the aye-aye which seem to be an issue to the local people of Madasgascar, that makes it one of the most endangered primates in captivity today.
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Taking on the point of view of a wild aye-aye in the Madagascar island, the author will aim to discuss what it is like to live like an aye-aye; in terms of its habitat, diet, social relations and the other aspects of a non-human primate in the wild.
Madagascar, considered to be the fourth largest island country in the entire world located in the vast Indian Ocean just several hundred kilometers off the coast of Africa is a country like no other when it comes to biodiversity. An island roughly the size of Texas or France, Madagascar is home to more than 250,000 species of which 70% are found nowhere else on the globe (Wild Madagascar, 2009). If it’s strange and uncommon creatures you seek, you’ll definitely find some here. Indeed, creatures here are very unique and rare that some are believed to be near extinction. In the mid 1900s aye-ayes like me were believed to have been wiped out until recent years there have been lots of us sighted in more places on Madagascar. So, here I am today aiming to explain a night in the life of an aye-aye.
It’s only
It Pays to be Ugly
In this paper, the writer will take on the persona of one of the strangest primates in the world – the Aye-aye. Found only in the forest of Madagascar, this unusual creature said to be closely related to chimpanzees as well as humans is a nocturnal primate under the family of lemurs (Daubentonia madagascariensis). Considered to be giants compared to other lemurs in the island of Madagascar, what makes this primate interesting to talk about is its unique yet strange physical features that in most cases throughout its life in the forest deem very helpful for its biological needs and necessities; however, ironically, as the author will try to discuss, it is these same peculiar features of the aye-aye which seem to be an issue to the local people of Madasgascar, that makes it one of the most endangered primates in captivity today.
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Taking on the point of view of a wild aye-aye in the Madagascar island, the author will aim to discuss what it is like to live like an aye-aye; in terms of its habitat, diet, social relations and the other aspects of a non-human primate in the wild.
Madagascar, considered to be the fourth largest island country in the entire world located in the vast Indian Ocean just several hundred kilometers off the coast of Africa is a country like no other when it comes to biodiversity. An island roughly the size of Texas or France, Madagascar is home to more than 250,000 species of which 70% are found nowhere else on the globe (Wild Madagascar, 2009). If it’s strange and uncommon creatures you seek, you’ll definitely find some here. Indeed, creatures here are very unique and rare that some are believed to be near extinction. In the mid 1900s aye-ayes like me were believed to have been wiped out until recent years there have been lots of us sighted in more places on Madagascar. So, here I am today aiming to explain a night in the life of an aye-aye.
It’s only
References: Cohn, J. P. (1993). Madagascar 's mysterious aye-ayes. BioScience, 43(10), 668-671. Retrieved from EBSCOhost. Lhota, S., Jůnek, T., Bartos, L., & Kubĕna, A. (2008). Specialized use of two fingers in free-ranging aye-ayes (Daubentonia madagascariensis).American Journal Of Primatology, 70(8), 786-795. Retrieved from EBSCOhost. Andriamasimanana M. 1994. Ecoethological study of free-ranging aye-ayes (Daubentonia madagascariensis) in Madagascar. Folia Primatol 62(1-3):37-45. Milliken GW, Ward JP, Erickson CJ. 1991. Independent digit control in foraging by the aye-aye (Daubentonia madagascariensis). Folia Primatol 56(4):219-24. Gron, K. (2007, July 27). Aye-aye (Daubentonia madagascariensis). Retrieved July 27, 2011, from Primate Info Net: http://pin.primate.wisc.edu/factsheets/entry/aye-aye National Geographic Society [ 3 ]. Aye-ayes are nocturnal animals who spend up to 80% of the night feeding and traveling through the forest canopy (Duke Lemur Center, 2011). [ 4 ]. The average size of an aye-aye is 14 to 17 inches (head to body length) and 22 to 24 inches (tail length). [ (National Geographic Society, 2010) ] [ 5 ] [ 6 ]. The Aye-aye aye-aye possesses the largest brain among the prosimians (Gron, 2007). [ 7 ]. Aye-ayes are the only primates whose incisors continue to grow throughout their lifetime (Cohn, J.P, 1993). [ 8 ]. The aye-aye 's tail has the longest hairs of any prosimian at over 9 in. (Simons and Meyers, 2001).