Aye-Aye

Daubentonia madagascariensis

A strange-looking nocturnal lemur that taps on trees with a long, thin middle finger to find grubs inside.

Checking teacher reviews…

Teacher? Sign in to review this page →Report a mistake

About the Aye-Aye

Aye-ayes live across Madagascar in rainforests, dry forests and plantations, spending most of their time high in the treetops. They have long, coarse dark fur, large ears, yellow-orange eyes and a bushy tail. Their third finger is long, thin and bendy. They eat fruit, nuts and seeds, using that finger to scoop out the insides of fruit.^[1]

Quick facts

Scientific name: Daubentonia madagascariensis^[1]
Size: Body about 14 to 17 inches, plus a long bushy tail.^[1]
Lifespan: Over 23 years in human care.^[1]
Diet: Fruits, nuts, seeds, nectar and wood-boring insect larvae.^[1]
Habitat: Rainforest, deciduous forest, plantations and sometimes dry scrub and mangroves.^[1]
Where it lives: Throughout Madagascar.^[1]
Group life: Solitary and nocturnal.^[1]
Conservation status: Endangered (IUCN Red List, assessed 2018).^[2]

Fun facts

Aye-ayes tap on wood to find grubs hiding inside.^[1]
An aye-aye's middle finger is long, thin and bendy.^[1]
They sleep in round nests high in the trees.^[1]

Vocabulary

percussive foraging: Tapping on something to find food hidden inside.
larva: The young stage of an insect that looks different from the adult (plural: larvae).
omen: A sign that people believe tells the future.
nocturnal: Active mainly at night.
endangered: A conservation label meaning a species faces a very high risk of dying out in the wild.

See it in person

Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo and AquariumOmaha, Nebraska · Hubbard Expedition MadagascarSee this area on the zoo's website ↗

Sources

[1] Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan. “Aye-aye (Daubentonia madagascariensis).” https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Daubentonia_madagascariensis/ (accessed 2026-10-02)
[2] IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. “Daubentonia madagascariensis (Aye-aye).” https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/6302/115560793 (accessed 2026-10-02)

Facts last checked 2026-10-02.

More Lemurs

A black-and-white ruffed lemur with golden eyes resting on a branch.

Black-and-White Ruffed LemurVarecia variegataThe largest lemur, a critically endangered fruit-eater of eastern Madagascar's rainforests that raises its babies in nests.Blue-Eyed Black LemurEulemur flavifronsOne of the world's most threatened primates, a blue-eyed Madagascar lemur whose males are black and females are orange.

A white Coquerel's sifaka with brown patches clinging to a tree trunk.

Coquerel's SifakaPropithecus coquereliA white-and-brown lemur of northwestern Madagascar that leaps between trees and hops sideways on the ground.

A crowned lemur peering out from between tree trunks.

Crowned LemurEulemur coronatusA small, fruit-eating lemur of northern Madagascar whose males and females look so different they were once easy to tell apart at a glance.Gray Mouse LemurMicrocebus murinusOne of the smallest primates in the world, a tiny, big-eyed lemur that weighs about two ounces.Mongoose LemurEulemur mongozA small, gray, critically endangered lemur of northwestern Madagascar and the Comoro Islands that can switch between day and night activity.

A red ruffed lemur with a black face and tail standing on grass.

Red Ruffed LemurVarecia rubraA critically endangered orange-red lemur with a black face and a thick neck ruff, found only on Madagascar's Masoala Peninsula.

A gray-brown red-fronted brown lemur clinging to a tree.

Red-Fronted Brown LemurEulemur rufifronsA fruit-eating Madagascar lemur whose males and females are different colors, and one of the few lemurs not led by females.

A ring-tailed lemur drinking from a pond with its black-and-white striped tail raised.

Ring-Tailed LemurLemur cattaAn endangered primate of southwestern Madagascar with a black-and-white striped tail, female-led troops and a love of sunbathing.