Where to start when looking at the world’s weirdest animals? Do you go by appearance, behaviour, or perhaps just its name?  Let me introduce to you the Aye-aye, which qualifies on all three criteria.  Although it may look like one of the evil creatures out of the movie Gremlins,  these animals are harmless, and even friendly to humans.

 

The Aye-aye (Daubentonia madagascariensis) roams around forest canopies in Madagascar. It has large rodent-like teeth and a long, thin middle finger which basically works the same way a woodpecker’s beak does, tapping into soft branches and tree trunks to find food. Of course, the finger, which can grow to three times the length of its other fingers, could also come in handy while driving in places like New York City.

 

This little bushy-tailed fellow, which can grow to about 15 inches in length and averages a weight of 5-6 lbs, is the largest nocturnal primate on the planet. It sleeps in daytime in nests built in trees. When hungry, the animal taps on trees in search of grubs, then gnaws holes in the wood, sticks its middle finger in the hole and pulls the insects out. The omnivores also enjoy nuts, seeds, fruits and fungi among other things.

 

Female Aye-ayes are slightly smaller than males and can give birth at any time of the year, often waiting 2-3 years between births. A baby takes about seven months to be weaned and stays with its mother for two years even though they mature quickly. The males usually reach full maturity within 18 months while females generally take an extra year. The animals’ lifespan isn’t really known, although one of these critters reached its 23rd birthday while in captivity.

 

The Aye-aye is bit of a loner, usually foraging in its own personal territory, but recent studies found they are more social than originally thought. If territories overlap they are usually social with each other. 

 

The males like their space and live in areas up to 80 acres in size. Females usually make do with about 20 acres. Just to let each other know whose territory it is, the animals leave scent marks on trees and landmarks from scent glands in their cheeks, necks and genitals.

 

The creatures are definitely not monogamous, often competing with each other for mates. The males are quite brave when it comes to this and have been known to pull another male off a female right in the middle of mating sessions. Aye Aye males are quite responsible chaps, staying close by until the baby is born and has matured a little. Outside of mating though, males and females don’t hang around together too often, prefering to stay separate and hunting for food alone.

 

The females often play with their newborn for a few months and introduce the babies to neighbouring Aye Ayes when they are ready to start socializing.  Like most primates,  young Aye Ayes wrestle with each other and generally enjoy romping around like human kids.

 

When fully grown, the animals often stroll around without a care in the world and can sometimes be found walking right up to people in the streets. They have also been known to be quite bold, raiding coconut plantations and stealing villager’s food.

 

The animals were once thought to be extinct, but were rediscovered in 1961. Unfortunately, they are now endangered because their habitat is being destroyed. Due to local superstition, which regards the Aye-aye as being a symbol of death, they are often cruelly killed on sight.

The Aye-aye seems to be a harmless little animal, but its features and traits definitely allow us to call it one of the world’s weirdest.