Of all the Lemurs in the world, the Aye-Aye Lemur is the largest primate that is nocturnal. Some may think that it is not a primate. It is often though to be a Muskrat or some type of larger rodent due to the physical characteristics that it displays.
There are a couple of characteristics relating to the body of the Aye-Aye Lemur that are very different from other species. First, they have a very long middle finger that extends several inches beyond that of their others. They use this as a means of finding food. We will talk more about that later on.
They also feature teeth that at every long and sharp. These teeth continue to grow for their entire lives as well. In captivity special care has to be taken to ensure they don’t get too long. They have to be given items to naturally file them down as they have in the wild. Otherwise there is the risk of dental problems and decay which reduce the overall quality of life.
The coat of the Aye-Aye Lemur is often black in color. There are often those that feature a dark gray coloring though. All of them have thick fur which is hard to understand given the fact that they do live in very warm regions all year long.
They use their senses to help them to survive. They are able to find food and to avoid danger due to their sight and their smelling abilities. The scary look of them though has been a problem for them since the beginning of time. In many cultures the people consider the aye-aye an omen of ill luck.
While we don’t know much about the evolution of Lemurs as a whole, there are certain questions that only pertain to the Aye-Aye Lemur. They have a very different method of finding food. That involves their long middle finger. What occurred that resulted in this species needing such a benefit?
Many experts believe that they are the only animal in the world other that then Possum with this ability. It could have been a lack of food that caused this evolutionary change to occur for them. They needed a means of getting the food source which was the grubs. The longer finger allowed that to happen and ensured the survival of this particular Lemur species.
The other big mystery about the Aye-Aye Lemur has to do with the shape of their teeth. Why do they turn inward for this species but no others? Why do they need that benefit when there diet is no different from that of other Lemur species?