Aye aye
The toothy, long-fingered aye aye is so scary that some people believe it brings evil and death wherever it goes.
Aye aye, Daubentonia madagascariensis
The evil aye aye?
The aye aye (Daubentonia madagascariensis) probably doesn't feel very welcome in Madagascar, where it lives. Locals are afraid of it and kill it on sight. They believe it's evil and a symbol of death and doom.
With its beady eyes, bat-like ears and long, probing fingers, it's easy to understand why local people think it looks like something out of a nightmare.
Freaky teeth and claws
The aye aye's sharp incisor teeth keep growing all through its life. Its fingers and toes are just as strange. Only the first toes have a nail. All the other digits have claws.
Night hunters
Aye ayes have some unusual ways of searching for food:
- They find prey by tapping a log and listening to the sounds the scared creatures inside make.
- Aye ayes use their long middle finger, which is much thinner than the others, to dig grubs out of holes.
- They chew holes through wood to reach their prey.