Tap, listen and open
The aye-aye, Daubentonia madagascariensis, is a lemur from Madagascar. One of its feeding methods starts with a particular sequence: it taps wood with its middle finger and listens. The Duke Lemur Center describes how this exploration helps it locate cavities associated with the larvae it seeks.
Its teeth then come into play. The animal opens the wood with its incisors and uses the slender, flexible finger to reach and extract its prey. Seen separately, these features can look odd. Watched during feeding, they become parts of a specialisation.
More on the menu than larvae
Reducing its entire diet to insects would be a mistake. The Lemur Conservation Foundation also documents seeds, fruit and other plant resources. Diet and feeding opportunities need to be understood in relation to the places where the animal lives.
Its appearance does not make it a rodent, either: it is a primate. Resemblance between its incisors and those of other animals does not replace biological classification. It is a useful reminder that a first visual impression can lead us to the wrong conclusion.
Look with curiosity
The foundation notes that aye-ayes occupy different habitats in Madagascar and can be difficult to observe. A broad distribution within the island does not mean they are abundant everywhere or that their conservation is assured.
For Stranger Animals, the interest lies in that gap between appearance and function. The finger that first catches our eye stops looking arbitrary once we learn how it is used. Understanding the animal adds something to the illustration: a reason to pause, look more closely and ask questions before judging.