This creature lives in the bamboo thickets of Madagascar. Zoologists attribute it to mammals from the order of semi-monkeys. It was discovered by the naturalist Pierre Sonner during his work on the shores of Madagascar. His name is aye-aye, or the Madagascar little arm. Let's take a look at this unsightly, but very funny creature in more detail.
What kind of animal is this?
Aye-aye, or simply aye-aye, is a mammal related to a special kind of lemur. The arm is the only species from the family of the same name. Nevertheless, outwardly, she is completely different from her fellow lemurs, or from monkeys in general. Scientists note that the Madagascar arm (a photo of this unusual semi-monkey is presented in the article) is closer in its relationship to squirrels or cats. Even with its size, the animal resembles a domestic cat.
Who discovered the little arm?
This single species of the family of the same name was discovered in 1780 by the explorer Pierre Sonner. Thishe accidentally discovered an amazing semi-monkey while doing research on the western coast of Madagascar. The researcher described this hitherto unseen creature as a rodent, but soon the scientists decided to change the classification of the arm.
Who is she - a rodent or a lemur?
The taxonomy of the Madagascar bat has been repeatedly called into question: there have been long scientific disputes about the place of aye-aye in zoology. For example, its peculiar structure of teeth and squirrel tail indicated that the little arm should be attributed specifically to tropical rodents. So it was, but not for long. Scientific disputes regarding the classification of this animal flared up constantly.
As a result, scientists agreed that the Madagascar little arm (photo No. 2) is not a rodent, but a real lemur, albeit somewhat deviated in development from the common trunk of its group. By the way, the name of the subfamily (genus) of these animals was given in honor of the French naturalist Louis Jean-Marie Daubanton, who lived in 1716-1800.
What does a little arm look like?
The animal is covered with brown-black hair, has a long and fluffy tail. A distinctive feature of this animal is its elongated fingers (look at the photo ah-ah). The color of this creature is predominantly brown, speckled with white. The length of the arm reaches only 40-44 centimeters (without a tail). The latter is strikingly similar to the tail of a squirrel. It is curious that in length it is much larger than the arm itself and reaches 60 centimeters. The weight of the animal is about 3 kilograms.
The Madagascar little arm has a wide muzzle with a shortened front part. It is located on a large head, which is decorated with dark and large eyes of bright yellow or greenish colors. The ears at the handle are oval in shape, they are completely devoid of hair and have a leathery structure. As already mentioned, the body of the animal is covered with long brown-black hairs. The wool of the arm can not be called thick, since the undercoat is clearly visible from under it. This animal has two nipples in the groin area.
The front legs of these creatures are short, and the hind legs are a little longer. On the big toes of both feet, ay-aye grows a single true nail, resembling a human. On all other fingers and toes, these unusual animals grow ordinary claws. Like monkeys, they have an opposable fifth toe. The long fingers of the forelimbs help them get insects and their larvae from tree cracks or other hard-to-reach places and push them down their throats.
Where does this creature live?
As you can see from the name of the animal, ah-ah, or the Madagascar little arm, inhabits the island of Madagascar, and to be more precise, its northern part. Lives directly in tropical forests and is the largest representative of the so-called nocturnal primates. By the way, this species is listed in the Red Book as endangered, but more on that later.
What does the Madagascar bat eat?
These creatures feed on fruits, coconuts, mangoes, as well as insect larvae and largebeetles. The teeth of the arms are very similar to the teeth of rodents and are located in the oral region in the amount of 18 pieces. The incisors of these animals are curved and large. They are separated from the molars by a significant gap.
It is curious that after the change of the so-called milk teeth, the fangs of the aye-aye do not remain, but the incisors themselves continue to grow throughout the life of the animal. It is the front incisors that serve to gnaw through the nut peel, as well as the bark of the thick stems of certain plants. When the fruit is bitten, the Madagascan miter begins to pick out its flesh with its long and thin fingers.
The life style of the little hands ah-ah
This animal is nocturnal. The daylight of the rukonogi from Madagascar is tolerated very poorly, and sometimes even painfully. Scientists who conducted experiments on these creatures found that he simply scares the little hands. As soon as the sun sets, the animal comes out of hiding, starts to frolic and grunt cheerfully. At this time, the little arms randomly jump through the trees in search of food. The photo ah-ah clearly shows this. But as soon as the sun rises, night animals immediately scatter to their shelters.
Where are they hiding?
As shelters, aye-aye prefer hollows that are not too high from the ground. Zoologists note that sometimes these creatures can live in nests specially built by them. Sleeping Madagascar arms, like lemurs, curled up in a ball. At the same time theycovered with their beautiful fluffy tail. Their lifespan in nature is unknown, but in captivity they can live up to 25 years.
Another discovery by scientists
For a long time, zoologists were sure that the little hands are hermits, that is, they live alone. Not so long ago, this was refuted by the fauna researcher Elinor Sterling. Initially, scientists believed that these creatures searched for food one by one, but Sterling, who studied the behavior of mites in nature, proved that aye-ayes move in search of food in pairs.
How does it happen. Both animals travel one after another in exact sequence. If, for example, one of them wants to jump onto the nearest tree, he will definitely notify his friend about this with a certain sound, and he, in turn, will dutifully follow him. The same pairs are formed by females with males during their mating games.
Reproduction of mites
Madagascar bat breeds very slowly. Females bring only one cub every 3 years! At the same time, their pregnancy lasts 5.5 months. For a newborn baby, the female equips a large nest, which is lined with soft bedding. For about six months, a small ah-ah is fed with mother's milk, after which it switches to independent nutrition. But even at this time, the cub still stays with its mother.
Protection of little hands
Unfortunately, the number of these unique animals leaves much to be desired. As a result of the constant cutting of the tropics, these animalsremained in the minority. At one time, they were even considered completely exterminated, since it is rather difficult to meet ay-ayes in nature due to their nocturnal lifestyle. Fortunately, scientists have found that the population of bats has not disappeared from the face of the earth.
At the same moment, the members of the International Union for Conservation of Nature came out in defense of these creatures, supporting Dr. Jean-Jacques Petter with his initiative to turn the island in Antongil Bay into a kind of sanctuary for bats, blocking access to it from tourists and local residents. So they did. In 1967, four males and five females were released to this island, which took root there perfectly. Animals in this reserve began to multiply, which was the reason for the creation of another 16 nature reserves in Madagascar to save the aye-aye.
However, the protection and salvation of little hands from extinction is not limited to this. These animals needed and continue to need more careful protection, therefore they were listed in the Red Book. Fortunately, their numbers have grown in recent years. Currently, rukonoki are kept in large quantities in nature reserves. In zoos around the world, there are about 60 of these creatures.
Is the Madagascar bat tamed?
- At home, of course, you can keep this creature, but it is not recommended. As you already know, these are nocturnal animals, which means that the little arm and its owner will be, as it were, "out of the way." When the owner is asleep, the animal is awake. And vice versa. If we take into account thatthe fact that the diet of rukonoki must necessarily contain not only tropical fruits, but also live insects (and their larvae), then at night it will not be so easy to provide your pet with such a “ration”!
- Don't forget that the Madagascar bat is a resident of the southern island of Madagascar, which means that it needs a mild and warm climate, which in Russian realities will not be so easy to do.
- Because these creatures cannot tolerate daylight, they will need to be kept in the dark at all times in case they suddenly wake up during the daytime. Otherwise, you will scare your pet. In zoos where ay-ayes are kept, they have all the necessary conditions. In domestic realities, this is unlikely to be done, so it is better not to torture either the animal or yourself.
Interesting facts
- It is the Madagascar little arm played in the popular cartoon "Madagascar". There, her name is Maurice, and she is the wise advisor to the eccentric and boastful king of the lemurs. In addition, the same ah-ah named Maurice is found in some seasons of the animated series "Penguins of Madagascar".
- Many scientists and ordinary people who have seen rukonoki live compare them with a cartoon black cat belonging to the famous witch from W alt Disney's fairy tale. Some people see these animals as some aliens from outer space. There are those who believe that the Madagascar ai-ai arm (photo above) is the real embodiment of evil, concentrated in Madagascar devils called ai-ai.
