Aye-Aye

Aye-Aye
アイアイ
Character Data
Romaji		Aiai
Debut		Kemono Friends (2015 Game)
Animal Data
Scientific Name		Daubentonia madagascariensis
Distribution		Madagascar
Diet		Omnivore
Avg. Lifespan		20 to 23 years
Read More		Aye-aye
Conservation

Aye-Aye

Season 2

Festival (Costume)

Pavilion

KF3

Nexon Game

Gallery

Aye-Aye is a type of primate Friend that appeared in the original Kemono Friends mobile game.

Appearance

As the original animal she's based on, Aye-Aye's color palette is almost entirely black except for the pink task she has on her fringe's middle and the two beige spikes on the sides. She wears a red and black cheongsam with red clouds as decoration, on the bottom left. She wears pairs of full-length gloves and high tights along with ballerinas. Because of her hiding skills, she share appearance traits with the shinobis, such as the shurikens she carries inside her tights, or the foulard to hide her mouth. Her hair is cut very close to the head, with the hair left long enough to reach her cheeks with part of it cut to about eyes-level, and with two long ponytails. She has the red eyes, the tail and the ears of an aye-aye.

The only differences in her old design are that she doesn't have a red line around her sleeves and the pattern on her outfit's neck is upside down.

Series Appearances

Appearances In Kemono Friends Media

Media		Role	First Appearance
2015	Nexon Game	↪ Minor character, playable
2018	Kemono Friends Pavilion	↪ Observable character
2018	Kemono Friends Festival	↪ Playable character
2019	Kemono Friends 2 (Manga)	↪ Minor character	Ch15
2019	Kemono Friends 3	↪ Minor character, playable
2019	Kemono Friends 3: Planet Tours	↪ Playable character

In Real Life

Aye-ayes ( Daubentonia madagascariensis) are nocturnal

The aye-aye (Daubentonia madagascariensis) is a lemur, the modern aye-aye lives mostly in rain forests and avoid coming down to earth. But they appears to be adaptable, having been found in secondary growth, mangroves, bamboo thickets and cultivated areas, particularly coconut groves. They spend most of their time in the upper two levels of the canopy, they enjoy the safety of the canopy of the leaves that spread out above them. This gives them the ideal location for creating their nests. [1] [2]

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. 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. Aye-ayes have a varied diet consisting of fruits, nuts, and plant exudates. Breadfruit, banana, coconuts, and ramy nuts are among the favored foods, but bamboo, nectar from the traveler’s tree, lychees, and mangoes may also be consumed. Aye-ayes use their specialized third digit to pierce the outer skin of fruits and scoop out the contents. Wood boring or insect larvae make up another important component of the aye-aye diet. The aye-aye apperently listens carefully for the sound of larvae in decaying wood and often taps the surface of the wood with its long third finger. Smelling may also be involved in finding the larvae. [3] [1]

Aye-ayes are nocturnal and solitary. Most of the daytime is spent sleeping in an ovular nest located in the upper two levels of the canopy. Individuals tend to sleep singly, but may share a nest on occasion, and nests can be occupied by different individuals at different times. Activity begins half an hour before sunset and continues to 3 hours after sunset. Its locomotion through the branchs is much like that of a lemur, but it is less adept in horizontal movements. Vertical climbing is by rapid successive leaps. It frequently descends to the ground and can make long trips there. [3] [1]

The rapid loss of their natural habitat due to encroachment by humans is the main threat to this species. In addition, aye-ayes are hunted or killed on the spot by native Malagasy who see them as crop pests or bad omens. Daubentonia madagascariensis is reported to occur in numerous protected areas, including 13 national parks. Yet despite occuring in a great many protected areas, their presence is often based only on signs and infrequent sightings, so there is little understanding of population size and dynamics. There is an urgent need for a systematic census of this important flagship species throughout its range, with the ultimate objective of developing a conservation action plan for the species. [3] [4]

Trivia

Closeup of the hand showing the elongated digits and the thinner third digit

• 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.

• Many experts believe that they are the only animal in the world other that then Possum with such an unique method of finding food. 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.

References

1. Nowak, R.M. (1999). Walker's Primates of the World (6th ed.). Baltimore, Maryland: Johns Hopkins University Press.

2. "Aye-Aye – Daubentonia madagascariensis". Lemur World.

3. "Daubentonia madagascariensis" by Elizabeth Boucher. ADW : University of Michigan, museum of zoology.

4. . "Daubentonia madagascariensis". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. International Union for Conservation of Nature.