Diet and Foraging
Aye ayes are omnivores, meaning they eat both meat (which, in this case, is grubs) and plant matter. A long list of food is consumed, including seeds, sap, eggs, fruits, and much more. The aye aye's middle finger is a large part of the everyday search for a meal. It not only scoops the soft, edible insides out of fruits, but is ideal in this incredible creature's nightly searches for grubs. Every evening aye ayes all across Madagascar crawl from their nests and set out to find dinner. They are mostly nocturnal, meaning they sleep during the day. When an aye aye finds a satisfying foraging site, such as a dead tree, they begin tapping the trunk rapidly (eight times per second), pressing their ears to the bark and using echolocation to find cavities inside the wood, and, with luck, grubs in those cavities. If a tasty morsel is found, the hunter will leap into action, tearing into the wood with sharp, ever-growing teeth and using their spindly third digit as a sort of hook, stretching it into the hollow area and snagging their find with sharp claws. Unfortunately, deforesting is making this process more and more difficult, as well as searching for fruit. Aye ayes are sometimes even forced to steal sugarcane, mangoes and lychees from villages and farms, which, because of nasty legends and, strangely, very little fear of humans, may result in their death.
Many other foods are also eaten in captivity. Apples, oranges, pomegranates, potatoes, pears, honey, and mixed nuts are enjoyed in zoos and lemur centers. Wax worms sealed inside tubes are provided as well to encourage natural foraging habits.
Many other foods are also eaten in captivity. Apples, oranges, pomegranates, potatoes, pears, honey, and mixed nuts are enjoyed in zoos and lemur centers. Wax worms sealed inside tubes are provided as well to encourage natural foraging habits.