A young aye-aye learns to forage by watching it's elder eat.Photo by David Haring, Duke Lemur Center Photographer and Registrar
The next step will be stealing mom's food, and that is okay among aye-aye. In fact, even unrelated aye-aye will allow young to take food from them. This leniency continues into the young aye-aye's teen-aged years.
So Ichabod has plenty of time to learn the intricacies of tap foraging - the process by which aye-aye tap branches listening for hollow spots that may contain tasty insects. When those large ears pick up the hollow sound, an aye-aye can use it's incisors to pierce the wood and reach in with its specially designed digit to scoop out bugs or other taste treats.
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How cute! Ichabod is growing up so fast- By the time I get to visit NC (whenever that may be) and actually see him, he'll be all grown up!
ReplyDeleteAye-Ayes are such incredible animals. When I first got into lemurs I didn't really like them , but now I adore them! They really are beautiful animals once you get used to them. :)
Eden, I hope you do get to come and see Ichabod. If you look on the Duke Lemur Center website and go under Animals, you can hear a recording of aye-aye vocalizations. The "eeep" sound Ichabod makes when he "wants his momma" is very dear. Okay, the scientists probably describe it differently, but to a communications person, it is very dear.
ReplyDeleteI know what you mean about coming to like the way aye-aye look. The first one I saw in real life was startling. It was dark. The aye-aye was dark. I knew there stories about aye-aye and bad luck, and my thought was, "I can see why!" But look at that young aye-aye's face in the photo. Now that is endearing! Great eyes. Cute mouth. And those ears!
There are fantastic post.
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