Better Than Human

Aye-Aye, The Little-Known (Not Evil) Lemur of Madagascar

November 25, 2020 Jennifer and Amber Season 1 Episode 47
Better Than Human
Aye-Aye, The Little-Known (Not Evil) Lemur of Madagascar
Show Notes

This week on Better Than Human, Jennifer and Amber explore the little-known lemur of Madagascar known as the Aye-Aye. 

But first, the co-hosts bitch about something all women are probably familiar with, and what most women probably find incredibly irritating: mansplaining. Women, you know what we’re talking about. Men, listen and learn. We also ask if growing your own cells in a petri dish, and then eating said cells, is cannibalism, or is it vegetarian?  

Back in the day, before Google (anyone else remember those days?), Amber did a project on Aye-Ayes, and recently was reminded of them from a Top Ten Ugliest Animals list. Are they one of the worlds ‘ugliest’ animals? Jennifer and Amber don’t think so, but will agree that they might have the weirdest looking hands of any animal. 

The aye-aye (Daubentonia madagascariensis) is a long-fingered lemur in the primate family, with rodent-like teeth that continuously grow and fingers specialized for very-specific tasks related to eating.

Sadly, aye-ayes are commonly thought to be bad omens by some of the Malagasy people. The aye-aye is often viewed as a harbinger of evil and killed on sight. Others believe that if one points its narrowest finger at someone, they are marked for death. 

The aye-aye was thought to be extinct in 1933, but was rediscovered in 1957. Recent research shows the aye-aye is more widespread than was previously thought, but its conservation status was changed to Endangered in 2014.

Listen to learn more about why we should save this remarkable species, as well as all the other Madagascar Lemurs.  Do you like aye-ayes? I can't hear you! Aye-aye, Lemur!

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