Short-fingered aye-aye (SciiFii)

The short-fingered aye-aye (Protochiromys vulgaris) is a basal species of aye-aye (Daubentoniidae) that originally did not exist, but has since been created by SciiFii and introduced throughout the rainforests, wetlands, forests, and open woodlands across the island of Madagascar to help boost biodiversity. The male short-fingered aye-aye has a body between 25 and 37 centimetres (9.8 and 14.6 inches) long with a tail between 36 and 40 centimetres (14 and 16 inches) long. The females has a body between 25 and 34 centimetres (9.8 and 13.4 inches) long with a tail between 36 and 47 centimetres (14 and 19 inches) long. Males weigh between 550 and 1,400 grams (19 and 49 oz) and females weigh between 550 and 1,200 grams (19 and 42 oz). Young short-fingered aye-ayes typically are silver colored on their front and have a stripe down their back. However, as the short-fingered aye-ayes begin to reach maturity, their bodies will be completely covered in thick fur and are typically not one solid color. On the head and back, the ends of the hair are typically tipped with bright chestnut brown while the rest of the body will ordinarily be a deep brown color. Unlike the common aye-aye (Daubentonia madagascariensis), the short-fingered aye-aye lacks a thin, elongated third finger, making its hands resemble those of typical primates, and its incisors do not continuously grow throughout its life, thus its teeth are like those of other primates. As a basal aye-aye species, the short-fingered aye-aye's diet includes insects, seeds, fruit, young leaves, flowers, gum, shoots, nectar, spiders, lizards and bird eggs. On at least one occasion one was seen eating a bat, although it does not appear to hunt bats oftenly. Short-fingered aye-ayes are crepuscular, or more active during the early and late hours of the day, and tend to avoid the heat in the middle of a summer day. The short-fingered aye-ayes do not hibernate at any time of the year. The short-fingered aye-aye often feeds and moves in mixed species groups with ring-tailed lemurs and brown lemurs (Eulemur). It also associates with the ruffed lemurs (Varecia). Like many other lemur species, the short-fingered aye-aye is a social species that lives in troops of up to around 25 members. Breeding is typically synchronized within each group. Males gain weight in the upper portion of their bodies and become more aggressive prior to mating season. Females do not appear to initiate mating. Gestation period is about 5 months, and all infants within a group are typically born within one week of each other during January or February. Males provide no parental care, but non-maternal females provide some alloparental care. Infants are weaned at about 6 months. Females are sexually mature at about 2 1/2 years, and males are fully mature at 4 or 5 years. Short-fingered aye-ayes can live more than 20 years. The conservation status of the short-fingered aye-aye is Least Concern due to successful conservation efforts, the short-fingered aye-aye's wide range and its tolerance to many of the human activities.
Category:Animals
Category:Species
Category:SciiFii