What Fruits Do Aye-Ayes Eat? The Aye Ayes are opportunistic feeders which feed both on fruits and insects to meet their dietary requirements. Here, we will help you discover the kinds of fruits the Aye-Ayes feed on but before we go into answering the question, we will make you understand their dietary preferences.
Aye-Ayes are Opportunistic Feeders
The Aye-Aye are not limited in the type of food they feed on, their food includes insects and their larva which they extract from bark of trees using their unique prolonged middle finger.
They also feed on plant base food item such as fruits, nectars and seeds. Their fruit consumption is not only important in their nutrition but also good food the ecosystem.
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What Fruits Do Aye-Ayes Eat?
Aye-Aye consumes fruits using the incisor teeth to eat deep into the fruits’ flesh, then gain access to the fruits’ nutritious interior with the help of their strong jaw.
There are varieties of fruits the Aye-Aye feed on in Madagascar where they are found, these fruits are from native trees and they include: Mango, Rambutan, Lychee, Tamarind, Ramy, Papaya, Mamey Sapote, Guava;
Also, Kiwifruit, Breadnut, Fig, cashew, Durian, Jackfruit, Sugar Apple, Bananas, Longan, Soursop, Avocado, orange, Custard apple and others.
Aye-Aye Critical Role
The Aye-Aye plays an important role of seed dispersal in the ecosystem. After feeding on the fruits, the seeds are excreted, aiding seed dispersal and tree regeneration in their ecosystem.
Dietary and Survival Challenges
The population of Aye-Aye are decreasing due to deforestation, loss of habitat and hunting activities in Madagascar.
In some part of Madagascar, they believe that the presence of Aye-Aye brings about bad luck and death, thereby leading to their killings and destruction of their habitat.
These are some of the numerous challenges faced by the Aye-Ayes despite the fact that their feeding habit is flexible which should ease their survival.