Endangered Species Guide : Mammals : Animal Planet

Endangered Mammals

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AYE-AYE (Daubentonia madagascariensis)

The aye-aye is a species of lemur, a group of primates with large ears, long limbs and a long body. It has coarse black hair, huge eyes, a pointy nose, and a distinctive elongated middle finger that it uses to extract grubs from tree bark. It is among the most endangered animals in the world due to a combination of habitat loss and persecution (many negative superstitions exist about the aye-aye), but captive breeding programs may help keep this animal from going extinct.

Learn how to symbolically adopt this animal at WWF.

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IUCN Status: Endangered
USFWS Status: Endangered
Major Threats: Habitat loss and persecution
Habitat: Rain forest and deciduous forest, usually in the canopy
Location: Madagascar
Diet: Grubs

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Pictures: AP Photo |

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