Baboon

True Wild Life | Baboon | Baboons are medium sized primates found in Africa, and are best known for their bright behinds! The two most common species of baboon in east Africa are the olive baboon and the yellow baboon. The baboon is generally found in more forested areas but is also commonly known to wander the African plains. Baboons grow from 0.5 to 1.2m depending on the species, but weigh only around 30kg. The olive baboon tends to grow to a slightly larger size than the yellow baboon. Baboons are also mainly ground dwelling monkeys meaning that they have a more varied habitat than most other primates.

Baboons generally get to about 30 years old but can get to older ages if domesticated. Baboons are the most friendly known monkey towards humans in the east of Africa, but have made a name for themselves as agricultural pests. Baboons live together in troops with only one dominant male baboon for every troop. The other up to 50 remaining baboons are females and baby baboons, that are either female or males that are not old enough to survive without the baboon troops help.

The baboon is a terrestrial and ground dwelling animal and baboons are found in open savannah, open woodland and hills across Africa. The baboon's diet is omnivorous, but mostly vegetarian yet baboons eat insects and the baboon occasionally preys on fish, shellfish, hares, birds, monkeys and small antelopes. Baboons are forager animals and baboons are active at irregular times throughout both the day and night. Baboons can raid human dwellings and in South Africa baboons have been also known to prey on human livestock like sheep and goats.

The baboon's main predators are human beings and the leopard, although the baboon is not easy prey for a leopard and large male baboons will often confront the leopard by flashing their eyelids and showing their teeth by yawning. Baboons have also been seen making gestures, and chasing after the intruder/predator.

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Aye Aye

True Wild Life | Aye Aye | The aye aye is a subspecies of lemur found on the south eastern African island of Madagascar. The aye aye are the biggest nocturnal primates in the world with some aye aye weighing more than 3kg! The aye aye is also one of the few solitary species of primate and therefore hunts alone for grubs and insects.

The aye aye has rodent-like teeth and a long, thin middle finger that fills the same ecological niche as a woodpecker. The aye aye taps on trees to find grubs, then gnaws holes in the wood and inserts its long middle finger into the hole to pull the grubs out. The aye aye is considered to be a near threatened species, possibly even endangered with very few aye aye left in the wild . The second subspecies of aye aye is thought to have become extinct at some point in the past 1,000 years.

The aye aye inhabits the forested and jungle areas of the east side of Madagascar, but the aye aye is also commonly found in bamboo thickets and are occasionally found hunting on the ground.

The adult aye aye has black or dark brown fur covered by white guard hairs on the neck of the aye aye. The aye aye's tail is bushy and shaped similar to the tail of a squirrel. The aye aye is also thought to have a rodent like face that is similar in shape to the face of a raccoon. The aye aye also has big, bright, beady, luminous eyes that help the aye aye to see better in the dark. The aye aye has very large teeth that grow continuously throughout the aye aye's lifespan.

The aye aye's rodent like features contrasted with the aye aye's monkey like body are probably the reason why scientists originally classed the aye aye as a rodent and then re-classed the aye aye as a primate after further studies.

Aye Aye Foot Facts

• The aye aye has large feet in comparison to their body which the aye aye uses to hang itself from tree branches whilst foraging for food.

• The aye aye medium length fingers that have claws on the ends of them that help the aye aye to grip onto branches when its hanging on the trees.

• The aye aye has an extra long and specially adapted middle finger on each hand which has a nail on the end, which the aye aye uses to remove grubs from rotting wood.

• The movement of the aye ayes long middle finger is independent from the other fingers and means that the aye aye is even able to use this finger to drink liquids by moving it quickly between the liquid and the mouth of the aye aye.

• The aye aye moves by walking on all four feet and is able to walk and climb well and is extremely adept at leaping between branches in the trees.

Aye Aye Teeth Facts

• The aye aye uses its sharp front teeth to tear into wood before using the special middle finger to dig the grubs out from beneath.

• The aye aye has sharp incisor teeth at the front of its mouth that grow continuously so that they never wear down.

• The sharp front teeth of the aye aye must be ground down all the time to prevent them from getting too big and the aye aye does this by gnawing on nearly everything it finds.

• The aye aye uses the long middle finger to tap all the way along a tree branch until it hears what it is looking for and then uses the chisel-like teeth to bite a hole in the wood.

• The aye aye is thought to have 25 teeth including the sharp front incisors and the sets of molars that the aye aye uses to chew the food before it eats it.

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