Developmental Timeline of Wild Aye-Aye ( Daubentonia madagascariensis ) Infants in Kianjavato and Torotorofotsy, Madagascar

Wild aye-ayes ( Daubentonia madagascariensis ) are notoriously difficult to study due to their solitary and nocturnal nature. While research is starting to elucidate the behaviors of wild adult aye-aye, an understanding of behaviors in young aye-ayes is still lacking. We studied the behavioral development of two male aye-aye subadults in Kianjavato, Madagascar from June 2015 to October 2017 and October 2017 to December 2019, and two male offspring in Torotorofotsy, Madagascar, from August 2016 to December 2017 and September 2018 to May 2020. We then compared this information to previous studies on captive infant development. Wild infant aye-ayes first emerged from the nest between two and three months old. Traveling between trees occurred between four and four and a half months old. First attempts at foraging for invertebrates in a woody substrate occurred between five and eight months. Though nursing was rarely observed, the event was witnessed as late as 17 months for one aye-aye. The earliest solo nesting occurred at 18 and a half months of age, and the latest at 23 months old. As with other primates, wild aye-ayes develop more slowly than their captive counterparts. We conclude that their protracted life history is likely associated with their percussive foraging behaviors and importance of invertebrates in their diet.