by, Jan Fenimore

This is a creature that lives high in the trees

where he eats and sleeps and travels with ease

and hides safely in the leaves, if you please.

He has a unique way of finding food

by tapping like a woodpecker on the wood

of trunks and branches in his neighborhood.

To state he’s odd looking is easy to say

with bulging orange eyes and fur that’s gray

and bony long fingers for catching prey.

He moves about only at night

which keeps him out of a predator’s sight

since he doesn’t want to be anyone’s bite.

He has sharp teeth that continue to grow,

he’s like a lemur which is good to know

and can hang from a tree by his toe.

More Fun Aye-Aye Facts

Did You Know?

The aye-aye species exists only one place on earth, Madagascar, which is a large island off the coast of east Africa and the home to many unusual creatures.

Aye-ayes live in the tops of trees in rain or deciduous forests. Their diets consist of fruit, seeds, nectar, fungi, and insect larvae.

Their bodies are adapted to their environment with long fingers to tap on tree trunks or branches and pull out insects from inside the tree.

They have large ears to hear the sound produced by the tapping of hollow branches where they insects reside. Once found the aye-aye chews through the wood to get to the insects.

Their teeth wear down from this activity but continue to grow to replace what’s been worn away.

They have large eyes to help with night vision. Full grown, the aye-aye is about 3 feet long with a tail as long as the body.

They are nocturnal and more solitary than not.

About the Author

Jan Fenimore is a member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators. She has been published in various magazines. She also has a self-published multicultural novel, Chitra’s Secrets, available on Amazon.

Her children’s fiction has won or placed in numerous contests, most recently 5^th place in Institute of Children’s Literature poetry contest.

Jan also has a picture book coming out in 2019 and another coming out in spring of 2020.