title: Aye-ayes: specialists on structurally defended resources.
abstract: During the course of a 2-year field study on aye-ayes (Daubentonia madagascariensis), data were collected on dietary composition, food acquisition and structural properties of food resources. Aye-ayes in this study sampled remarkably few species from a variety of food types. A majority of these resources were heavily structurally defended and therefore difficult of access for other mammals. Aye-ayes used their modified finger and anterior teeth to harvest most of these resources.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anthropology, Yale University, New Haven, Conn.
authors.forename: E J
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: Sterling
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004435:Eating; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D005385:Fingers; D005523:Food Supply; D005658:Fungi; D007313:Insecta; D007814:Larva; D007900:Lemur; D006109:Poaceae; D012639:Seeds; D014070:Tooth; D014197:Trees