An aye-aye hunts in a way no other animal in the world does. It walks along a branch at night, tapping the bark very fast with its long middle finger - around eight taps a second. Its big bat-like ears listen for the slight echo of a hollow space where a juicy grub might be hiding inside the wood.
When the aye-aye hears something, it bites a hole in the bark with its strong front teeth, then sticks that long thin finger inside to hook the grub out. The finger has its own ball-and-socket joint - it can bend in directions no other finger can. It is a built-in fishing rod.
Aye-ayes used to be thought of as bad luck in some old Malagasy stories, because they look so unusual. Today, scientists and conservationists work hard to teach people that aye-ayes are just gentle, clever animals doing their best, and that the island is lucky to have them.
They are very, very rare. They spend their days asleep in nests high up in the trees, only coming out after dark. Even local Malagasy people may live a whole life in aye-aye country without ever seeing one. They are one of Madagascar's biggest hidden treasures.