Aye-aye Pod

We are wrapping up our sifaka season with Malagasy scientist and conservationist, Mamy Razafitsalama. Mamy’s work in and around Ankarafantsika National Park, which serves as critical habitat for Coquerel’s sifakas in the wild, recently earned him the 2023 Whitley Award for conservation. We were so honored to hear about Mamy’s work studying sifakas in the wild and leading community-based conservation to protect the habitat Coquerel’s sifakas call home. Links to learn more: Watch Sir David Attenborough presenting Mamy as the 2023 Whitley Award WinnerPlanet MadagascarLive from Madagascar with Planet Madagascar

Sifakas are beautifully adapted to their environment. Dr. Elaine Guevara studies the source of these adaptations in the genetic code of sifakas (and other primates). Elaine shares how she traveled a complex path to get to Duke University and primate evolution – including a stop by the bug department. Now she’s a lecturer in Evolutionary Anthropology, a researcher at the Duke Lemur Center, and a molecular primatologist! Links to learn more: Profile of Elaine’s research and teachingElaine’s research on sifaka leaf-eatingElaine’s research on the genetics of lemur dietsElaine’s research on sifaka diversity

Why don’t you see sifakas in most zoos across the US? How do we plan which sifaka have babies, and where those babies will live? DLC Animal Curator Britt Keith not only manages the sifakas living at the DLC, but also collaborates to manage captive Coquerel’s sifakas on an international scale, and she’s here to answer all of our sifaka population management questions. Links to Learn More: Read a DLC Staff Spotlight on BrittWatch Britt in the sifaka transport feature “To Europe, Two by Two”Read about Britt in this feature on women in leadershipRead about Britt in the DLC annual magazine

Lemurs can really move. Like jumping-dozens-of-feet-from-tree-to-tree move. Like Tigger on a trampoline move. Dr. Gabe Yapuncich is a researcher at Duke University who is fascinated by this feat of lemur feet. He’s studied lemur bones and watched living lemurs launch off force plates at the Duke Lemur Center to understand how lemurs leap and hold themselves up in a tree, all to sort out the origins of these adaptations in our oldest primate relatives. Links to learn more: Gabe’s Research PageSifaka hopping on the ground like TiggerSifaka leaping through the trees!3D Scans on MorphoSourceGabe’s paper on primate ankles

Ever wondered what a lemur that is adapted to conditions across the world in Madagascar eats in the forests of North Carolina? Dr. Lydia Greene wondered that very same thing, and in this interview, she shares new information, anecdotes, and insights she gained over years of studying Coquerel’s sifaka foraging habits at the Duke Lemur Center. Links to learn more: Follow Lydia on InstagramRead Lydia’s paper on sifaka foraging at the DLCWatch Lydia’s virtual presentation on the folivorous sifakaSee all of Lydia’s publications

Who better to open this season’s interviews than someone who has spent over a decade caring for Coquerel’s sifakas? Melanie Currie has been a primate technician (AKA animal keeper) at the Duke Lemur Center for 13 years, and we’re so excited to share her insights on these amazing animals with you. Links to learn more: Watch Melanie in action with Pompeia and Francesca

Welcome to season three of Aye-aye Pod. We’re finally getting to the lemur that everyone falls in love with when they visit the Duke Lemur Center: sifakas! We’ll introduce you to these bouncy leaf-munchers who had a starring role in Zoboomafoo. We’ll also dig into their amazing diversity in Madagascar and explore the northwestern forests that Coquerel’s sifakas call home. Links to learn more: Coquerel’s sifaka basicsDLC Coquerel’s sifaka introductionCoquerel’s sifaka on the moveBaby sifaka tries leavesThe rhythm of Indri song

In the final episode of our season on ring-tailed lemurs, Matt and Megan are joined by biological anthropologist, paleontologist, and primatologist Dr. Laurie Godfrey. Laurie’s decades-long career searching for fossils and the causes of extinction has taken her across the entire island of Madagascar. In this interview she takes us on a journey through the history of the ring-tailed lemur’s native habitat in southern Madagascar and introduces us to some of the giant, extinct lemurs that also called the island home. Links to learn more: Press release on all-Indigenous edition of Malagasy NatureDirect link to that edition of Malagasy NatureLaurie’s scientific publications

If you’ve read Allison Jolly’s quintessential book Lords and Lemurs, or perhaps you’ve watched the Island of the Lemurs IMAX film, then you already know this week’s guest. Matt and Megan had the privilege of interviewing Professor Hantanirina Rasamimanana, or Hanta, as she prefers to be called. In addition to decades of studying ring-tailed lemurs in their natural habitat, Hanta has also been an incredible advocate for education and opportunities for Malagasy students, and we are honored to share a little bit about her work with you. Links to learn more: Hanta’s work at Berenty ReserveHanta’s research publicationsRing-tailed lemurs hunting cicadas in Berenty Reserve

What does it take to care for ring-tailed lemurs a world away from their native Madagascar? Lead Primate Technician Danielle Lynch joins us to discuss the complexities of caring for ring-tailed lemurs at the Duke Lemur Center. Links to learn more: Day in the Life of a Lemur KeeperDLC staff prepare for Hurricane FlorenceRing-tailed lemur scent-marking and breeding seasonRing-tailed lemur social grooming

In this episode, Matt and Megan chat with professional researcher, and long-time friend and collaborator of the DLC, Sally Bornbusch, Ph.D. Sally takes us into the fascinating world of microbiomes, and how studying the microorganisms living inside of our beloved ring-tailed lemurs can help us better care for and protect endangered species like them. Links to learn more about topics from this episode: Sally’s current work and recent research“Microbes Matter” article by Sally“Gut Bugs and Poop Soup” – virtual presentation by Sally“Poop Soup” – article on fecal transplant treatment at the DLC

From the strangest lemur to the most recognizable – season 2 of Aye-aye Pod is all about ring-tailed lemurs! We see them in zoos around the world, on our screens in films and tv shows, but how much do we really know about these popular primates? In this episode, Matt and Megan set us up for the rest of the season with the basics of ring-tailed lemur ecology, behavior, evolution, and more. Links to learn more about topics from this episode: Ring-tailed lemur info pageIUCN Red ListEpisode 10 of our Virtual Tour

And… we’re back! Matt and Megan just couldn’t resist diving back in for one more discussion about our favorite primates, so we thought we’d give you a surprise final episode of our first season – just in time for the holidays! We cover everything from the aye-aye’s recent press for a gross hidden talent, to the surprising creature that shares some of the aye-ayes unique traits, to what the fossil record can (and can’t) tell us about aye-aye evolution. Links to learn more: Aye-aye nose-picking in the newsThe Epic Journey of Ancient LemursPropotto and Dr. Gregg Gunnell in the newsVirtual Tour videos

As Matt and Megan recorded the first episode of this season (What Is a Lemur?), they fell down a rabbit hole and into the weird and wonderful realm of tarsiers. The several species of tarsiers living today are so fascinating and mysterious that we decided they needed their own moment in the spotlight. In this bonus episode, we’ll tackle all of the important questions. What are tarsiers? Why are they the odd-primates-out when it comes to classification? And most importantly, are they nightmare fuel or cupcake monkeys? Links to learn more about topics from this episode: Tarsier photosTarsier fact sheetVideo of a tarsier in action

Matt and Megan join two veterinary researchers in Madagascar for a long-distance discussion of aye-ayes at home. Dr. Hoby A. Rasoanaivo, research coordinator for Lemur Love, and Dr. Elodi Rambeloson, research project manager at the Anjajavy reserve, discuss their project to move wild aye-ayes from one forest to another, keeping them safe from the effects of deforestation and climate change. Hoby and Elodi also talk about how the mysterious nocturnal primate earned a dark reputation and how they educate communities in Madagascar about aye-ayes to help this endangered primate survive. Links to learn more about topics from this episode: Dr. Hoby A. Rasoanaivo’s researchDr. Elodi Rambeloson’s researchWhere is Anjajavy in Madagascar?Research paper on aye-aye translocationDLC Research in Anjajavy with Hoby and Elodi

At the DLC, there’s so much more to animal care than feeding lemurs and cleaning habitats. In this episode, Curator of Behavioral Management and Welfare Meg Dye and Primate Technician Jenna Browning join Matt and Megan to chat about one of our favorite 2022 babies, Binx! Through the story of Binx and his family, we’ll discuss the incredible work that goes into keeping the DLC’s aye-ayes happy and healthy through every stage of life. Links to learn more about topics from this episode: The Value of Enrichment Positive Reinforcement Training at the DLCLearning from a Loss: The Story of WinifredVideo of Winifred Leaving the NestMeet Binx!

Guest Dr. Adam Hartstone-Rose from North Carolina State University joins Matt and Megan to discuss the amazing anatomy of our favorite lemur (and podcast mascot): the aye-aye! A big fan of bizarre primates, Dr. Hartstone-Rose discusses his research journey to the DLC, how he uses living, dead, and really dead (AKA fossil) specimens to answer big questions in primate anatomy, and how he discovered the aye-aye’s extra thumb! Note: this episode was recorded in May 2022. Links to learn more about topics from this episode: Meet the aye-ayeThe Aye-Aye’s Secret Sixth Finger: the Discovery of a Pseudothumb (video)News article on the pseudothumbScientific article on the pseudothumbAye-ayes eating eggs (video)

On our way to the land of what makes aye-ayes incredible and unique, we must first journey through the territory what makes all lemurs incredible and unique in their own right. Join Education Programs Manager Megan McGrath and DLC Museum of Natural History Curator Matt Borths, Ph.D., as we take a crash course through all of the layers of what it means to be a lemur. Links to learn more about topics from this episode: DLC Museum of Natural HistoryClaws vs. NailsForward-Facing EyesDLC Madagascar Conservation Programs

For our introductory episode, we thought we’d start with the basics – What is the Duke Lemur Center? Who are your hosts? And why are they starting a podcast? Join Education Programs Manager Megan McGrath and DLC Museum of Natural History Curator Matt Borths, Ph.D. for this introduction to our new podcast covering all things lemur: science, research, conservation, husbandry, Madagascar, and more! Each mini-season will be focused on a particular subject, and weekly episodes will include discussions and interviews with experts to learn as much as we can about these amazing primates together. Our first season, coming in late 2022, will focus on the podcast’s namesake, and your hosts’ favorite primate species, the aye-aye! To learn more about the Duke Lemur Center, check out the links below: Follow us on social media!Take a virtual tour!Read the history and mission of the DLC!Learn about our research program!Support us!