A Nose for the Job?

The Aye-aye is a nocturnal relative of the lemurs that lives on Madagascar. This prosimian has a middle finger, about 8 cm long, it uses to tap wood to locate the grubs on which it feeds. There is, however, video footage of captive Aye-ayes, picking their noses with their elongated digit, before eating the mucus (https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/oct/27/researchers-reveal-secret-aye-aye-long-middle-finger-pick-nose). Nose picking has been recorded in at least 11 other primate species, including humans. The precise reason for nose picking is uncertain. It could be simply part of self-cleaning or even be a means of increasing resistance to potentially infective agents. The Aye-aye must, however, be the nose picker par excellence.