Primates pick their noses and what? 12 species and humans do this - disgusting

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First recorded footage of an Aye-aye engaging in rhinotillexis. At least 12 species of primate are known to do this, including humans. Primates pick their noses and what? 12 species and humans do this - disgusting huh. Some details... clip of an aye-aye, a type of nocturnal lemur native to Madagascar, engaging in nose-picking behavior. The caption reads: "First recorded footage of an Aye-aye engaging in rhinotillexis. At least 12 species of primate are known to do this, including humans." As of the post's timestamp (September 3, 2025), it has garnered over 8,900 likes, 1.3 million views, and hundreds of replies, reposts, and bookmarks, indicating significant engagement likely due to the unusual and somewhat gross-out nature of the content. Description of the Video - The footage, captured in greenish night-vision (infrared) lighting, shows a close-up of the aye-aye's face with its large, glowing eyes prominently visible—a common effect in low-light recordings. The animal uses its exceptionally long, thin middle finger to probe deeply into its nasal cavity, twisting and maneuvering it for several seconds. It then withdraws the finger and licks off the collected mucus before repeating the action briefly. The clip lasts about 20 seconds and appears to be slowed down or edited for emphasis, with a watermark crediting "Anne-Claire Fabre" (a researcher involved in the original study). There's no audio or subtitles in the video. What Is Rhinotillexis?"Rhinotillexis" is the scientific term for nose-picking, a behavior observed in various animals, including at least 12 primate species (such as gorillas, chimpanzees, and humans) prior to this recording.

The aye-aye's version also includes "mucophagy," or eating the nasal mucus, which may serve purposes like hygiene, obtaining minerals or moisture, or even boosting the immune system—though the exact reasons remain speculative and under study.

Background on the Aye-AyeThe aye-aye (Daubentonia madagascariensis) is the world's largest nocturnal primate, roughly the size of a house cat, with rodent-like teeth that never stop growing, bat-like ears for echolocation, and bushy fur. It's endemic to Madagascar's rainforests and is classified as endangered due to habitat loss and local superstitions that view it as an omen of bad luck, sometimes leading to persecution.

Its most distinctive feature is that elongated middle finger (up to 8 centimeters long), which it typically uses for percussive foraging: tapping on tree bark to locate insect larvae via sound echoes, then gnawing a hole and extracting the prey like a natural woodpecker tool.

This nose-picking footage marks the aye-aye as the 13th known primate to exhibit the behavior, making it a notable addition to scientific observations.

The video originates from a 2022 study involving a captive aye-aye named Kali at the Duke Lemur Center in North Carolina, where researchers accidentally captured the act during routine observations.

CT scans from the study revealed that the finger can extend all the way to the back of the throat (pharynx) during nose-picking, far deeper than in other primates—equivalent to a human inserting a finger up to the neck.

While this was observed in captivity, it's unclear if wild aye-ayes do the same, as no field recordings exist yet.
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