Marmoset

Callithrix spp

Range:..…... Forested areas throughout South America
Size: Head and body length 12-30 cm
Diet: Insects, small vertebrates, bird eggs, fruit, and plant exudates
Active: Diurnal


Bookmark and Share

Pygmy marmoset (Click to visit the Tamshiyacu Tahuayo Reserve pages)

Marmosets are monkeys approximately the same size as squirrels that inhabit the forests of South America. They are constantly on the move in search of food. Marmosets live in family groups where usually one male breeds, the rest help carry young. The additional helpers carrying the young means the female can devote all her energy to milk production. Offspring are carried until they are independent at around 2 months old. Like tamarins, marmoset males gnaw the bark of branches and soak them with urine, which is a means of scent communication. And again like tamarins, which are in the same family, they lack opposable thumbs and their tail is non-prehensile.
The pygmy marmoset (C. pygmaea) is found in the Amazon region and is the smallest New World primate, with a head and body length of 152 mm. Pygmy marmosets prefer low secondary growth where cover is thick but still allows for visibility. Pygmy marmosets appear to cope better than others regarding habitat degradation.





Back to Mammals

Leave a Reply