Habitat
They prefer floodplain forests and
the natural tropical forest edge. |
Physical
Characteristics
Pygmy marmosets are the world’s smallest
monkeys, weighing just 4-7 ounces (113-198 g) when fully grown, and
reaching less than 6 inches (15.2 cm) in head and body length, with
a 7-9 inch (17-23 cm) bushy tail. Pygmy marmosets have fine, silky
coats of gray with touches of black, brown and tan. They have long
hairs on their cheeks and head, which form a mane that conceals the
ears. |
Life
Span
Life span in the wild is unknown; captive
marmosets have lived up to 15 years. |
Diet
In the wild: Pygmy marmosets feed on berries,
buds, fruits and flowers. They also have the habit of sap sucking,
which involves gnawing holes into a favorite tree trunk and drinking
the sap which is a very important source of food. Family units are
territorial, with groups having one or more sap producing trees in
their range which they defend. These tropical primates fill the same
niche as our North American sapsucker birds.
At the zoo: Canned
marmoset diet, yams, fruits, gum arabic (sap), browse and insects. |
Reproduction
Breeding may take place at any time of the year. In the courtship display,
the male walks with his body arched, smacking his lips and pushing
his tongue in and out.
Nonidentical twins (sometimes triplets) are
born twice a year. Male marmosets take excellent care of the young.
They carry the babies on their hips and shoulders until the young
are about 2 months old, at which time they are independent of both
parents. The females care for the young only when nursing or cleaning.
After two months, the young spend their time playing, wrestling and
chasing each other and other members of the group. At 6 months, they
have reached adult size.
Pygmy marmosets are active during the day.
Most activity takes place on cool mornings and in late afternoons.
They gallop along branches and can leap three feet or more. They
sometimes rest by piercing their nails into the bark of a tree. They
sleep at night in hollowed trees or tangled vines.
Life Cycle
Pygmy marmosets form small groups of up to 15 individuals,
consisting of lifetime breeding pairs and their offspring. Offspring
often stay in the group after reaching adulthood, and help care for
their young siblings.
This is
My Territory!
Marmosets have special scent glands for marking their
territories. When two male marmosets of different groups meet, they threaten
each other with rapid flattening and erection of the ear tufts. They will walk
near each other with their backs arched, pulling back the corners of their
mouths, and flattening the ear tufts.
Pygmy marmosets also have at least 10 different
forms of vocal expression; including a trill to communicate over
long distances, a high, sharp warning whistle and a clicking sound
for threats. They also communicate with facial expressions, body
posture and hair erection. Marmosets also defend their territory
by chasing and displaying their rumps with the tail raised and the
fur fluffed.
|
Fascinating
Facts
- Group members help carry and bring
food to the young. Helpers gain parental care skills while
they wait for the opportunity to have young of their own!
- The word marmoset is said to be adapted
from a French word meaning a grotesque image or mannequin!
- An alarmed marmoset turns its head
in all directions!
- The pygmy marmosets at Woodland Park
Zoo are prolific. One of the breeding females had twins every
five months. The troop ranges from eight to 10 individuals,
with the older offspring of the breeding female and her mate
remaining in the group for about two years. As they mature,
these offspring are sent to other zoos, where they will mate
with other unrelated marmosets!
|
The pygmy
marmosets at Woodland Park Zoo can also be seen in the Adaptations Building.
Due to extensive tropical rain forest habitat
destruction, the breeding and feeding areas of most marmosets are
disappearing, and all species of marmosets are vulnerable. Fortunately,
many marmosets are highly adaptable to change and can inhabit degraded
forests. This species has a chance for recovery if the current rate
of deforestation can be slowed.
How You Can Help!
The effort to save threatened and endangered species requires cooperation
and support at the international, national, regional and individual
levels. You can help in this cause. Join and become active in a
conservation organization of your choice. Support the conservation
of endangered species and wild habitats, and do not buy products
made from wild animal parts. Find out other ways you can help by
contacting Woodland Park Zoo at webkeeper@zoo.org or visiting our How You Can Help page.
Sources and Suggested Reading
Macdonald, David, ed. 1993. The Encyclopedia of Mammals. Facts
on File, Inc., New York, NY. 895 p.
Nowak, Ronald M., ed. 1991. Walker's
Mammals of the World. 5th Edition. The John Hopkins University
Press, Baltimore and London. 1,629 p.
Emmons and Feer. 1990. Neotropical Rainforest
Mammals: A Field Guide. University of California Press
Moynihan, Martin. 1976. The New World Primates.
Princeton University Press, Princeton, NJ. 262 p.
For Kids!
Eyewitness Books. Amazing Monkeys. Alfred A. Knopf, New York,
NY
Julivert,
Maria Angels. 1996. Primates. Barron's
Educational Series, Inc., Hauppauge, NY. 31 p.
* Taxonomic classification varies between
references. Classification information used in this fact sheet was
taken from Mammal Species of the World: A Taxonomic And Geographic
Reference, edited by Don E. Wilson and Dee Ann M. Reeder, Second
Edition, 1993. |
Classification
and Range
