Pygmy Marmoset - Five Sisters Zoo

The smallest of the New World monkeys (monkeys native to South and Central America). Their body has brownish-gold fur and a mane that covers their heads and ears, leaving only their eyes and the area around the mouth uncovered.

 

Facts

  • Diet: omnivores, but they are particularly adapted to eat tree sap
  • Weight: between 85 and 120 grams
  • Height: 13.6 cm
  • Habitat: Rainforests of South America
  • Lifespan: 10 years in the wild and under human care around 15 years

 

Adapted to Survive

  • The colour of an individuals fur helps them camouflage in the Amazon rainforest.
  • They are arboreal (live in the trees) and excellent jumpers; the record for vertical jump is 1.4 metres, and they can leap up to 5 meters from one tree to another.
  • They specialise in feeding on the gum or sap from trees.  They use their lower teeth to drill holes through the bark to lick up the sap.

Threats

  • Pet trade
  • Poaching
  • Habitat Loss

IUCN Conservation Status

Vulnerable

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