The Amazon rainforests of South America are home to Pygmy marmosets. This adorable creature is the world’s smallest finger monkey, weighing in at 4 ounces when they reach adulthood. Pygmy marmosets love tree sap and are an omnivore. They can live up to 12 years in the wild.
5 Amazing Pygmy Marmoset Facts
Pygmy marmosets, also known as finger monkey, live in the tops and trunks of South American rainforest trees.
These animals use their fingernails to climb trees.This small omnivore loves fruits, insects, berries, and tree sap.
A pygmy marmoset pair can breed together and live together for their entire lives.
Pygmy marmosets groom one another’s fur like other monkeys.
Scientific Name for Pygmy Marmoset
Although pygmy marmoset may be the common name for this animal, it is scientifically known as Cebuella piygmaea. It is part of the Cebidae and Mammalia families. Marmoset is a French term that means marmouset.
There are two subspecies of marmosets, the eastern pygmy and northwestern pygmy. The fur of these three pygmy marmosets is slightly different in color. They also live in different parts of South America and Central America.
Pygmy Marmoset finger-monkey behavior and appearance
Marmosets are covered in a combination of brown and black fur. This small animal finger monkey’s dark fur helps hide it when it walks along branches. As it climbs trees, the monkey’s fingernails act as claws and can grab the bark with its fingers. This marmoset’s movement and climbing style is very similar to a squirrel that you might find in your local park.
It has small eyes, a small nose and an ear on either side of its head. These marmosets are able to turn their heads to see backward, thanks to extra flexibility in the neck. This allows the animal to be alert for potential predators.
The tail of a pygmy marmoset is longer than its body. As it walks along the Amazon forest’s tree limbs, it balances on its tail.
An adult pygmy marmoset’s body measures approximately 4 to 6 inches in length. Its squirrel-like tail measures 6 to 9 inches. The 9-inch length of a pygmy marmoset’s tail is roughly equal to the average fork in a silverware drawer. A adult is slightly more than 4 ounces. It is about the same weight as one stick butter in your home fridge.
The title of the smallest monkey in all of the world goes to this marmoset. It’s not the world’s smallest primate. This title goes to a pygmy mice lemur, which weighs in at around 1.1 ounces. Find out more about the world’s smallest animal here.
These marmosets are usually found in small groups, also known as troops. They can have between 5 and 9 members. These small animals are able to live in groups, which provides some protection from predators. One troop member could spot an ocelot and alert the others to hide in the trees. These shy marmosets stay close to their troop, but hide in the trees most of the time.
The marmoset troop members communicate with each other using chirps and squeaks they only understand. One sound could indicate danger, while another could be a male calling finger monkeys to a woman. These sounds are similar to those made by gray and brown squirrels.
Pygmy Marmoset Habitat finger monkey
These marmosets are found in South America, Brazil, Ecuador, Brazil, and Columbia. They can be found in Amazon rainforests and thickets near rivers. They live in tropical climates that are humid and rainy. The rainforests of South America are home to Pygmy marmosets throughout the year.
These marmosets can be found in forests with many trees. They can jump easily to different branches, which allows them to be more agile. It’s also easy to hide from predators when branches of trees are interconnected. Its orange/brown fur helps the marmoset blend in with the dark trees and trunks of the rainforest. These marmosets usually stay within a small area of forest.