Pygmy Marmoset
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| Pygmy Marmoset[1][2] | ||||||||||||||
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| Cebuella pygmaea Spix, 1823 |
The Pygmy Marmoset (Cebuella pygmaea), also known as Dwarf Monkey is a monkey native to the rainforest canopies of western Brazil, southeastern Colombia, eastern Ecuador, and eastern Peru. It is one of the smallest primates, and the smallest monkey, with its body length ranging from 14-to-16-centimetre (5.5 to 6.3 in) (excluding the 15-to-20-centimetre (5.9 to 7.9 in) tail). Males weigh around 140 grams (4.9 oz), and females only 120 grams (4.2 oz).
Despite its name, the Pygmy Marmoset is somewhat different from the typical marmosets, most of which are classified in the genera Callithrix and Mico; as such, it is accorded its own genus, Cebuella.[2]
Nicknames for this monkey often refer to its diminutiveness, as in the following two examples: mono de bolsillo ("pocket monkey") and leoncito ("little lion").[4]
The Pygmy Marmoset has a tawny coat, and a ringed tail that can be as long as its body. In common with other callitrichids, it has claws instead of nails on all its digits except the big toe. It is omnivorous, feeding on fruit, leaves, insects, and sometimes even small reptiles. Its small weight allows it to reach the very highest leaves of a tree, and to exploit the otherwise little-used food sources there. Much of its diet, however, comes from tapping trees for sap (tame marmosets can eat most things humans eat[citation needed]). Up to two-thirds of its time is spent gouging tree bark to reach the gummy sap. The Pygmy Marmoset has specialized incisors for gouging holes in bark. Because of its small size, and its swift movements, it is very hard to observe in the wild.
The Pygmy Marmoset uses special types of communication to give alerts and warning to its family members. These include chemical, vocal, and physical types of communication. A trill to communicate over long distance. A sharp warning whistle and a clicking sound for signaling danger to their family members. A J-call is a series of fast notes repeated by the caller and is for medium distances.[citation needed]
In captivity, the Pygmy Marmoset can live up to 11 years and are sometimes sold as pets. If an individual is taken from its family, it can die from depression or suicide.[citation needed] Pet Pygmy Marmosets are extremely difficult to keep, as a baby they require feeding every two hours for up to two weeks. Pet Pygmy Marmosets are also known to throw feces, to attack, and to bite their owners.
There are two subspecies of the Pygmy Marmoset:[1][2]
- Cebuella pygmaea pygmaea
- Cebuella pygmaea niveiventris
[edit] References
- ^ a b Groves, C. (2005-11-16). Wilson, D. E., and Reeder, D. M. (eds). ed. Mammal Species of the World (3rd edition ed.). Johns Hopkins University Press. pp. 132. ISBN 0-801-88221-4. http://www.bucknell.edu/msw3.
- ^ a b c Rylands AB and Mittermeier RA (2009). "The Diversity of the New World Primates (Platyrrhini)". in Garber PA, Estrada A, Bicca-Marques JC, Heymann EW, Strier KB. South American Primates: Comparative Perspectives in the Study of Bahavior, Ecology, and Conservation. Springer. pp. 23-54. ISBN 978-0-387-78704-6.
- ^ de la Torre, S. & Rylands, A. B. (2008). Cebuella pygmaea. 2008 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN 2008. Retrieved on 2 January 2009.
- ^ http://www.rainforestconservation.org/data_sheets/mammals/p_marmoset.html
[edit] External links
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Wikispecies has information related to: Pygmy Marmoset |
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Callithrix pygmaea |
- Pygmy Marmoset Sounds and Communication
- Twin albino pygmy marmosets born in Sweden
- Primate Info Net Callithrix pygmaea Factsheet
