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Pygmy marmoset
The pygmy marmoset is the world’s smallest monkey, native to the western Amazon Basin, including parts of Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Bolivia. It lives in riverine forests and the edges of the canopy, where its tiny size and mottled brown‑grey fur provide excellent camouflage among branches and moss-covered trunks.
Our four male pygmy marmosets share an exhibit with our coppery titi monkeys on Tapir Island.
Class:
Mammalia
Order:
Primates
Family:
Callitrichidae
About the pygmy marmoset
Unlike most primates, pygmy marmosets are specialist exudativores. They use their sharp, chisel‑like teeth to gouge holes in tree bark, feeding on the sap and gum that flow from the wounds. Insects and small invertebrates also form part of their diet, especially when raising young. Their claw‑like nails help them cling vertically to tree trunks while feeding.
These monkeys live in close-knit family groups of around two to nine individuals. Social behaviours include grooming, scent marking, and cooperative care, with older siblings often helping to carry and look after infants. Their high-pitched calls echo through the forest and help groups stay connected in dense vegetation.
Conservation
Pygmy marmosets are listed as Least Concern by the IUCN, but some populations in the western Amazon Basin are affected by habitat loss and local pressure from the pet trade. Clearing of riverine forest and capture for illegal wildlife markets threaten their long-term stability. Conservation efforts include the protection of Amazonian habitats and stricter trade regulations to reduce wild capture.