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Silvery marmoset
The silvery marmoset is a small New World monkey native to the eastern Amazon Basin, where it lives along the edges of tropical rainforest in Brazil. Its striking silvery‑grey fur and pale pinkish face make it one of the most distinctive callitrichids in the region. Silvery marmosets often use forest edges and secondary growth, taking advantage of the abundant plant gums, insects, and fruits found there.
You can find our pair of silvery marmosets – Igor and Esmerelda – near to the Savannah, next to our Goeldi’s monkeys.
Class:
Mammalia
Order:
Primates
Family:
Callitrichidae
About the silvery marmoset
These primates are omnivores with a varied diet that includes fruit, insects, and plant exudates such as gum and sap. They use their sharp, specialised teeth to gouge tree bark, allowing them to feed on the nutritious sap that flows out. Their agility and claw‑like nails help them cling to vertical branches, moving quickly between feeding sites.
Silvery marmosets typically live in family groups of three to eight individuals. Cooperative care is a key part of their social structure, with all group members helping to carry and raise the infants. Their soft vocal calls and scent marking help maintain group cohesion in the dense forest environment.
Conservation
The silvery marmoset is listed as Least Concern by the IUCN, but some populations in the eastern Amazon Basin face pressure from local habitat loss. Expansion of agriculture, forest clearance, and human development continue to fragment their rainforest habitats. Conservation measures include the protection of key forest areas and monitoring wild populations to ensure long‑term stability.