Some people call the Pygmy Marmoset a ‘’little lion’’, but it’s anything but that. They are only 8 in. tall (including tail) and weigh 3-5oz. The Pygmy Marmoset has many interesting features, such as its coloration. Its fur is brown and gray with blotches of black and gold. They have adaptations such as their claws. Claws help them defend themselves against each other and predators and mark trees by putting holes in them. Their long, ringed tails are extremely helpful when moving from tree to tree by allowing them to balance their tiny bodies. So with no tail, the Pygmy Marmoset would not be arboreal. Arboreal means spending most of its lifetime in the treetops. The Pygmy Marmoset dwells in the tropical rain forests of South America where it is easy to hide from predators.

Since Pygmy Marmosets are so small, they eat things such as grubs and tree gum. They get gum from trees by using their claws to put holes in trees. They then mark the tree and come back later to scrape the oozing gum with their teeth. They usually compete with each other for food. Their biggest predators include: wild boar, snakes, and any kind of bird of prey. Their size helps them a lot when trying to avoid predators, but they have still have learned to stay still when a predator is near.

Pygmy marmosets are not endangered and are hard to spot in the wild. Their population is unknown, but is suspected to be increasing.

Pygmy Marmosets are intelligent and great problem-solvers. Something that stood out to me was that they could leap up to 15 ft.! That is like a 5 ft. human jumping 180 ft.! I also learned that Pygmy Marmosets are very resourceful. The Pygmy Marmoset is sure an extraordinary animal.

Author: Nash C.
Published: 2/14/11

Biography:
Lang, Kristina C. "Pygmy Marmosets." Primateinfo.net. Web. 14 Feb. 2011.
"Marmoset." The Columbia Encyclopedia. The Columbia Encyclopedia. Web. 14 Feb. 2011.
"Pygmy Marmosets." Smithsonian National Zoological Park. Web. 14 Feb. 2011.
"Pygmy Marmosets." Wikipedia. Web. 14 Feb. 2011.
Sengupta, Saptatee. "Pygmy Marmosets." Buzzle.com. Web. 14 Feb. 2011.

Photo credits: Baltimore National Aquarium.2/16/11