About Marmosets

Pygmy marmosets communicate with each other by chattering and trilling in high-pitched voices, according to the San Diego Zoo website. Like humans, marmosets express emotions by moving their ears, lips and eyelids to make faces.

  1. Types

    • Marmosets are a species of monkey classified into four genuses, Atlantic marmoset, Amazonian marmoset, pygmy marmoset and Roosmalens' Dwarf marmoset or black-crowned dwarf marmoset. The silvery marmoset is just one of 13 species in the Amazonian marmoset genus.

    Size

    • Ranging in size from 7 to 16 inches with a tail 7.5 to 15 inches long, marmosets weigh between 120 g to 710 g. An adult marmoset can fit in a human's hand. Its tail is used for balance and is longer than its body.

    Habitat Locations

    • Marmosets are only found in South and Central American tropical forests, but predominantly live in South America's Amazon region. These primates choose tree-filled areas like valley and mountain regions, and habitats vary from species to species.

    Fun Fact

    • It's common for pygmy marmosets to be born in pairs, according to National Geographic. However, the Albino pygmy twins born at the Froso Zoo in Ostersund, Sweden, were uncommon, and despite efforts to maintain the twins' health, one of the twins did not survive.