Pygmy marmoset

Pygmy Marmoset ( Callithrix pygmaea )

The Pygmy Marmoset ( Callithrix pygmaea pygmaea or Cebuella ) is a primate of the family of marmosets. It is the smallest representative of the authentics monkeys and lives in western South America. It lives in groups and feeds primarily on tree sap.

Description

Pygmy marmoset reach a body length 12-15 centimeters, the tail is 17 to 23 centimeters longer. My weight is 85 to 140 grams. They are the smallest monkeys authentics - but not the smallest primates, as for example, the mouse lemurs are smaller.

Their fur is bushy particularly to the head and falls backwards, it is dark brown or gray-brown on the head and neck, the back is gray and often has black or greenish Einsprenkelungen on. The belly is yellowish- brown depending on the subspecies or whitish, colored paws yellow-orange. The long, bushy tail is ringed black and gray. Are located on the upper lip two white spots on my nose runs a white stripe. As with all marmosets are located on the fingers and toes (except the big toe ) claws instead of nails.

Distribution and habitat

Pygmy marmoset live in the western Amazon basin. Its distribution area covers the western Brazil, southern Colombia, eastern Ecuador, eastern Peru and northern Bolivia. Their habitat are rainforests, where they occur mainly in temporarily flooded river forests.

Way of life

Pygmy marmoset are diurnal and arboreal, they are most active in the morning and late afternoon. As Sleeps serve them plants thickets and rare tree hollows. They move constantly on horizontal branches on all fours, but can jump well and thanks to their claws and up tree trunks or climb down.

They live together in groups of two to nine animals. Groups are composed of one to two males, one to two females and young animals. If there are several females, one achieves dominance over the group and is also the only one that propagates. Mutual grooming plays an important role in the interaction within the group.

Groups occupy very small areas of 0.3 to 0.5 hectares. These areas are often situated around a larger, more suitable for tree sap extraction tree. Does the production of this tree back, the group is looking for a new territory, usually near the old one. The territories of neighboring groups do not overlap between the groups, there is very little interaction.

Food

The food of the pygmy marmoset consists mainly of tree sap ( 60-80 %) and small animals (12-16 %). Like all marmosets they are thanks to the specialized teeth in the lower jaw in a position to gnaw holes in the bark, so as to reach the food source. At small animals they take Spring terror, beetles, butterflies, ants and spiders to himself. To a lesser extent they also eat fruits, buds and other plant parts, and occasionally small vertebrates.

Reproduction

As a rule, only the dominant female reproduces, the others help in the rearing of the young. If there are several procreative males, takes a leadership role and keeps all others from mating with the dominant female.

After a 140 - day gestation, the offspring is born, as with all marmosets outweigh dizygotic twins. The father and the other group members participate actively in the rearing of the young, they carry the boys, play with them and give them the only mother to suckle. After about three months the young are weaned. Sexual maturity occurs in the second year, due to the social structure of most animals, plants but later continued for the first time. Life expectancy is around 12 years.

Threat

Due to their high rate of reproduction and their relative unpretentiousness in relation to the habitat of pygmy marmoset are not threatened. The main danger is the hunting, as they are often made ​​to pets. The IUCN lists the species as not at risk ( least concern ).

System

Systematically, the pygmy marmoset either in the genre of the marmoset ( Callithrix pygmaea as ) is expected or forms the only member of the genus Cebuella (as Cebuella pygmaea ). The rank of a separate class is mainly caused by the much smaller dimensions and differences in the construction of the penis. If the Marmoset be included in the genus Callithrix, however this is paraphyletic without the pygmy marmoset.

There are two sub-species: Callithrix pygmaea pygmaea is characterized by a yellowish light brown belly and lives north of the Amazon. C. p. niveiventris has a white belly and comes south of the Amazon before.