Pygmy+Marmoset

The Pygmy Marmoset By McKenzie Blake

The Pygmy Marmoset is a brilliant and fascinating creature. They live in western Brazil, southeastern Colombia, eastern Ecuador, and also in eastern Peru. This species is not endangered. However, they will lose their habitat if forests are continually mined, logged, and developed for agriculture. There are many interesting facts about the Pygmy Marmoset. For instance, __The Guiness Book of World Records__ states that the Pygmy Marmoset is the world’s smallest monkey. Their body size is about 14-to-16-centimeters (5.5 to 6.3 inches). Their tail is almost as long as their body, measuring 15-to-20 centimeters (5.9 to 7.9 inches). The male weighs about 140 grams, and the female weighs about 120 grams. Pygmy Marmosets can live up to 11 years. Their diet consists of insects, fruit, leaves, nectar, and tree sap (gum). They have long teeth that turn inward. They use these special teeth to eat the tree bark so they can get to the sap inside the tree. At night, the Pygmy Marmoset sleeps up in the trees close to their food source. These little creatures can jump up to 16 feet and 5 inches! Their small body size helps them reach the highest leaves in the trees. WOW! They live and travel in groups of 2-6 members. The group consists of a male, female, and their babies. These animals are very territorial. They will defend between 25 and 100 acres of their surroundings. Their coat is one of the coolest things about this animal. The color of the coat is tawny (tan or brown). The fur color provides a camouflage in the trees. The predators of the Pygmy Marmoset are: hawks, eagles, snakes, and especially pit vipers. These are some of the many reasons why Pygmy Marmosets are amazing creatures! Some people have Pygmy Marmosets as pets! They must be hard to handle because they are so small! Make sure not to step on it though! It still would be fun to have one as a pet.