Virtual Non-Human Primate Zoo

SCIENTIFIC CLASSIFICATION

  Order: Primates

    Suborder: Haplorrhini

      Infraorder: Simiiformes

        Parvorder: Platyrrhini

          Superfamily:  Ateloidea

            Family:  Cebidae

              Subfamily:  Callitrichinae

                Genus:  Cebuella

                  Species:  pygmaea

 

COMMON NAME:

• Pygmy Marmoset

• Titi Enano (Spanish)

 

GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION: 

• Peru

• Columbia

• Ecuador

• Bolivia

• Western Amazonia

• Brazil

 

HABITAT:

• outskirts of tropical rainforest

• amongst the shrubs and trees of dimly lit rainforest

• preferably seasonally flooded riverine forest

 

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION:

• brown, tan, grey, black, white fur

• flat finger nails

• V shaped lower jaw bone, creating a pointed face

• lion-like mane

• body length of 13 cm

• tail length of approximately 20 cm

 

DIET:  Omnivore

• tree sap

• fruit

• spiders

• insects

• reptiles

• flowers

• nectar

 

LOCOMOTION TYPE:

• claw climbing

• clinging

• arboreal quadrupedalism

• leaping on vertical support

 

SOCIAL GROUP ORGANIZATION:  

• social groups of 2 to 9 individuals

• single dominant breeding female

 

PARENTAL CARE:  

• father carries the young and mother nurses the young

• all members of a group take some part in rearing the offspring of the dominant female

 

COMMUNICATION:

• visual display

• mobbing behavior

• genital display

• chemical scent marking

• vocal calls; including trills, J-calls, and long calls

 

MISCELLANEOUS NOTES:

A debate exists about the proper genus name of this species. Apart from Cebuella pygmaea, it is also be classified as Callithrix pygmaea.

 

ENDANGERMENT STATUS:  Least Concern

 

To learn more about Cebuella pygmaea, visit the following websites:

1. http://pin.primate.wisc.edu/factsheets/entry/pygmy_marmoset/taxon

2. http://pin.primate.wisc.edu/factsheets/entry/pygmy_marmoset/behav

3.  http://a-z-animals.com/animals/pygmy-marmoset/

4.  http://www.animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/calli

 

Information and photographs compiled by D. Givens and R. Sandoval.