Size: 120g- the smallest ‘New World’ primate. Length (excluding tail); 13 cm (the tail measures an extra 18cm).

Habitat and Distribution: Forests at the river edge in Brazil, Colombia, Peru and Ecuador.

Age: 12 years in the wild and up to 18 in captivity.

Groups and Breeding: These marmosets live in small groups with a single breeding female and several other individuals. She will often mate with more than male. Gestation lasts up to 150 days after which she will give birth to twins. The young will need constant care for 3 months until they are weaned.

Diet: Mainly gum and exudates (sap, nectar etc) with insects and some fruit.

• The home range of a group of Pygmy Marmosets is determined by the gum trees available in an area, and when the gum yield drops they will move.
• A baby Pygmy Marmoset will weigh only 15g.
• Pygmy Marmosets can leap up to 5 metres which is the equivalent of an adult man jumping 69 metres!
• These marmosets can turn their heads 180 degrees, which allows them to continuously scan for predators whilst clinging to a tree.
• To get at sap in trees Pygmy Marmosets gouge 1-2cm holes in tree bark. Every day they gouge new holes and researchers have counted up to 1700 new holes in just a 6 month period in one home range.
• The Pygmy Marmoset has a wide range of vocalisations, including calls when they are angry, submissive, scared, moving, mating, to call others in the group and even a call when they are about to poo!