Pygmy Marmoset (Finger Monkey)

The pygmy marmoset (Genus Cebuella) is one of the world's smallest primates, being the smallest true monkey, with a head-body length ranging from 117 to 152 mm and a tail of 172 to 229 mm. It has many adaptations for arboreal living including the ability to rotate its head 180 degrees and sharp claw-like nails used to cling to branches and trees. Its dental morphology is adapted to feeding on gum, with specialized incisors that are used to gouge trees and stimulate sap flow. Its cecum is larger than usual to allow for the greater period of time gum takes to break down in the stomach. The pygmy marmoset walks on all four limbs and can leap up to 5 m between branches.

Pygmy marmosets live in the Amazon region of Brazil, Colombia, Peru, Ecuador, and northern Bolivia. They make their home and living in forest trees or bamboo thickets near or alongside rivers and floodplains. Pygmy marmosets prefer living in dense rainforests where there are lots of hiding places among the plants.

Marmosets tend to stay in the treetops and behave a lot like squirrels. They have long tails, but unlike other New World monkeys (capuchins and squirrel monkeys, for example), their tails are not prehensile, that is, marmosets can't use their tails to grasp things. However, their tails do help them keep their balance as they scamper among the branches.

Because they are so small, pygmy marmosets can become prey for cats, harpy eagles, hawks, and snakes. That is why they dash from one safe spot to the next. Their neck is flexible, and they can turn their head backward to spot predators. They are deliberate about their movements to avoid drawing the attention of predators. But when they need to move, pygmy marmosets are fast, leaping several feet to avoid the predators that would like to make a meal out of them.

The ability to climb is important for pygmy marmosets, as tree sap is their favorite food. They scamper up and down trees and thick vines headfirst and gouge a hole in the bark or vine with their sharp lower teeth, using an up-and-down sawing motion. When the sap puddles up in the hole, they lap it up with their tongue. Pygmy marmosets have certain trees they like within their territory; they can make up to 1,300 holes in each tree. Marmosets are omnivores, which means they eat a variety of foods. Their diet includes insects, fruit, tree sap, and other small animals.

Marmosets are active during the day and spend their time foraging. They are social animals that live in groups of two to nine individuals. Siblings also participate in infant care. Infant marmosets require the most attention, so having more family members participating in the care decreases the cost for any individual and also teaches parenting skills to the juvenile marmosets. Members of the group, usually female, may even put off their own reproduction through a temporary cessation of ovulation in order to care for the offspring of others in the group. Caregivers are responsible for finding food for the infants as well as helping the father watch for predators.

The pygmy marmoset is a non-seasonal breeder and usually gives birth to twins once or twice a year. However, single births occur 16% of the time, and triplet births 8% of the time. The pygmy marmoset is usually monogamous though there is some variation within the species in terms of breeding systems.

Pygmy marmosets communicate with each other by chattering and trilling in high-pitched voices. They can make sounds so high in pitch that humans can’t hear them. Certain squeaks and calls express danger or other urgent monkey messages. They also make faces to express emotions like contentment, surprise, or fear by moving their lips, eyelids, ears, and the hair around their face like humans. These mini monkeys groom one another, and that helps establish social bonds. They are fussy about keeping their fur in good shape.

Particularly in areas of heavy tourism, pygmy marmosets have a tendency to be less noisy, less aggressive, and less playful with other individuals. If the current rate of habitat destruction can be slowed, these tiny monkeys will have a big chance at long-term survival in their forest home. Their largest threat is the pet trade, due to their tiny size, cuddly appearance, and appealing face. Marmosets are sometimes kept as pets, but they are very difficult to care for. Many people do not agree that pygmy marmosets should be pets. The argument is usually that they have a longer life span when they are in good care from a human. However, the UK RSPCA says they should "not be considered as pets in the accepted sense of the word. They are wild undomesticated animals that cannot be house-trained or fully tamed". The United States has banned the import of primates, and most South American countries don't allow primate exports anymore.

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