Pygmy marmoset

Pygmy marmoset[1][2]
Conservation status
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Primates
Genus: Cebuella
Gray, 1866
Species: C. pygmaea
Binomial name
Cebuella pygmaea
Spix, 1823
Geographic range
Synonyms

C. p. pygmaea:

  • nigra Schinz, 1844
  • leoninus Bates, 1864

The pygmy marmoset or dwarf monkey is a New World monkey native to the rainforest canopies of western Brazil, southeastern Colombia, eastern Ecuador, eastern Peru, and northern Bolivia. It is one of the smallest primates, and the smallest true monkey, with its body length ranging from 14 to 16 centimetres (5.5 to 6.3 in) (excluding the 15-to-20-centimetre (5.9 to 7.9 in) tail).[4] Males weigh around 140 grams (4.9 oz), and females only 120 grams (4.2 oz).

Despite its name, the pygmy marmoset is somewhat different from the typical marmosets, most of which are classified in the genera Callithrix and Mico; as such, it is accorded its own genus, Cebuella.[2]

Nicknames for this monkey often refer to its diminutiveness, for example: mono de bolsillo ("pocket monkey"), leoncito ("little lion"), and finger monkey.

The pygmy marmoset uses special types of communication to give alerts and warning to its family members. These include chemical, vocal, and physical types of communication. A trill is used to communicate over long distance. A sharp warning whistle and a clicking sound signal danger to their family members. A J-call is a series of fast notes repeated by the caller and is used at medium distances.

Pygmy marmosets live 11-12 years in the wild, but in zoos, they live into their early twenties. Marmosets often live in groups made up of an adult pair and its offspring; ranging from 2-6 members. Young marmosets typically remain in the group until after 2 consecutive birth cycles.

There are two subspecies of the pygmy marmoset:[1][2]

Contents

Gallery

Cultural Reference

In the Star Trek: The Next Generation episode "Genesis", Data predicted that Picard, showing the beginning stages of "Barclay's Protomorphosis Syndrome", might de-evolve into a Lemur or Pygmy Marmoset.

References

  1. ^ a b Groves, C. (2005). Wilson, D. E., & Reeder, D. M, eds. ed. Mammal Species of the World (3rd ed.). Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. pp. 132. OCLC 62265494. ISBN 0-801-88221-4. http://www.bucknell.edu/msw3/browse.asp?id=12100206. 
  2. ^ a b c Rylands AB and Mittermeier RA (2009). "The Diversity of the New World Primates (Platyrrhini)". In Garber PA, Estrada A, Bicca-Marques JC, Heymann EW, Strier KB. South American Primates: Comparative Perspectives in the Study of Bahavior, Ecology, and Conservation. Springer. pp. 23–54. ISBN 978-0-387-78704-6. 
  3. ^ de la Torre, S. & Rylands, A. B. (2008). Cebuella pygmaea. In: IUCN 2008. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Downloaded on 2 January 2009.
  4. ^ http://nationalzoo.si.edu/Animals/Primates/Facts/FactSheets/PygmyMarmosets/default.cfm

External links

Data related to Pygmy Marmoset at Wikispecies
Media related to [//commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Callithrix_pygmaea Callithrix pygmaea] at Wikimedia Commons