A Tiny New Addition at Hamilton Zoo
February 25, 2018
There's a tiny new addition at the Hamilton Zoo - a Pygmy Marmoset!
The baby was born to mom Picchu and dad Salvador. Both are providing attentive care to their newborn. Marmoset parents share the responsibility of looking after their young, and the zoo staff is glad to see Salvador helping out.
Photo Credit: Lisa Ridley
Pygmy Marmosets are the smallest Monkeys in the world, and one of the smallest Primates. They inhabit rain forests in the western Amazon Basin, which includes Peru, Brazil, Colombia, and Ecuador. These Monkeys gnaw holes in tree trunks using specialized teeth, then lick up the flowing sap with their tongue. They also eat the insects that fly in to feed on the sap, as well as fruits and nectar.
Parents carry their babies on their backs. Babies vocalize early and often, and entire Marmoset troops use a complex system of calls to maintain contact when foraging or traveling. Marmoset troops are small, usually made up of a breeding pair and a few generations of offspring.
The current population of Pygmy Marmosets is widespread and not under serious threat. They are listed as a species of Least Concern by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species. However, habitat loss and illegal capture for the pet trade could pose a threat in the future.