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Pygmy marmoset

Cebuella pygmaea

Pygmy marmoset at Paignton Zoo
IUCN Conservation Status –
Least Concern
Extinct In The Wild
Class: Mammals
Order: Primates
Family: Callitrichidae

You can find our group of pygmy marmosets in a mixed exhibit in Monkey Heights, where they live with our family of Goeldi’s monkeys and Myrtle the armadillo!

The adorable pygmy marmoset is the smallest monkey in the world. It’s native to the western part of the Amazon Basin in South America, living in rainforests.

As omnivorous primates, pygmy marmosets have a varied diet of fruit, leaves and insects, but a staple in their diet is gum or tree sap.

Interesting facts!

  • Did you know that the word marmoset derives from marmouset, a French word, meaning shrimp or dwarf?
  • These arboreal primates live in social groups and use scent marking to identify their territory.
  • As with many small monkeys, mutual grooming is big part of daily life for pygmy marmosets, with the act enhancing relationships and bonds between members of the troop.

Conservation

The biggest threats to pygmy marmosets in the wild are habitat destruction and capture for the pet trade.