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Origin
· Marmosets belong to the family of Callitrichids, and are known as New World Monkeys· Marmosets are found throughout the forests of Central and South America, utilizing all levels of the forest, they live in the rain forests, gallery forests, dry forests and savannah woodlands, and usually only descend to the ground in search of prey
· Marmosets are distributed mainly from the Amazon Basin, south of the Amazon River in Brazil, east to the Brazilian Atlantic coast and extending over into Eastern Bolivia
· Its habitat is usually secondary lowland forest that is evergreen or semi deciduous; it also prefers the forest edges up to 500m in altitude. It prefers disturbed forest rather than mature virgin forests
Physical Features
Distribution: Eastern Brazil.Social groups: family groups up to 30 individuals (in captivity max 12). Only one breeding pair in a group.
Lifespan: 7 - 20 years
Length:Head + Body: 7-12 inches (18-30 cm)
Tail: 7-16 inches (17-40 cm)
Weight: 10-18 ounces (300-500 grams)
Hands: Except for the big toes, a marmoset has
claws not nails unlike most monkeys
Colour: Marmosets have a flattened black face, thick white tufts on its ears, and long black and white fur. The tail is white ringed with black.
Marmosets averages 198mm in length of head and body and its tail is 290mm long. At around 190 to 350gms in weight it is a small and agile monkey .
The digits have curved claws, except on the big toe, which has a flat nail.
The curved claw adaptation assists in horizontal jumping by enabling them to run up the sheer side of a tree, it also assists in grooming.
Their body length is 225 - 309mm, the tail is 279 - 406mm and they weigh between 255 and 454 grams.
Marmosets have a V-shaped mandible with incisors that are extended and nearly level with the canines, resulting in a cup or scoop-like shape, these teeth are very sharp and can cause quite a bit of damage if one is bitten, this enables the marmoset to gnaw holes in order to gain access
Locomotion
· Strictly speaking, locomotion involves the movement of an animal from one location to another. Locomotory behaviour is important for animals because it determines how they travel from one location to another and it may also provide information to an observer as to why the animals are moving.
· Animals are restricted in locomotion by their body size, the habitat in which they live, and possibly by the strength of their tail. For example, a smaller primate (like the common marmoset) is able to run along the tops of branches using its tail for balance whereas a larger primate (like the spider monkey) must suspend itself below the branch with its arms and/or tail. Unlike the spider monkey, the marmoset's tail is not prehensile; it cannot be used as an additional limb, such as in hanging from a branch. Very large primates (like gorillas) often spend most of their time on the ground.
· Primates living in areas with very low tree cover, such as the African savannah, are primarily terrestrial, or ground dwelling. Those living in the forests, such as marmosets, are primarily arboreal, or tree dwelling. The different types of locomotion between primates reflect their terrain differences.
· In the common marmoset, locomotory behaviour is relatively easy to observe and may involve behaviour necessary to move between trees:
· Leaping/jumping from one structure to another
· Walking/running along a branch or other support
· Climbing
· It may also be important to understand why or to where an animal is moving. For example, is the animal being pursued?
· When a marmoset is approaching or retreating from another monkey or object, their pace is often faster and may appear as a "bouncing gait". Marmosets move about by walking, running, climbing, leaping or jumping when they are not approaching or retreating from another object or monkey.
Marmoset Group Structure
· Marmosets have extended family units from 4 to 15 individuals, generally consisting of one adult male and one adult female with their offspring from two or more litters.
· Marmosets are very territorial and will defend home ranges, which will vary in size according to food availability and distribution. Approximately 1/3 of their territory is travelled every day, and should neighbouring groups come into contact, vocalising, chasing, pilo erection (erection of body hair) and tongue flicking takes place.
· Within the family group, there is much time spent grooming, foraging, and defending their territory.
Housing
· Shelves, ropes and branches provide marmosets with some diversity in their captive environment, it is also important to provide some variation in the lengths and widths of these objects.
· The stability of the objects should vary so that the marmoset can learn to adapt to those objects that move when jumped onto and those that stay still.
· This increases both physical and mental stimulation which in turn helps to alleviate boredom, as well as helping in the development of proper co-ordination and physiological development (the development of the muscular system).
· When keeping marmosets indoors, especially in the winter when heating is used, it is important to keep the humidity level up to at least 50 to 75%, this is especially so if they are youngsters.
· Marmosets being housed individually should be kept at a temperature of 26.6 to 27.7 degrees C.
· Those maintained in pairs or groups can withstand lower temperatures as they draw body heat from each other.
· Marmosets mark their territories in the wild by "scenting", this is also done in captivity by rubbing their scent glands against a perch or some other object in the cage, note these preferred areas.
· Cleaning and disinfecting the cage is extremely important for good health, and to alleviate odours.
· However, do avoid washing the areas of the cage frequently which are most often used for scent marking purposes.
· Marmosets have been known to develop behavioural problems and skin lesions due to an over stimulated need to scent-mark their territory in a sterile environment.
· It is advisable to wash these areas on a rotation basis, where you wash certain objects one time and the other objects the next, by doing this, the monkey will always feel "at home".
· The same is true when replacing perches and branches etc.
· Never replace them all at once, but rather work the new ones in a couple at a time.
· With all this discussion on scent, it should be noted by anyone planning on keeping Callitrichids that they are rather smelly, and this should be a major factor when deciding if the care of these creatures is for you.
· When providing bedding for these little creatures, care must be taken that you do not give them bedding with loose fibres, as these can become entwined around their little fingers and toes cutting off circulation.
· It is important to provide covering for marmosets, which are housed primarily outdoors.
· In their natural habitat, large birds frequently prey on them; as a result they rely heavily on dense foliage for cover and protection.
· If they are not provided with cover, over at least half the enclosure, marmosets feel insecure and this may lead to problems related to stress.
· The stability of the objects should vary so that the marmoset can learn to adapt to those objects that move when jumped onto and those that stay still.
· This increases both physical and mental stimulation which in turn helps to alleviate boredom, as well as helping in the development of proper co-ordination and physiological development (the development of the muscular system).
· When keeping marmosets indoors, especially in the winter when heating is used, it is important to keep the humidity level up to at least 50 to 75%, this is especially so if they are youngsters.
· Marmosets being housed individually should be kept at a temperature of 26.6 to 27.7 degrees C.
· Those maintained in pairs or groups can withstand lower temperatures as they draw body heat from each other.
· Marmosets mark their territories in the wild by "scenting", this is also done in captivity by rubbing their scent glands against a perch or some other object in the cage, note these preferred areas.
· Cleaning and disinfecting the cage is extremely important for good health, and to alleviate odours.
· However, do avoid washing the areas of the cage frequently which are most often used for scent marking purposes.
· Marmosets have been known to develop behavioural problems and skin lesions due to an over stimulated need to scent-mark their territory in a sterile environment.
· It is advisable to wash these areas on a rotation basis, where you wash certain objects one time and the other objects the next, by doing this, the monkey will always feel "at home".
· The same is true when replacing perches and branches etc.
· Never replace them all at once, but rather work the new ones in a couple at a time.
· With all this discussion on scent, it should be noted by anyone planning on keeping Callitrichids that they are rather smelly, and this should be a major factor when deciding if the care of these creatures is for you.
· When providing bedding for these little creatures, care must be taken that you do not give them bedding with loose fibres, as these can become entwined around their little fingers and toes cutting off circulation.
· It is important to provide covering for marmosets, which are housed primarily outdoors.
· In their natural habitat, large birds frequently prey on them; as a result they rely heavily on dense foliage for cover and protection.
· If they are not provided with cover, over at least half the enclosure, marmosets feel insecure and this may lead to problems related to stress.
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