Twenty-two species of tiny New World monkeys, most about 20 cm long. They have claws rather than nails and use strong lower incisors to gnaw holes in trees and feed on the gum and sap. They live in family groups of 3 to 15.
Quick answers
What is it?Mammal
Carnivore?Omnivore
Dangerous?No
Domesticated?No
Awake when?Daytime
Hibernates?No
Kept as a pet?Sometimes
Sometimes kept as pets, though their diet and housing needs are demanding.
Do people eat it?No
At a glance
Found inSouth America
HabitatRainforest, Forest
ColoursGrey, Brown, White
SizeTiny
LengthAbout 20 cm (most species), plus a long tail
WeightAbout 100–350 g (most species)
Legs4
Covered inFur
Lives infamilies
Lives for12–16 years
In the wild
- Where it lives
- South America: Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Paraguay and Peru.
- What it eats
- Tree sap and gum, insects, fruit, leaves and small animals.
Did you know
Gnaws holes in bark and comes back later to drink the sap.
About 95% of marmoset twins swap blood cells before birth, so each carries some of its twin’s cells.
Their body temperature can change by up to 4 °C in a single day.
Often confused with
- Tamarin
Tamarins are close relatives in the same family, and many have moustache-like facial hair.
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