Common Marmoset: a two-minute wildlife lesson

Monkeys of the Americas · day 3 of 7

Five facts

1. Gripping the bark with claw-like nails, a marmoset gnaws a hole in a tree with its long lower teeth, then licks up the gum that oozes out.
2. Marmosets seem to use names. Their whistled phee calls carry who the call is for, something known in only a few species, like dolphins.
3. Twins are common. For their first two weeks, the babies cling to mum's back, then dad and the rest of the family help carry them.
4. Those white ear tufts send signals: a frightened or submissive marmoset presses them flat against its head.
5. Pets released over the years have taken it far from its home in northeast Brazil. It now lives in cities like Rio de Janeiro and Buenos Aires.

The quiz

1. How does a marmoset get gum out of a tree?

• It waits for woodpeckers to make holes
• It gnaws a hole with its lower teeth and licks it up (correct)
• It shakes the branches
• It sucks it through a hollow twig

It chews a hole with its long lower incisors, then licks up what flows out.

2. What do marmoset phee calls include, a bit like a name?

• The time of day
• The way to the nearest fruit tree
• Who the call is meant for (correct)
• The age of the caller

Their phee calls encode the identity of the one being called.

3. For how long do baby marmosets cling to their mother's back before exploring?

• Two days
• Two weeks (correct)
• One year
• Six months

They hold on to mum for the first two weeks, then become very active.

4. What does a frightened marmoset do with its ear tufts?

• Flattens them against its head (correct)
• Puffs them up
• Turns them red
• Shakes them loudly

To show fear or submission, it presses its tufts flat.

5. Which of these cities do common marmosets now live in?

• Mexico City
• Lima
• Havana
• Buenos Aires (correct)

Introduced marmosets live in Rio de Janeiro and Buenos Aires.

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