Details
Cebuella pygmaea
A tiny Amazonian monkey specialized for feeding on tree exudates. It gouges bark and returns to sap holes along riverine forest edges.
Map: Ecoregions 2017 © RESOLVE (CC BY 4.0) · Natural Earth (PD)
Pygmy marmosets use western Amazon lowland forest, river-edge forest, floodplain forest, and secondary growth with gum-producing trees.
They are very small, with dense fur and a long banded tail. Claw-like nails let them cling to vertical trunks and move quickly.
They are diurnal and live in family groups with small territories. Groups repeatedly visit bark holes that they maintain for sap flow.
Tree sap, gum, and resin dominate the diet, supplemented by insects, fruit, and nectar. Exudates provide reliable high-energy food.
Females often give birth to twins. Fathers and other group members carry infants, returning them to the mother for nursing.
The pet trade affects some populations, but their specialized diet and social life make them unsuitable as casual captive animals.
