Photo: Pygmy marmoset twins born at the Bronx Zoo

About | Contact | Mongabay on Facebook | Mongabay on Twitter | Subscribe

SHARE:

Photo: Pygmy marmoset twins born at the Bronx Zoo
mongabay.com
January 3, 2008

Twin pygmy marmosets born to three-year-old mom, Squirt, and seven-year-old dad, King at the Bronx Zoo on November 11 are doing well, according to zoo officials.

Twin marmosets were born at the Bronx Zoo on November 11 to three-year-old mom, Squirt, and seven-year-old dad, King. Although his name implies royalty, his primary responsibility is child-rearing -- shown here giving his little ones a "ride". This is Squirt's third litter and the family can be seen at the Bronx Zoo's Congo Gorilla Forest exhibit. The Bronx Zoo is open everyday from 10 AM to 4:30 PM in winter. Photo taken January 3, 2007 by Julie Larsen Maher © WCS

The Pygmy Marmoset (Callithrix pygmaea), native to the Amazon rainforest is the world's smallest monkey, with its body length ranging from 14-16 cm and its heads just a little larger than the size of a quarter. Adult males weigh around 140 g (5 ounces), while females weigh 120 g (4.2 ounces).

The Pygmy Marmoset has a unique nocturnal feeding habit, using its chisel-like incisor teeth to gouge holes in bark in order to feed on tree sap. The species is fast-moving, somewhat like a rat or a squirrel, and is capable of leaping up to 5 meters (16 fee et).

Like other marmoset species, males are active in parental care, carrying infants and sharing food.

Comments

Share | Email

CITATION:
mongabay.com (January 03, 2008). Photo: Pygmy marmoset twins born at the Bronx Zoo. http://news.mongabay.com/2008/0103-wcs_marmoset.html

Tags:
Photos animals julie larsen maher primates monkeys green

print

News index | RSS | News Feed | Twitter | Home

Advertisements:

Organic Apparel from Patagonia | Insect-repelling clothing

Mongabay Store
Wildlife of Madagascar T-shirt		Bold and Dangerous - Pygmy tyrant
Love me before I'm gone - Gladiator frog		Licking this frog may make you crazy

WEEKLY NEWSLETTER

SUPPORT
Mongabay.com seeks to raise interest in and appreciation of wild lands and wildlife, while examining the impact of emerging trends in climate, technology, economics, and finance on conservation and development (more)

Help support mongabay.com when you buy from Amazon.com

Photos

Alaska	Argentina	Australia
Belize	Brazil	Cambodia
China	Colombia	Costa Rica
Deforestation	Frog	Gabon
Grand Canyon	Honduras	India
Indonesia	Kenya	Laos
Lemur	Madagascar	Malaysia
Monkey	New Zealand	Panama
Peru	Rainforest	Sunset
Suriname	Tanzania	Thailand
Uganda	United States	Venezuela

HIGH RESOLUTION PHOTOS / PRINTS

CALENDARS

Mount Kenya

East Africa Safari Wildlife

Kenya's Turkana People

Madagascar Chameleons

CANVAS BAGS

Hallucinogenic frog bag

Madagascar wildlife bag

Mongabay.com's Fan Page on Facebook

Copyright mongabay 2010

Carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions generated from mongabay.com operations (server, data transfer, travel) are mitigated through an association with Anthrotect,
an organization working with Afro-indigenous and Embera communities to protect forests in Colombia's Darien region.
Anthrotect is protecting the habitat of mongabay's mascot: the scale-crested pygmy tyrant.