Weighing in at a dainty 300grams, Common Marmosets are among the smallest of the primates.
But despite their size, these small but mighty Brazilian monkeys have an incredible ability to adapt to change.
In fact, the more you learn about these tiny primates, the more you realise they’re anything but common!
Males are colourblind
Recent studies have shown male Common Marmoset confuse colours like red, green, brown and orange, making them colourblind. Whereas females see colours like we do.
But luckily, the boys are able to use this to their advantage when foraging for food, often spotting camouflaged flora or fauna.
Awesome Adapters
Common Marmosets are native to Brazil. In the wild, they’ve adapted to live in a range of habitats like the desert, spiky forest or lush coastal rainforests.
Their ability to adapt is a big reason why Common Marmosets are not an endangered species.
X marks the spot
Common Marmosets work smarter not harder when finding food! They love tree sap, and will use their sharp teeth to punch a hole, known as a ‘sap tap’.
They leave scent marks at a feeding hole to lead them back there when they get hungry.
That means they can spend more time eating, and less time searching for a new source!
No Nails
Going against the primate norm, Common Marmosets have claws instead of fingernails to let them easily scamper up trees.
This is super helpful because they’ll find more of their favourite foods in the trees if they can climb nice and high.
Double Trouble
One isn’t enough of this cute creature, with common marmosets commonly being born as twin pairs! This means they hold two sets of DNA inside them which leads their babies to being, genetically, their non-identical twin!
Adorable Attitude
These species are adorable when they eat and have a lot of attitude. If you see them fluff themselves up it means they’re showing you who’s boss!
If you would love to meet one the common marmosets, Be a Keeper for the day have the chance to meet the teeny-tiny marmosets, find out more at our Close Encounter page below.