Cyber FlashCards

10 of the most well-known primate species

#7

what is thIS PRIMATE'S common name?
COMMON MARMOSET
What is the scientific name?
Callithrix jacchus
​WHAT KIND OF PRIMATE IS THIS?
MONKEY
Where do they live?
Common marmosets are native to Brazil. Once found only in Atlantic coastal forests in the northeastern region of the country, years of habitat destruction have forced them to seek new places to live.

Habitat loss, coupled with the release of captive marmosets (former pets) outside of their original range, has led to the species’ geographic distribution throughout Brazil, as far west as the country's Rio Grande (left bank) and as far south as Argentina.
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Latin America
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Where common marmosets live. Map: Oona Räisänen & IUCN/Creative Commons
New world or old world?
NEW WORLD
fascinating facts
  • Common marmosets have a specialized diet
  • They are uniquely adapted to digest tree gum, sap, and resin
  • This diet cannot be adequately replicated in captivity
  • Common marmosets held captive in research and in the pet trade frequently die from "Marmoset Wasting Syndrome." They literally waste away from inadquate diet.  
What threatens their future?
The near complete destruction of their habitat in northeastern Brazil has severely threatened the species population there and has forced these monkeys to seek a more hospitable habitat. But no welcome mat has greeted them in the southeastern region of the country, where common marmosets have adapted to life at edge forests. Because the monkeys opportunistically visit the plantations in this area, farmers regard them as pests.

In the name of science, common marmosets’ small bodies have been experimented on to discover how humans might be affected by periodontal disease, immunology, obesity, aging, congenital defects, and endocrinology, and other conditions.

Common marmosets are also captured and illegally traded as pets. 
​WHAT IS their CONSERVATION STATUS?
LEAST CONCERN
What Does this Conservation Status mean?
Least Concern (LC) = Lowest risk.

​They are widespread and abundant.
​However all nonhuman primates are threatened by habitat loss.
Any species categorized as Critically Endangered, Endangered, or Vulnerable is considered by conservation scientists to be a threatened species
​HERE'S A SNAPSHOT AND THE SPECIES' PROFILE
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​LEARN MORE ABOUT common marmosets
Go to the common marmoset Primate Species Profiles page
are marmosets good pets?
NO
  1. Although small and cute, marmosets, like all primates, do not make good pets.
  2. They do not fare well in captivity. Poor diet and exposure to human diseases threaten their health.
  3. As they age and become destructive in their human households, marmosets are often abandoned or killed by their human keepers.
  4. To become pets, common marmosets are stolen from their mothers as babies. As a result, they do not develop normally emotionally.
  5. Monkeys are never domesticated. They always remain wild. 
  6. Caged monkeys are very unhappy and frustrated. They are likely to resist confinement. They are quick and cause damaging bites and scratches.
  7. Many locations have strict regulations that prohibit trading in or keeping monkeys are pets.
  8. Common marmosets belong with other marmosets in Brazil. They and their habitats must be protected, not exploited.
#PrimatesAreNotPets
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​Common names are not officially defined. They are based on everyday conversational language and may differ by country, region, profession, community, or other factors. As a result, it is not unusual for a species to have multiple common names.

Scientific names, on the other hand, are standardized and constant. They are Latinized and rule-bound by a formal naming system called binominal nomenclature. Scientific names prevent misidentification. They typically only change if a species is officially redesignated.
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The biological order of Primates is divided into these classifications:​
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​​New World monkeys are native to Central and South America.

Old World monkeys are native to Africa and Asia.
Learn about the differences between New World monkeys and Old World monkeys
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  • ​Extinct (EX) – No known individuals remaining.
  • Extinct in the Wild (EW) – Known only to survive in captivity.
  • Critically Endangered (CR) – Extremely high risk of extinction in the wild.
  • Endangered (EN) – High risk of extinction in the wild.
  • Vulnerable (VU) – High risk of endangerment in the wild.
  • Near Threatened (NT) – Likely to become endangered in the near future.
  • Least Concern (LC) – Widespread and abundant.
  • Data Deficient (DD) – Not enough data to assess the species' risk of extinction.
  • Not Evaluated (NE) – Has not yet been evaluated.
Learn more about ​Conservation Statuses
Copyright © New England Primate Conservancy 2019. You may freely use and share these learning activities for educational purposes. 
​For questions or comments, e-mail us at info@neprimateconservancy.org.
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