Like I said, these monkeys are not like dogs. They are also not like cats: do not expect them to roam the house, looking after themselves and occasionally rolling over and asking for food. They will hound you for attention, and let you know if they are not getting enough of it! However, they have the cute factor, and will wow your friends with their incredible minuteness, and fascinating claws.
What do you think? Is the pygmy marmoset for you? Have you ever held one, and did it make your heart melt? Like Like. Check for reviews and customer testimonies about whichever breeder you do go for, though!
Thank you! Hi just wondering if females make better pets than males also is it better to have two females together or two males together thanks Danielle. Besides biscuits for vitamins do they have vitamins I can give? Also I am just getting one little girl. She will get lots of attention. Do I really need another! You are commenting using your WordPress. You are commenting using your Google account. You are commenting using your Twitter account. You are commenting using your Facebook account.
Notify me of new comments via email. Notify me of new posts via email. Skip to content Pygmy marmosets are also known as finger monkeys you can use the two names interchangeably or pocket monkeys, and for good reason. Image by Gary Chambers from Pixabay Do they make good pets? Here is a rundown of the things I will cover in this guide: Is the pygmy marmoset legal to own as a pet?
Finger monkey behavior — how should you handle a pygmy marmoset? Finger monkey housing and accessories — how best to care for a pygmy marmoset Finger monkey diet — what you should or should not feed your pygmy marmoset Finger monkey cost — how much will it set you back, in upfront costs and ongoing costs Where to buy a finger monkey, or pygmy marmoset With any luck, by the time you finish reading this, you will have a pretty good idea of whether or not owning a pygmy marmoset is the best decision for you, and for the marmosets themselves 1: Pygmy marmoset legal issues: is it legal to own as a pet?
Well, depending on where you live, the answer to that could be yes or no. Crazy jumping ability Pygmy marmosets can jump to a height that cannot easily be covered by other breeds of monkeys, even those much larger than the pygmy monkey.
Bigger tails than bodies The adult finger monkey usually reaches a total head-body length of 4. Lucky if they make it to 6 months Pygmy marmosets have a high mortality rate. Aggressive tendencies in males Finger monkeys, especially the males, tend to be aggressive when they reach adulthood. Handling finger monkeys Take care when handling adult male finger monkeys. Housing Finger monkeys are physically active, too.
This means: Large cage with space to jump, climb and stay active Installing swings, artificial or real trees and a steady supply of clean de-chlorinated water Direct sunlight for at least a few hours a day, and a heat lamp or UV light if you cannot provide this You should AVOID enclosures which: Are wide and shallow, because they will not provide your marmoset with enough vertical space in which to climb; Are very small, because marmosets are social and physically active and like to be grouped together.
One may be small, but two or three can take up a bit more space! Have opaque lids, because they will not let in enough sunlight Are barren — spruce things up with some climbable objects! Are too dark. Based on the following three factors… Maintenance — high or low? Pygmy marmosets require a lot of TLC, and ideally like to be placed in small groups.
If you put together a pairing and they get on well with each other, that will lighten the load for you. If not, your marmoset might be quite high maintenance! They are attention seekers, and require a fairly high level of maintenance. Handling — are they easy to handle? There is little evidence to suggest that pygmy marmosets are difficult to handle. Cost — cost to buy pet, running cost: this is the clincher. They are expensive to buy, are almost always sold and bought in pairs, and may require expensive vet bills further down the line, plus vaccinations, jabs, etc.
The overall cost can be divided up into base cost and ongoing costs, and summarized with overall cost. The base cost is high, and ongoing costs are moderately high and not necessarily predictable. Share this: Twitter Facebook.
Like this: Like Loading I have wanted one for 40 years! Definitely crazy about them! Thanks for your comment, Wendy! Can you recommend any breeders? So many scams online perhaps you can suggest some Like Like. You might be wondering if finger monkeys are truly small enough to deserve all of the fuss. The answer is yes. They measure just 4 — 6 inches from head to hindquarters , and they weigh an average of 3.
They do get a little bigger when you factor in their tails. Measuring between 6 — 9 inches, these tails are longer than their entire bodies. While not the smallest primates in the world, pygmy marmosets are definitely the smallest monkeys in the world.
The tiniest primate in the world is something known as the mouse lemur. Measuring just 3 — 4 inches and weighing around 1. However, it should be noted that mouse lemurs are quite different from pygmy marmosets. Monkeys and lemurs are entirely separate species. Their natural habitat is scattered around the Amazon Basin. Pygmy marmosets live in trees. They like anything with bushes, branches, vines or groves where they can forage for food and hide from predators. They typically stay in the lower levels of tree cover.
This protects them from birds of prey like Harpy eagles while still giving them plenty of access to food sources. Pygmy marmosets are incredibly fast and flexible. They can also swivel their heads degrees, and this helps them to detect and evade predators very quickly. Their size might be the most eye-catching thing about them, but finger monkeys have other cool characteristics as well. They also have unusual colors streaked across their chests and backs. While their primary colors are brown, black, beige and gray, there are often yellow or white splotches that dot them in distinct and unique shapes.
Another fun feature of pygmy marmosets is their striped tail. These animals subside on the gum and sap of trees. Pygmy marmosets are gummivores: they use their long, sharp claws for digging into tree bark and creating little holes to gather sap.
They have special incisors that can pierce vines, branches and tree trunks when their claws fail. In addition to gum and sap, pygmy marmosets will also eat fruits and insects.
When butterflies are attracted to the smell of sap, pygmy marmosets will grab them out of the air and enjoy a snack. Until very recently, it was assumed that all pygmy marmosets were the same. It surprised a lot of researchers when genetic testing revealed that there were actually two distinct subspecies:. The first is found in the north and west of the Amazon Basin; the latter is found in the east.
Most pygmy marmosets live in a troop of 2 — 9 individuals. It usually consists of a single male and female with their children, but there might be other adults tagging along as well. After a certain amount of time, both male and female juveniles will break off from their birth troops and leave to establish their own. Pygmy marmosets are mostly monogamous with male-female pairs devoting themselves to their little family unit.
When other males join the group, the female might use them for breeding and child-rearing. When other females join the group, they tend to work together to raise whatever offspring is produced. Instead, one female will suppress her reproductive cycle and help the other tend to the young. However, they do face certain issues in the wild, and it was only recently that their separate sub-species were discovered.
Habitat loss is a serious issue for many types of South American wildlife. In the case of pygmy marmosets, they need lots of tree cover to survive, so the destruction of the Amazon rainforest is a pressing concern.
Another threat to pygmy marmosets is the pet trade. While some of them are ethically bred in domesticated settings, others are caught in the wild and forced into captivity. Hunters will also kill mothers to steal their babies, and this can have a ripple effect for their entire troops. In the wild, pygmy marmosets can get pretty aggressive. Both males and females are quick to defend their territory or fight each other as part of their mating cycles.
Playtime is also rough, and it can have deadly consequences. If a pygmy marmoset falls or gets shoved out of a tree, it can result in their death. As pets, however, pygmy marmosets are usually cuddly and sweet. Meanings Meanings. Examples Origin Usage. What's hot. Where does finger monkey come from? I've never pet a baby finger monkey in my life.
Popular now. Who uses finger monkey?
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