Animal Info - Buffy-headed Marmoset

(Other Name: Ouistiti à Tête Jaune, Sagüi-da-Serra)

Callithrix flaviceps (C. jacchus f.)

Status: Endangered

1. Profile (Picture)
2. Tidbits
3. Status and Trends (IUCN Status, Countries Where Currently Found, History of Distribution, Threats and Reasons for Decline)
4. Data on Biology and Ecology (Weight, Habitat, Age to Maturity, Gestation Period, Birth Rate, Maximum Age, Diet, Behavior, Social Organization)
5. References

Profile

Pictures: Buffy-headed Marmoset (7 Kb JPEG) (Inst. Ciên. Biol.); Buffy-headed Marmoset (178 Kb GIF) (Primate Info Net)

The buffy-headed marmoset is an arboreal, diurnal monkey weighing 0.4 kg (14 oz). It lives in Brazil's Atlantic coastal forest. It is unusual in that its diet includes significant amounts of plant gums as well as fruit.

These marmosets are monogamous. A dominant mated pair in a troop maintains its status through aggressive interaction. A litter includes from 1 - 4 young.

The buffy-headed marmoset occurs along the southeast coast of Brazil in the states of Espirito Santo and Minas Gerais. It is affected by the continuing degradation of the Atlantic coastal forest. Marmosets have been used for biomedical research and captured for the pet trade.

Tidbits

*** The buffy-headed marmoset is specialized for eating plant gums instead of fruit as a source of carbohydrates during periods of fruit scarcity. It can colonize habitats where edible fruit may be scarce during most of the year. (Ferrari & Mendes 1991).

*** Field studies have shown that buffy-headed marmosets are highly adaptable and can thrive under relatively harsh conditions in marginal and secondary forest patches (Ferrari & Mendes 1991).

Status and Trends

IUCN Status:

1970's - 1994: Endangered
1996 - 2004: Endangered (Criteria: B1+2abcde, C2a) (IUCN 2004)

Countries Where the Buffy-headed Marmoset Is Currently Found:

2004: Occurs in Brazil (IUCN 2004).

History of Distribution:

The buffy-headed marmoset occurs along the southeast coast of Brazil. In 1977 it was thought only to occur in the state of Espirito Santo between the Rio Doce and the Rio de Janeiro-Espirito Santo border. In 1980 it was also observed in the neighboring state of Minas Gerais. Its populations are restricted to small, isolated remnants of the original Atlantic coastal forest, most of which are privately owned.

Distribution Map #1 (11 Kb) (InfoNatura)
Distribution Map #2 (257 Kb JPEG) (Inst. Ciên. Biol.)

Threats and Reasons for Decline:

The buffy-headed marmoset is affected by the continuing degradation of the Atlantic coastal forest. Marmosets have been used for biomedical research and captured for the pet trade.

Data on Biology and Ecology

Weight:

The buffy-headed marmoset weighs 0.4 kg (14 oz).

Habitat:

The buffy-headed marmoset is found in the Atlantic coastal forest of Brazil.

The buffy-headed marmoset is found in the Atlantic Forest Biodiversity Hotspot (Cons. Intl. 2005).

Age to Maturity:

Female marmosets mature at 20 - 24 months; males at 9 - 13 months.

Gestation Period:

140 - 148 days.

Birth Rate:

A litter includes 1 - 4 young.

Maximum Age:

Marmosets live up to 10 years in the wild and 16 years in captivity.

Diet:

The buffy-headed marmoset is able to eat plant gums as well as fruit. In one study, gum constituted more than half of the feeding records in all months except January and February, when edible fruit was abundant (Ferrari & Mendes 1991).

Behavior:

The buffy-headed marmoset is arboreal and diurnal.

Social Organization:

These marmosets are monogamous. A dominant mated pair in a troop maintains its status through aggressive interaction.

References

Burton & Pearson 1987, Cons. Intl. 2005, Ferrari & Diego 1995, Ferrari & Mendes 1991, InfoNatura, Inst. Ciên. Biol., IUCN 1994, IUCN 1996, IUCN 2000, IUCN 2003a, IUCN 2004, Mittermeier et al. 1980, Nowak & Paradiso 1983, Primate Info Net

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Last modified: September 10, 2006;