Marmoset

The marmosets (), also known as zaris or sagoin, are twenty-two New World monkey species of the genera Callithrix, Cebuella, Callibella, and Mico. All four genera are part of the biological family Callitrichidae. The term "marmoset" is also used in reference to Goeldi's marmoset, Callimico goeldii, which is closely related. Most marmosets have a small body size, measuring about 20 cm (8 in) long and weighing around 100 - 350 g. Sexual maturity is quickly reached around 12 to 18 months and they can live up to 14 years old in the wild. Female marmosets have short gestational periods of around 145 days and can get pregnant 2-4 weeks after their previous delivery. Relative to other monkeys, they show some apparently primitive features; they have claws rather than nails, non-opposable thumbs, and tactile hairs on their wrists. They lack wisdom teeth, and their brain layout seems to be relatively primitive. They have long tails for balancing and communication, not for grasping or holding objects. Marmosets use scent-marking to mark their territories, sleeping areas, and to identify themselves to others. Their body temperature is unusually variable, changing by up to 4 °C (7.2 °F) in a day. Marmosets are native to South America and have been found in Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Paraguay, and Peru. They have also been occasionally spotted in Central America and southern Mexico. They are sometimes kept as pets, though they have specific dietary and habitat needs that require consideration. According to recent research, marmosets exhibit germline chimerism, which is not known to occur in nature in any primates other than callitrichids. 95% of marmoset fraternal twins trade blood through chorionic fusions, making them hematopoietic chimeras.