Head to head
Common Marmoset vs Pygmy Marmoset
Common Marmoset
VS Pygmy Marmoset
The common marmoset and pygmy marmoset are both tiny, tree-gum-eating monkeys that raise twins as a family, but they live in different parts of South America and differ in size.
| Common Marmoset | Pygmy Marmoset | |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific name | Callithrix jacchus | Cebuella pygmaea |
| Size | A small monkey with white ear tufts and a banded tail | The smallest true monkey, with a body of 12 to 16 cm and weighing 100 to 140 g |
| Diet | Tree gum and sap, fruit, insects, and small animals | Mostly tree gum and sap, along with insects, spiders, small fruit, and nectar |
| Gouging teeth | Gnaws holes in tree bark with specialised front teeth | Chisel-shaped lower incisors, with a colony maintaining hundreds of holes on a single tree |
| Family life | Fathers and older siblings help to carry and raise the young, which are often twins | A breeding pair plus older offspring who help carry and feed the usual twins |
| Range | Forests and scrub of northeastern Brazil, with introduced populations elsewhere in the country | River-edge and floodplain rainforest of the western Amazon basin, in Brazil, Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, and Bolivia |
| Leaping | Not specifically documented | Can jump up to 5 m between branches from a standstill |
| Conservation status | Least Concern, widespread and common | Least Concern, declining locally from habitat loss and the pet trade |
Common Marmoset vs Pygmy Marmoset: common questions
Which is the smallest monkey in the world?
The pygmy marmoset, with a body of 12 to 16 cm and a weight of 100 to 140 g.
How do marmosets get gum?
Both gnaw holes in tree bark with specialised front teeth and lick up the gum and sap that flows out.
Where do the common and pygmy marmosets live?
The common marmoset lives in northeastern Brazil, while the pygmy marmoset lives in the western Amazon basin.