Marmoset is one of the world's smallest kinds of monkey. Most marmosets are less than 1 foot long, not including the tail, and weight from 10 to 12 ounces. The thick, soft coats or marmosets range in color from silvery-white to dark gray or brown. Patches of hair stick out from the head and ears of some marmosets. Unlike most other monkeys, marmosets have claws instead of nails. The live in trees and walk on all four legs, much like squirrels. Marmosets feed mainly on insects and fruit. They also chew holes in certain trees to eat gum or sap. Most marmosets live in groups of 3 to 8 in the tropical forests and woodland plains of Central and South America.
There are 10 types of marmosets. The pygmy marmoset is 5 1/2 to 6 1/2 inches long and weighs between 5 to 7 ounces. Pygmy marmosets are found from southern Colombia to southeastern Peru, and in parts of Ecuador and Brazil. Other marmosets live in Brazil and Bolivia.
Marmosets are kept as pets and are used in medical research. They are threatened by the increasing destruction of their tropical forest habitat.
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