Chemnitz Zoo: Offspring of pygmy marmosets
Endangered primate species has twins
The first offspring were born in the marmoset house at Chemnitz Zoo at the beginning of January. The pair of pygmy marmosets, who have been living together since June last year, gave birth for the first time, and twice as many.
The young are born weighing around 15 grams, while adult pygmy marmosets weigh between 85 and 140 grams. The head-torso length (without tail) is only about 15 centimetres. They are the smallest representatives of the apes. They are only surpassed by the mouse lemurs, which, however, belong to the so-called prosimians.
Pygmy marmosets are social animals that can live together in groups of up to ten animals. The group usually consists of a dominant adult female that leads the group, one or two adult males and offspring of different ages. As long as they live together with their parents, their own reproduction is suppressed.
The family groups inhabit fixed territories in the lower and middle layers of trees. After a gestation period of around 140 days, twins are usually born. The offspring cling to their parents' fur immediately after birth and can be carried safely through the branches. The mother and father, and often other family members, take turns caring for the young.
Mother "Bonnie" has already given birth several times at Chemnitz Zoo, for father "Fernando" it is the first time.
The population of pygmy marmosets is declining significantly as a result of habitat loss and hunting. Since 2020, they have therefore been classified as endangered on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. This makes the successful and coordinated breeding of such endangered species all the more important. This species has been successfully kept and bred at Chemnitz Zoo for many years.
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