Pygmy marmosets, which weigh less than an apple, are the smallest monkeys in the world. They have the ability to jump more than 30 times their body length over the treetops in the Amazon rainforest.

Pygmy marmosets are the smallest monkeys in the world and here at Adelaide Zoo we are lucky to be home to five of these tiny primates.

Marmie, the oldest pygmy marmoset, was born in 2002 in the United Kingdom and arrived at Adelaide Zoo in 2006. Marmie prefers to wait and watch what her keepers are doing. Sultanas are her favorite treat! His partner is Eva, born in October 2015.

Marmie and Eva can be difficult to find because they are so small, so staying quiet and waiting for them to move will give you the best chance of seeing them.

The pygmy marmoset is native to the rainforests of the western Amazon basin in South America. These mini monkeys live in tropical lowland evergreen forests, often in river floodplains.

It is the smallest monkey in the world and fits comfortably in an adult’s hand, with an average weight of less than 120 grams! He is a strange-looking but adorable monkey with squirrel-like hands and feet, a long mane of hair around his face, and a tail that is longer than his body. Their tiny bodies are covered in orange-brown fur that can sometimes have a greenish tint! Despite their size, pygmy marmosets can jump up to five meters!

Pygmy marmosets live in small family groups and females can have twins twice a year. Marmoset babies are no bigger than a human thumb!

Tree sap is their preferred food, so it’s a good thing they are perfectly designed with claw-like nails and elongated incisor teeth to make holes in the trees and allow the sap to seep from within.

Pygmy marmosets are still abundant in the wild, but exploit threats such as insect habitat and the pet trade.