Are
you in the mood to see something adorable, today? Something that will make you
just melt when you see it?
Meet
the world’s tiniest monkey!
This
is the Pygmy Marmoset. Also known as the Finger Monkey, or Tiny Lion, at his
fullest size, he’ll only be about six inches (15 centimeters) long. When he
reaches his heaviest, he’ll be all of 3.5 ounces (100 grams) in weight. Now
that’s a bitty monkey! He’s small enough to cling to the human finger with room
to spare! (Thus the name.)
It’s
amazing to think that he’s related to other creatures like the Orangutan and
the Gorilla, who can overpower even the strongest human. This is truly another
one of Mother Nature’s miracles.
But
it’s not just his tininess that gets your attention. He also happens to be a
very attractive and impressive looking little animal. He’s got big, clear eyes,
a cute little face and, in some cases, the bushy little mane that earned him
the nickname ‘Tiny Lion’.
Here
are some more facts about this amazing little creature.
·
They come only from South
America in places such as the Amazon, Brazil and Columbia
·
Their diet consists largely of
tree gum which they claw out of the trees themselves. They also drink the
accompanying sap, and they eat a number of other things including berries and
insects
·
Pygmy Marmosets live in groups
of two to nine individuals
·
The little guys are often born
as twins or triplets
·
Only about 25% of the babies
live to be adults
·
Once the babies are born, they
become primarily the responsibility of the father, while the mother goes off to
forage.
·
Infant care is a community
affair among the finger monkeys, with siblings and other childless adults
lending a paw. It has been said that some adults will even delay their own
pregnancies in order to care for other babies that have already been born.
·
They have an intricate system
of calls for vocal communication. According to some, they are capable of
emitting a cry so high pitched that the human ear cannot hear it
·
They can live to be about 16
years old
They
are not listed as being endangered, thankfully. But that doesn’t mean we can
get complacent. It only means we need to be aware that we still have a chance
to protect this animal from reaching that status if we pay attention now. More
and more of their rain forest habitat gets destroyed every year for development
and progress.
There’s
also some concern as to the capture of these animals. People take one look and
fall in love with them and decide they simply must have one for a pet. The
result is more and more of the animals get caught and dragged out of their
natural habitat to be thrown into the exotic pet trade for sale, so they can
live in cages in apartments instead of big, leafy trees. Many experts warn,
however, that they don’t make good pets as they are expensive, and can be
territorial and aggressive.
However,
they’re still irresistible to gawk at and admire. According to one article, one individual had
a baby in the Houston Zoo, just last year. Like their much larger cousins, these
animals little fellows are in the habit of carrying their young on their back.
Click here to check out this adorable picture of the tiniest little baby monkey ever. Can you see him?
Comments
I hear that there has been some recent activity around the Killer Whale they call Shamu who is at the San Diego Sea World - I would like to know more about what is happening, if you are ever looking for a topic?