Silvery Marmoset (Callithrix argentata)

MORPHOLOGY: The silvery marmoset has light colored patches on the hips. As with all callitrichids this species has nonopposable thumbs; also this species has claws instead of nails. The mean body weight for adult males is 355.6 (gn) (Ferrari and Lopes, 1992). RANGE: This species is found in Eastern Bolivia, Western Brazil, and North Eastern Brazil. The silvery marmoset lives in primary and secondary forests. ECOLOGY: The silvery marmoset primarily eats insects, but also eats gum, fruits, and flowers. Rylands and de Faria (1993) note that the silvery marmoset only seasonally exploits gums and is reflected in its lower incisors being short as compared to a species that primarily eats gums such as Callithrix jacchus.

LOCOMOTION:
The silvery marmoset moves by quadrupedally as well as occasional leaping (Fleagle, 1988).

SOCIAL BEHAVIOR:
The groups of this species consist of both males and females, in which the males take responsible for caring of the young. The silvery marmoset forms mixed-species groups with tamarin species such as: S. fusicollis, S. mystax, S. labiatus, S. imperator, and S. nigricollis (Garber, 1993).

VOCAL COMMUNICATION: alarm call: this call consists of trill sounds. OLFACTORY COMMUNICATION: The male and female silvery marmosets have genital glands used in scent marking and leaving pigmentation on their hair and skin. TACTILE COMMUNICATION: VISUAL COMMUNICATION: lip smacking: this display is used in sexual and aggressive encounters. rhythmic tongue protrusion: this display is used in sexual and aggressive encounters. REPRODUCTION: This species gives birth to twins (Fleagle, 1988).

REFERENCES:
Burton, F. 1995. The Multimedia Guide to the Non-human Primates. Prentice-Hall Canada Inc.

Ferrari, S.F. and Lopes, M.A. 1992. A New Species of Marmoset, genus Callithrix Erxleben 1777 (Callitrichidae, Primates) from Western Brazilian Amanzonia. Goeldiana Zoologia, Vol.12: 1-13.

Fleagle, J. G. 1988. Primate Adaptation and Evolution. Academic Press.

Garber, P. A. 1993. Feeding Ecology and Behaviour of the genus Saguinus. in Marmosets and Tamarins: Systematics, Behaviour, and Ecology. ed. Anthony B. Rylands. Oxford University Press.

Rylands, Anthony B. and de Faria, Doris S. 1993. Habitats, Feeding Ecology, and Home Range Size in the genus Callithrix. in Marmosets and Tamarins: Systematics, Behaviour, and Ecology. ed. Anthony B. Rylands. Oxford University Press.

Last Updated: October 6, 2003.
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