Pygmy Marmoset, World's Smallest Monkey

With body length ranging from 14-to-16-centimeters, the Pygmy Marmoset is the world's smallest monkey. This tiniest of all monkeys is a native of the rainforest canopies of western Brazil, southeastern Colombia, eastern Ecuador, and eastern Peru. The males of the specie weigh around 140 grams, and females only 120 grams.


The Pygmy Marmoset has a tawny coat, and a ringed tail that can be as long as its body. In common with other Callitrichinids, it has claws instead of nails on all its digits except the big toe. They are omnivorous, feeding on fruit, leaves, insects, and sometimes even small reptiles. Their small weight allows them to reach the very highest leaves of a tree, and to exploit the otherwise little- used food sources there.