Silvery marmoset

Scientific Name: Mico argentatus Animal Type: Mammal Location: A small area of the Amazon basin in northern Brazil. Conservation Status: Least Concern

Profile

 

These tiny monkeys are highly intelligent and well adapted for life in the rainforest. Little is known about the wild status of the silvery marmoset, but it is thought to be in similar trouble to other species of Amazonian primates because of the destruction and fragmentation of its forest habitat for timber and to make way for farmland and housing. Durrell has cared for silvery marmosets in Jersey since 1973, when a captive breeding programme was established to ensure there would be an assurance population should the worst happen in the wild.

The only place that silveries are found in the wild is a small area of the Amazon basin in northern Brazil, where they live in relatively flat, lowland primary and secondary tropical rainforest. Unfortunately, loggers are reported to have moved into the region, increasing the threat to these primates.

Factsheets

• Silvery Marmoset factsheet (41 kb)

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