Callithrix kuhlii

Geographic Range

Callithrix kuhlii (Weid’s black-tufted-ear marmoset) lives in Southwest Brazil, mainly in the coastal regions.

• Biogeographic Regions
• neotropical neotropical
  • native native

Habitat

Weid’s black-tufted-ear marmosets live in a variety of forest types, particularly tropical and subtropical forests. These marmosets inhabit the lower part of the trees. It thrives in areas of dense vegetation and new growth.

• Habitat Regions
• tropical tropical
• terrestrial terrestrial

• Terrestrial Biomes
• forest forest
• rainforest rainforest

Physical Description

Weid’s marmosets are relatively small, weighing between 350 and 400 grams, or about 13 ounces. They are generally black with gray head pelage and have a distinctly ringed tail. There is an area of white around their cheeks and forehead, and they have black tufts of hair around their ears. They have nails that are claw-like and lack opposable thumbs.

• Other Physical Features
• endothermic endothermic
• bilateral symmetry bilateral symmetry

Reproduction

The dominant female of a group of C. kuhlii mates with several males. In this way, the father is not known, thus all the males help in caring for the infants after they are born. Actual mating has rarely been observed. However, males have been seen strutting around females with their backs arched and hair bristled. This behavior and the apparent pursuit of females lasts approximately 45 minutes.

• Mating System
• polyandrous polyandrous
• cooperative breeder cooperative breeder

Only the dominant female of the group breeds. Females reach reproductive maturity around 12-15 months of age and males at one year. The dominant female in the group is the only one who is allowed to breed since the investment for raising the young is so high, but this dominant status is always changing. The dominant female or her replacement enters into estrus 5-12 days after giving birth. Female Weid’s marmosets can give birth up to twice a year and young are always born in pairs.

• Key Reproductive Features
• year-round breeding year-round breeding
• gonochoric/gonochoristic/dioecious (sexes separate)
• sexual sexual
• viviparous viviparous

Gestation of a pregnant female lasts about 4.5 months. She always gives birth to twins which comprise up to 25% of her body weight. She receives help raising the babies from the males and younger females of the group. The males help by carrying the babies while the mother goes to find food. Other members of the family may share food with the infants after they have been weaned.

• Parental Investment
• pre-fertilization
  • provisioning
  • protecting
    • female
• pre-hatching/birth
  • provisioning
    • female
  • protecting
    • female
• pre-weaning/fledging
  • provisioning
    • male
    • female
  • protecting
    • male
    • female
• pre-independence
  • provisioning
    • male
    • female
  • protecting
    • male
    • female
• post-independence association with parents

Lifespan/Longevity

These marmosets live about 10 years in the wild and have been known to live up to 16 years in captivity.

Behavior

Weid’s black-tufted-ear marmosets live in groups of about seven composed of many females and a few males, in an approximate ratio of two females for every one male. They are highly social and spend most of the day foraging and grooming. Everyone in the group helps to care for the infants that are born twice a year. Female babies grow up and become a part of the group while males generally leave when they reach sexual maturity, around a year after birth.

Callithrix kuhlii has a distinct "voice" much the same way that humans do. It uses specific vocalizations known as "phee calls" to identify itself to others in its group and to intruders.

Callithrix kuhlii moves through its area quadrupedally, but can leap from tree to tree. It travels between 830 and 1200m a day in search of food. These marmosets are sympatric with the tamarin Leontopithecus chysomelas , which travels with it and forages as well. These two species do not fight with one another because the marmosets forage in the middle and lower parts of the forest, while the tamarins forage in the upper canopy. Both of theses groups gain from this mutualism by having additional eyes above and below to watch for predators and receive early warning.

Weid’s marmosets mark their territory by rubbing secretions from their suprapubic gland onto an area. They do this by pressing the suprapubic pad on the object and pulling themselves along it with their arms.

• Key Behaviors
• arboreal arboreal
• scansorial
• diurnal diurnal
• motile motile
• sedentary sedentary
• territorial territorial
• social social
• dominance hierarchies dominance hierarchies

Home Range

The territory of C. kuhlii is approximately 100 square meters, however, these marmosets can move up to 1200 m a day to forage.

Communication and Perception

Callithrix kuhlii communicate with one another using visual, tactile, olfactory and acoustic signals. These marmosets use visual signals to try to mate, they touch one another while they groom to form bonds, they leave scent trails to mark their territory and they call to one another, especially if danger is perceived.

• Communication Channels
• visual visual
• tactile tactile
• acoustic acoustic
• chemical chemical

• Other Communication Modes
• scent marks scent marks

• Perception Channels
• visual visual
• tactile tactile
• acoustic acoustic
• chemical chemical

Food Habits

Callithrix kuhlii feeds on fruit, flowers, nectar, seeds, insects , and spiders . Sap is a main staple in its diet and it has specialized teeth for gouging holes in tree bark.

• Primary Diet
• herbivore herbivore
  • eats sap or other plant foods

• Animal Foods
• insects
• terrestrial non-insect arthropods

• Plant Foods
• seeds, grains, and nuts
• fruit
• nectar
• flowers
• sap or other plant fluids

Predation

The main predators of marmosets are harpy eagles: Harpia harpyja , hawks: Buteo albicaudatus , Asturina nitida , Buteo magnirostris , jaguar: Panthera onca , jaguarundi: Felis yagouaroundi , ocelot: Leopardus pardalis , and snakes: suborder Serpentes . Their main means of defense is speed or they may gang up on smaller predators and try to intimidate them into going away.

Ecosystem Roles

The holes made by gouging out tree bark provide sap for other animals. Marmosets play a role in pollination and seed dispersal as fruit and nectar are common components of their diet. They may travel extensively throughout their home range every day, pollinating many plants and dispersing seeds. They are also prey for many other species.

• Ecosystem Impact
• disperses seeds
• pollinates

Economic Importance for Humans: Positive

Weid’s marmosets have been a large commodity in the pet trade, especially in the United States until the U.S. prohibited its importation. It also can be used in biological and medical laboratories because it breeds easily and can be affected by some human diseases such as rubella and herpes.

• Positive Impacts
• pet trade pet trade
• research and education

Economic Importance for Humans: Negative

There are no known adverse affects of C. khulii on humans.

Conservation Status

Callithrix kuhlii are not endangered, but their numbers are dwindling due to habitat destruction.

Other Comments

Callithrix kuhlii was previously hypothesized to come from hybridization of Callithrix geoffroyi and Callithrix penicillata , however, new evidence shows that it is morphologically distinct from other marmosets.

Additional Links

Encyclopedia of Life

Contributors

Matthew Wund (editor), University of Michigan-Ann Arbor.

Theresa Keeley (author), University of Michigan-Ann Arbor, Phil Myers (editor, instructor), Museum of Zoology, University of Michigan-Ann Arbor.

References

Marroig, G., S. Cropp, J. Cheverud. 2004. Systematics and evolution of the jacchus group of marmosets. American Journal of Physical Anthropology , 123(1): 11-22.

Mittermeier, R., A. Rylands, A. Coimbra-Filho, G. Fonseca. 1988. Ecology and Behavior of Neotropical Primates . Washington D.C.: World Wildlife Fund.

Nunes, S., J. Fite, J. French. 2000. Variation in steroid hormones associated with infant care behaviour and experience in male marmosets. Animal Behaviour , 60: 857-865.

Nunes, S., J. Fite, K. Patera, J. French. 2001. Interactions among paternal behavior, steriod hormones and parental experience in male marmosets. Hormones and Behavior , 39: 70-82.

Ruskalis, M., J. Fite, J. French. 2003. Social Change Affects Vocal Structure in a Callitrichid Primate. Ethology , 109(4): 327-340.

Rylands, A. 1993. Marmosets and Tamarins . New York: Oxford University Press.

2001. Marmosets and Tamarins. Pp. 678-695 in The New Encyclopedia of Mammals , Vol. 1, 2nd Edition. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

2000. "Singapore Zoological Gardens Docents" (On-line). Accessed March 29, 2004 at http://www.szgdocent.org/pp/p-anthrp.htm .

2003. "The Primata" (On-line). Accessed March 29, 2004 at http://members.tripod.com/uakari/callithrix_kuhli.html .