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25 May 2013
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Tassel-eared marmoset, white-shouldered marmoset
Callithrix humeralifer

Tassel-eared marmosets emit a cricket-like call. When they feel threatened they raise their eyebrows as a display.

Subspecies
Three.

Life span
12-13 years.

Statistics
Head and body length: 20-24cm, Tail length: 30-40cm, Weight: Female: 310g, Male: 280g.

Physical description
Tassel-eared marmosets have large silvery ear tufts in a fan shape. Their general body colour is brown, and they have a banded tail.

Distribution
They inhabit Central Brazil, south of the Amazon.

Habitat
They prefer secondary forests, often with dense vines.

Diet
The majority of the tassel-eared marmoset's diet is made up of fruit, but they also feed on small animals and insects.

Behaviour
Tassel-eared marmosets live in groups of 8-15, typically multi-male and multi-female. They have a home range of 13-28.5ha and they are thought to scent-mark their territories with scent from the inside of their arms. They are diurnal and arboreal, sleeping at night in vine-covered trees. They move quadrupedally along the forest floor and make short leaps through the forest canopy.

Reproduction
They have a gestation period of around 140-145 days, giving birth to 1-2 young.

Conservation status
This species is not on the 2000 IUCN Red List of threatened species.





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