Kuhl-marmoset
| Kuhl-marmoset | ||||||||||||
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Great cow's marmoset ( Callithrix kuhlii ) |
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| Scientific name | ||||||||||||
| Callithrix kuhlii | ||||||||||||
| Coimbra-Filho , 1985 |
The kuhl marmoset ( Callithrix kuhlii ) is a species of primate from the marmoset family .
features
Like all marmosets, kuhl marmosets are relatively small primates, they reach a weight of 350 to 400 grams. Their fur is predominantly dark gray or black, the tail is ringed black and gray. The head is gray, the face is white, and tufts of black hair extend from the ears. As with all marmosets, the fingers and toes (with the exception of the big toe) have claws instead of nails.
distribution and habitat
Kuhl's marmosets inhabit a small area in eastern Brazil , their range is in southern Bahia and northeastern Minas Gerais . Their habitat is the Atlantic coastal forests, but they are adaptable and can also live in secondary forests and in plantations.
Lifestyle and diet
Great marmosets are diurnal and spend the night in tree hollows or hidden in the plant thicket. They are tree dwellers and move about, running or jumping on all fours.
They live in groups of about seven animals, the groups are made up of about twice as many females than males. The animals establish a hierarchy and only the dominant female reproduces. They are very social animals that communicate with sounds, facial expressions and postures.
Like all marmosets , thanks to their specialized teeth, they are able to gnaw holes in the tree bark in order to get to tree sap. Tree saps are especially important during the time when there is little fruit, another important food. They also eat insects, spiders and other small animals.
Reproduction
The dominant female reproduces with all of the males in the group. After a gestation period of around 4.5 months, the female usually gives birth to dizygoti twins.
The young are very large and weigh around 25% of the mother's weight. Kuhl's marmosets are the only primates known to have chimerism . They carry different genetic material not only in blood but also in sex cells and so do not necessarily pass on their own gametes when mating , but possibly the genetic information of their siblings.
The other group members participate intensively in raising the young, including the males, as the father is not known. After around five months, the young are weaned and sexually mature at 12 to 15 months.
threat
The main threat to the common marmosets is the destruction of their habitat by deforestation. However, due to their adaptability, they are less endangered than other primates living in the same region. The IUCN lists them as near threatened .
Discovery and naming
The animals were first mentioned by Maximilian zu Wied-Neuwied , who named the animals in honor of Heinrich Kuhl in 1826 . However , this was not a formal first description , it was only given by Adelmar Coimbra-Filho in 1985. In English , the species is not named after Kuhl, but after Wied ( Wied's Marmoset ).
literature
- Thomas Geissmann : Comparative Primatology. Springer-Verlag, Berlin et al. 2003, ISBN 3-540-43645-6 .
- Don E. Wilson, DeeAnn M. Reeder (Eds.): Mammal Species of the World. A taxonomic and geographic Reference. 3. Edition. Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore MD 2005, ISBN 0-8018-8221-4 .
Individual evidence
- ↑ CN Ross, JA French, G. Ortí: Germ-line chimerism and paternal care in marmosets ( Callithrix kuhlii ). In: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. 104, No. 15, 2007, p. 6278
Web links
- Callithrix kuhlii in the endangered Red List species the IUCN 2009. Posted by: A. B. Rylands, M. C. M. Kierullf, 2008. Accessed November 6 in 2009.
- Information at Animal Diversity Web (English)