Social Behavior
Pygmy marmosets live in groups made up of 1-2 adult males and 1-2 adult females, with a single breeding female and her offspring, ranging from 5-9 members. The breeding female gives birth to twins twice a year, and group members cooperate in carrying them. In contrast to other callitrichines with a co-operative system of infant care, there is no relationship between the number of adult males and the number of infants and offspring. However, there is a significant positive relationship between the number of juveniles and the number of adult and subadult group members. Young marmosets typically remain in the group for two consecutive birth cycles. The pygmy marmoset uses special types of communication to give alerts and warning to its family members. These include chemical, vocal, and physical types of communication. A trill is used to communicate over long distance. A sharp warning whistle and a clicking sound signal danger to their family members. A J-call is a series of fast notes repeated by the caller and is used at medium distances.
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