The Marmoset Monkey Page

Breeding

 

· In Marmosets, only the dominant female breeds. The other females are prevented from coming into heat by the dominant's aggressive behaviour--staring, poking and general intimidation, and in some, by her pheromones as well. The breeding female may change with a new breeding season

· Marmosets live in pairs or family groups in which only the dominant pair breeds.

· In the Callitrichids family there is very rarely inbreeding, families can sometimes grow to ten or more animals.

· They are highly social and have a dominance hierarchy. Only the dominant female gives birth, and everyone in the family, including the dominant male, helps carry the infants.

· The Best Father Award may go to Marmosets. These fathers are highly devoted to their babies. The father helps the mother deliver the babies: biting off the umbilical cord, cleaning up the afterbirth, receiving and washing the babies. The mother looks after them during the first few weeks, but later the father (or if there are two males, the fathers) take over, carrying the babies on their backs and returning them to the mother every 2-3 hours for breast feeding. Although juveniles and non-breeding females may also help out, the fathers do most of the work. Some have pointed out that this behaviour is more similar to some birds than to other primates! This behaviour probably helps improve the survival of the babies and the group for various reasons:

· To share the physical burden of the babies, which can be very large in size relative to the adults.

· To share the tasks of looking out for predators, looking after infants and foraging. Adults often share food with babies, juveniles and sometimes even adult children.

· The experience also gives juveniles good practice to become better parents when they grow up. Juveniles removed too early from their social group later make poor parents.

· In addition to the father helping raise the young, the older siblings also assist in the care of the newborns, primarily in transporting them about. In this way older offspring learn to care for their own young in the future.

· Usually twins (60%), sometimes triplets (20%), occasionally one (10%), rarely 4, each weighing approximately 30 grams

· Gestation: about 4 months, weaned in 2 months.

· The mother usually becomes pregnant within 2 weeks after giving birth!

· Females mature in 2 years, males in 1 year.

· Offspring, which are sexually mature, tend to stay with the family group for a while, but as a general rule, they do not breed.

· It is believed that the pheromones of the dominant female inhibit ovulation in the subordinate females within the group.

· These subordinate females detect the pheromones of the dominant female by smelling her tail after being threatened.

· The male often increases contact with the female, such as grooming or snuggling, as she nears this time.

· The female will in turn increase her interaction towards the male a few days prior to the actual mating.