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Federal restrictions apply

Common marmoset

Callithrix jacchus

Also known as White-tufted-ear marmoset

Mammals › Monkeys, lemurs and apes (Primates) › Callitrichidae (Marmosets and tamarins)

The common marmoset (Callithrix jacchus), also called white-tufted marmoset or white-tufted-ear marmoset, is a New World monkey.

Pet trade

Experience: Expert / facility

FamilyMarmosets and tamarins

Record lifespan22.8 years

Adult weight9 oz

Kept byPet trade

Care at a glance

Species-specific values

Values researched for this exact species. Where they differ from the group guide below, follow these. Air, surface and water temperatures are listed separately, and each source is kept as published rather than averaged.

Indoor air temperature	64–75 °F (18–24 °C) Range of indoor practice reported by EAZA, not a measured physiological optimum.	307
Minimum relative humidity	60 % RH EAZA indoor housing recommendation; maintain ventilation.	307
Dark period	about: 12 hours per day	307

Warnings

Federal legal status: Federal restrictions apply. See the federal legal snapshot and check your state rules before getting one.

Care guide

Group care guide

Marmosets and tamarins

Applies to most species in this group. Habitat: Arboreal inhabitants of Central and South American tropical forests, including secondary and seasonally flooded forest. Individual species can differ, so compare with the species numbers above and the linked sources.

Facility care. Marmosets rely more on gum; tamarins on fruit/insects; Callimico naturally eats substantial fungi. Indoor humidity must be at least 60%; no upper bound is supplied. Species have different CITES listings. Source for all biological guidance: callitrichids.

Housing & setup

Provide at least 32.5 m³ accessible for 80% of waking hours; height at least 2.5 m.
Indoors: at least 3 m², 2.5 m high, with two separable compartments; outdoors: at least 10 m², 2.5 m high; enlarge for groups over five.
Install climbing branches, elevated feeding stations, sleeping boxes and gum-foraging wood.
Provide a guarded warming spot, privacy and approximately 12 hours of daylight.

Sources 528

Climate & lighting

Warm side / daytime

64.4–75.2°F

UVB: Provide UV-transmitting sunlight access; assess indoor UVB and dietary vitamin D with the zoo veterinarian.

Sources 528

Diet

Complete marmoset/tamarin feed
Insects
Vegetables and measured fruit
Acacia gum, especially for Callithrix and Cebuella

Sources 528

Social life

Keep compatible family groups; offspring help rear infants; plan separations and introductions.

Sources 528

Handling

Train voluntary transfer; restraint requires trained staff.

Sources 528

Health watch

Chronic enteritis/wasting syndrome
Metabolic bone disease
Dental disease

Sources 528

Understanding the animal

About this animal

It originally lived on the northeastern coast of Brazil, in the states of Piauí, Paraíba, Ceará, Rio Grande do Norte, Pernambuco, Alagoas, and Bahia. Through release (both intentional and unintentional) of captive individuals, it has expanded its range since the 1920s to Southeast Brazil (its first sighting in the wild for Rio de Janeiro was in 1929), where it became an invasive species, raising concerns about genetic pollution of similar species, such as the buffy-tufted marmoset (Callithrix aurita), and predation upon bird nestlings and eggs.

Quoted from the Wikipedia article “Common marmoset” (CC BY-SA 4.0) 174

In the wild

Researched for this exact species, not its family. Good care copies these conditions.¹²

Where it lives	Native to northeastern Brazil, using Atlantic Forest edges and seasonally dry Caatinga woodland and scrub. Travels and feeds on tree trunks and branches, including in disturbed forest.
Ground it lives on	Arboreal; tree trunks and branches, rarely the ground.
Climate	At one Caatinga field site, recorded daytime temperatures spanned about 69–97°F; mean daily humidity minima and maxima were 32.4% and 86.6%. These local observations are not species-wide limits; native habitats include humid forest and strongly seasonal dry woodland.
Active	Diurnal; reduces activity during intense midday heat in the Caatinga.
Social life	Cooperative family groups, commonly 2–13 animals; adults and older siblings help rear infants.
Wild diet	Tree gums and sap, insects, spiders, fruit, nectar and flowers; occasional eggs and small vertebrates.
Behavior to plan for	Clings to trunks and gouges bark to obtain exudates. Infant carrying and care are shared among group members.

What this means for care

Provide vertical trunks and renewable gum-feeding or gouging enrichment.
Use compatible family groups with retreats and escape routes.
Provide shaded thermal choices rather than assuming constant rainforest conditions.

Native climate (measured)

Warm-season highs	about 86°F (up to 90°F in the hottest sampled areas)
Cool-season lows	about 66°F (down to 50°F in the coldest sampled areas)
Average temperature	66–80°F across sampled records
Relative humidity	78–82% on average (driest month about 77%)
Rainfall	about 1439 mm a year

Measured at 125 wild occurrence records sampled against WorldClim 2.1 climate data (1970–2000 averages). Air conditions in the range are ecological context, not enclosure settings: microhabitats such as burrows, leaf litter or basking rocks can be cooler, warmer or more humid.

From the sources

Quoted from the matching sections of reputable sources for this exact species. Specialist databases are used first; Wikipedia (community-edited, CC BY-SA 4.0) only fills gaps. Other sources are short credited quotes.

Overview	The common marmoset (Callithrix jacchus), also called white-tufted marmoset or white-tufted-ear marmoset, is a New World monkey. It originally lived on the northeastern coast of Brazil, in the states of Piauí, Paraíba, Ceará, Rio Grande do Norte, Pernambuco, Alagoas, and Bahia. — Wikipedia (community-edited)
Where it lives	Common marmosets can be found around the edges of the forest as opposed to deep within it. — Animal Diversity Web
Social life and communication	Common marmosets live in stable extended families, with only a few members allowed to breed. A marmoset group can contain as many as 15 members, but a more typical number is nine. A marmoset family usually contains one or two breeding females, a breeding male, their offspring, and their adult relatives, be they their parents or siblings. — Wikipedia (community-edited)
Wild diet	While the common marmoset generally feeds on tree sap, this species has also been found to eat insects, spiders, fruit, flowers, and nectar. — Animal Diversity Web
Behavior	Common marmosets are diurnal, and generally live in groups of 2-13 individuals which may include mated polyandrous groups and their offspring. — Animal Diversity Web
Reproduction	It was originally thought that common marmosets were monogamous creatures, forming pair bonds and raising their offspring as a team. — Animal Diversity Web
Appearance and size	The common marmoset has a body length of about 12 - 15 cm, with a tail length of 29.5 - 35 cm. — Animal Diversity Web
Conservation	Common marmosets are one of the most endangered callitrichid species. — Animal Diversity Web

Data and studies

The numbers

Each bar is what one source reports. Where several sources weigh in, the dashed gold band marks their average.

Maximum recorded lifespan

Highest reported22.8years

AnAge 16222.8

Myhrvold et al. 16322.8

Longest recorded lifespan reported by each database; typical lifespans are usually shorter. The AnAge record comes from an animal in human care.

Typical adult weight

Average of sources9oz

AnAge 1629

Myhrvold et al. 1639

Average adult body mass in each database (FishBase gives the maximum recorded weight).

Litter size

Average of sources2.1young

AnAge 1622

Myhrvold et al. 1632.2

Average per litter or clutch.

Gestation

Average of sources144days

AnAge 162144

Myhrvold et al. 163144

Female maturity

Average of sources15.7months

AnAge 16215.7

Myhrvold et al. 16315.7

Veterinary & husbandry research

Alternative Animal Models of Aging Research Holtze S et al., Frontiers in molecular biosciences 2021
Hypoxemia after single-shot anesthesia in common marmosets Konoike N et al., Journal of medical primatology 2017
Marmoset monkey models of Parkinson's disease: which model, when and why? Eslamboli A et al., Brain research bulletin 2005
Reproduction in captive common marmosets (Callithrix jacchus) Tardif SD et al., Comparative medicine 2003

Peer-reviewed papers that mention this species alongside captivity, zoos, veterinary care or aquaculture. Some cover several species or mention it only in passing, so check the abstract. See all 238 on PubMed → 170

Federal legal snapshot

Federal restrictions apply

CDC primate import rule. Nonhuman primates can be imported only by CDC-registered importers for science, education or exhibition, never as pets. Most states also ban or tightly restrict pet primates. 188
CITES Appendix II. Appendix II: international trade needs CITES export permits. CITES doesn't restrict buying a captive-bred animal within the U.S.; keep your purchase records. 173 186
USDA Animal Welfare Act. Keeping a pet for yourself doesn't need a federal license. Dealers (including many breeders who sell wholesale or sight-unseen) and exhibitors (including encounters and paid programs) generally need a USDA license and inspections; some small-scale breeders and retail sellers are exempt. 184

State law decides most of it. Each state sets its own permits and bans for exotic, native, venomous and dangerous animals, and cities and counties can be stricter. Find your state agency →

Animal Welfare Act standards

Nonhuman primates (Subpart D). Applies to USDA-licensed or registered dealers, exhibitors (including encounters and paid programs) and research facilities. Private pet owners are not covered. These are legal minimums, not best care; the species care on this page goes further.

Facilities must document and follow an environment enhancement plan for psychological well-being, directed by the attending veterinarian. §3.81
Social needs: species that live in groups in nature must have provision for social housing; individually housed primates must be able to see and hear their own or a compatible species. §3.81
Enrichment must let them express non-injurious species-typical behavior: perches, swings, objects to manipulate, varied food, foraging or task-oriented feeding, and interaction with familiar caregivers. §3.81
Special attention is required for infants and young juveniles, animals showing psychological distress, those used in research, great apes over 110 lb and individually housed animals. §3.81
Minimum enclosure space is set by the species' typical weight; perches and swings don't count toward it unless the space beneath can be comfortably used. §3.80

Source: 9 CFR Part 3, current eCFR text (USDA APHIS Animal Care).

Kept in captivity?

Every species on this site needs evidence that people actually keep it. For this one:

Included in our hand-checked list of animals kept as pets, livestock or in zoos
AnAge has a longevity record from an animal in captivity
338 iNaturalist observations of captive animals

Sources for this sheet

AnAge: The Animal Ageing and Longevity Database (Human Ageing Genomic Resources) Peer-reviewed researchCurated, referenced longevity and life-history records for thousands of species; maximum lifespans are often from zoo animals.
Myhrvold et al. (2015). An amniote life-history database. Ecology 96: 3109 Peer-reviewed researchPeer-reviewed compilation of life-history data for over 21,000 birds, mammals and reptiles.
CDC: Bringing an animal into the United States Zoo, university or veterinaryFederal rules on importing animals that can carry human disease.
Species+ (UNEP-WCMC and the CITES Secretariat) Zoo, university or veterinaryThe official database of species listed under CITES.
USFWS International Affairs: CITES Zoo, university or veterinaryFederal agency that issues CITES permits.
9 CFR 2.1: Animal Welfare Act licensing (USDA) Zoo, university or veterinaryWho needs a USDA license to breed, sell or exhibit animals.
EAZA Best Practice Guidelines for Callitrichidae, edition 3.2 (2022) Zoo, university or veterinaryAdded in the 2026 source-checked care-guide review.
GBIF Backbone Taxonomy (Global Biodiversity Information Facility) Peer-reviewed researchInternational scientific taxonomy used here for classification.
Wikipedia (species article) Community referenceFree encyclopedia; useful overviews with their own citations. Intro text is quoted under CC BY-SA 4.0.
PubMed (U.S. National Library of Medicine) Peer-reviewed researchIndex of peer-reviewed veterinary, zoo and husbandry research.
iNaturalist (captive observations) Community referenceCommunity observation platform run by the California Academy of Sciences and National Geographic; observations marked captive show animals living in homes, zoos and aquariums.