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Frugivorous marmosets and tamarins

Callitrichidae spp.

Natural diet Frugivorous marmosets and tamarins

Frugivorous marmosets and tamarins are a collection of omnivorous primates that mainly consume fruits, plants, insects and small vertebrates. Opportunistically, gum may also be consumed, but it is not their primary food source.

Fruits

Gum

Insects

Nectar

Feeding advice Frugivorous marmosets and tamarins

Feed quantity per day

30%

Sample percentage calculation

If an animal weighs 0.5 kg and eats 30% of its body weight, it will get

0.5 x 0.3 = 0.15 kg feed in total per day

Feed composition

20% Insects and other invertebrates
10% Concentrates
65% Other vegetables
5% Other

Proportions (fresh product)

0.2 x 0.15 kg = 30 g insects and other invertebrates
0.1 x 0.15 kg = 15 g concentrates
0.65 x 0.15 kg = 98 g other vegetables
0.05 x 0.15 kg = 8 g other

Feeding advice Frugivorous marmosets and tamarins

Feed quantity per day

30%

Sample percentage calculation

If an animal weighs 0.5 kg and eats 30% of its body weight, it will get

0.5 x 0.3 = 0.15 kg feed in total per day

Feed composition

20% Insects and other invertebrates
10% Concentrates
65% Other vegetables
5% Other

Proportions (fresh product)

0.2 x 0.15 kg = 30 g insects and other invertebrates
0.1 x 0.15 kg = 15 g concentrates
0.65 x 0.15 kg = 98 g other vegetables
0.05 x 0.15 kg = 8 g other

Diet Suggestions

In moderation

Gum
Tamarin cake

Not recommended

Fruits
Seeds and nuts

Common diseases

An unbalanced diet may result in one of these more commonly occurring diseases/conditions:

Obesity
Marmoset Wasting Syndrome
Periodontal disease
Gastrointestinal problems

Additional advice

Divide the “Feed quantity per day” over at least three feeding moments per day.
Although present in their natural diets, feeding fruits might lead to gastro-intestinal disturbances because of the high sugar level and low fiber level in cultivated fruits compared to wild fruits (read more about nutritional values of (wild) fruits and vegetables).
Supplement the diet with sufficient vitamin D and folic acid. When feeding appropriate concentrates, this is not necessary.
Supplement a diverse selection of vegetables (read more about differences between vegetables).
Provide less palatable food in the morning, when hunger is greatest.
Feeding in bowls is not recommended.
Stimulate foraging behaviour by hiding, stacking or hanging the feed. Examples can be feeding puzzles, tubes, hanging boxes and/ or scatter feeding (read more about feed enrichment and foraging behaviour).

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