Wied's Marmosets

A second species of marmoset found at Fazenda Bom Pastor is the Wied's marmoset (Callithrix kuhlii). This species is common in our project area. Unlike golden-headed lion tamarins, however, their population is not endangered. The photo above was taken directly on the veranda of our main house, at the back of which the fazenda's cabruca begins. We were also able to spot Wied's marmosets at Fazenda Julia. Similar to golden-headed lion tamarins, this species is diurnal and able to survive in habitats influenced and used by humans, such as secondary forests and cabrucas. Their distribution area in southern Bahia is also almost identical. Groups of both marmoset species often spend the day foraging together. Due to different food preferences, they are not food competitors and thus do not show territorial behavior. However, the way they forage in the canopy of secondary forests and cabrucas is identical, which makes them perfect partners. The advantage of foraging together lies in the mutual warning of common predators. Many pairs of eyes see more potential threats, especially birds of prey and snakes, many of which specialize in hunting in the treetops, where the marmosets also spend almost all their time. Like golden-headed lion tamarins, they only come to the ground if it cannot be avoided. Golden-headed lion tamarins have a pronounced territorial behavior towards foreign groups and defend this loudly and vehemently with so-called "long-calls".