Zoo database

Gummivorous marmosets and tamarins

Callitrichidae spp.

Natural diet Gummivorous marmosets and tamarins

Fruits
Gum
Insects

Gummivorous marmosets and tamarins are a collection of omnivorous primates that feed upon a wide variety of food such as nectar, fruit, leaves, and insects. However, their primary type of food is gum or tree sap.

Feeding advice Gummivorous marmosets and tamarins

Feed quantity per day

20-30% of body weight

Sample percentage calculation

If an animal weighs 0.1 kg and eats 25% of its body weight, it will get

0.1 x 0.25 = 0.025 kg feed in total per day

Feed composition

20% Insects and other invertebrates
10% Concentrates
35% Other vegetables
35% Other

Proportions (fresh product)

0.2 x 0.025 kg = 5 g insects and other invertebrates
0.1 x 0.025 kg = 2.5 g concentrates
0.35 x 0.025 kg = 8.8 g other vegetables
0.35 x 0.025 kg = 8.8 g other

Diet suggestions

In moderation

Tamarin cake

Not recommended

Fruits

Additional advice

Divide the “Feed quantity per day” over at least three feeding moments per day.
Although present in their natural diet, feeding fruits might lead to abnormal fermentation in the hindgut because of high sugar levels 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).

Common diseases

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

Obesity
Marmoset Wasting Syndrome
Periodontal disease
Gastrointestinal problems

Species within this group

Pygmy marmoset

Silvery marmoset

Buffy tufted-ear marmoset

Buffy-headed marmoset

White-fronted marmoset

White-eared marmoset

Black-tufted marmoset

Feed quantity per day

Sample percentage calculation

Feed composition

Proportions (fresh product)

DK Tamarin & Marmoset Diet

Wasmotlarven

Sprinkhanen

DK Gum Arabic Powder

Primate Soft Flakes with insects

Krekels

Michiel Derks

Director Petfood & Zoos