How do you search for the world’s smallest monkey? Nicolás Schuldt Durán took on this task after being approached by members of an Indigenous community in Ecuador. He is using the knowledge of the Siekopai people along with passive acoustic monitoring technology to look for pygmy marmosets. They are still searching for this elusive species.
In the Siekoya Remolino community in Ecuador, Durán is working with local Indigenous members to track pygmy marmosets (Cebuella pygmaea), known locally as leoncillo. They are gathering data on where these monkeys live and how they are doing. The community has already been setting up camera traps and running a monitoring program to catch hunters and loggers. This effort adds another tool to help monitor biodiversity.
Pygmy marmosets are threatened by the illegal pet trade and deforestation in the Amazon Rainforest. These tiny primates are native to the western Amazon Basin and weigh only 140-150 grams, about the weight of a small apple. They live high up in trees and are known for their high-pitched calls, including whistles that are often in the ultrasonic range, which they use to communicate with one another. Pygmy marmosets are classified as vulnerable to extinction.
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Source: Mongabay Animals, by Mongabay Animals