Have you ever wondered what it’d be like to have a pet that could curl around your finger? The “finger monkey,” or pygmy marmoset, is known to do exactly that, being the smallest monkey in the world. So, how would the smallest monkey in the world be as a pet? 

The exact measurement of an adult pygmy marmoset’s body only ranges up to about 12-15 cm (5-6 inches) and up to 100 grams, or 0.22 pounds. To get a better understanding of their weight, they weigh about the same as 20 U.S. nickels, a lemon, 75 Hot Cheetos, a little less than one Labubu, and 1 Dubai chocolate bar. Not only are these animals small, but they are also very hyper. Now, imagine having an animal with these dimensions living in your home.

In addition to their likelihood to get lost, complex animals wouldn’t thrive in an enclosed environment as their habitat is in the western Amazon Basin in South America, more commonly in countries like Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru. Their specific diet consists of tree sap in which they use their teeth that have adapted into sharp incisors from the practice of chewing on the tree sap which has ultimately helped them in the long-run.

Along with their diet and environment, Pygmy Marmosets are very social animals and need to be in large groups to thrive and keep them happy, keeping them apart can cause them to develop mental issues and depression. They can also develop serious depression if they experience poor environmental enrichment, or in other words, a lack of sufficient and relevant stimulation in an animal’s environment. This normally leads to boredom and stress. Keeping them by themselves is not only cruel but also unnatural.

Statistically, pygmy marmosets live up to an average of 12 years and a maximum of 18 years when they live in the zoo. Their predators are eagles, hawks, snakes and as well as cat species. They live longer than the average pet you may find in someone’s home, which could count as a factor to their complexity if they were to be kept as pets. 

Here in California, as well as many other states, it is actually illegal to purchase a pygmy marmoset. Obviously, it is due to good reason as these are complex animals that already thrive in their natural habitat.