In the wild, these charming little monkeys can live in groups of up to 13. They are active during the day, catching insects and spiders, as well as feeding on fruit, small lizards, frogs, eggs and tree sap. Only one female will breed, but she may mate with up to three males. Marmosets commonly have twins, with infants weighing up to 27% of their mother’s total body weight at birth. The demands of pregnancy, lactation and the difficulty of carrying two heavy infants mean that the female is unable to rear offspring on her own. Instead, infants are raised by the entire group in a practice known as ‘collective rearing’.

The National Zoo & Aquarium is home to 5 Common Marmosets: Mia, Diego Jnr, Santiago, Alejandro, and Louise.