Brazilian wildlife: Black-pencilled marmoset (Callithrix penicillata) (also called black-tufted-ear marmoset), ESALQ campus, Piracicaba, São Paulo, Brazil.

While native further north in Brazil, these monkeys are a non-native invasive species in our area. They are very small... their head is about half the size of my hand. They live right on campus in the trees adjacent to the buildings. They eat fruit, flowers, tree sap, but they also predate on animals including insects and birds (eggs, young). In fact, while I was photographing the animals below they were attacked by two birds dive-bombing them... these birds clearly did not tolerate the monkeys at that location. One of the monkeys sped away. Another sought shelter by clinging to the bottom of a tree branch.

These monkeys are quite smart and creative... we need to close our windows when we leave the room. Otherwise they come in to look for food and I have been told they can make quite the mess! :). Note: the fence that is visible in the photos at the bottom is a fence along the road in front of the Department of Forest Sciences. The fence is not a cage; the monkeys are not fenced in in any way.

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Black-pencilled marmoset (Callithrix penicillata), ESALQ campus, Piracicaba, São Paulo, BrazilBlack-pencilled marmoset (Callithrix penicillata), ESALQ campus, Piracicaba, São Paulo, Brazil

Black-pencilled marmoset (Callithrix penicillata), ESALQ campus, Piracicaba, São Paulo, BrazilBlack-pencilled marmoset (Callithrix penicillata), ESALQ campus, Piracicaba, São Paulo, Brazil

Black-pencilled marmoset (Callithrix penicillata), ESALQ campus, Piracicaba, São Paulo, BrazilBlack-pencilled marmoset (Callithrix penicillata), ESALQ campus, Piracicaba, São Paulo, Brazil

Black-pencilled marmoset (Callithrix penicillata), ESALQ campus, Piracicaba, São Paulo, BrazilBlack-pencilled marmoset (Callithrix penicillata), ESALQ campus, Piracicaba, São Paulo, Brazil. Note: the fence that is visible in the photo is a fence along the road in front of the Department of Forest Sciences. The fence is not a cage; the monkeys are not fenced in in any way. Black-pencilled marmoset (Callithrix penicillata), ESALQ campus, Piracicaba, São Paulo, BrazilBlack-pencilled marmoset (Callithrix penicillata), ESALQ campus, Piracicaba, São Paulo, Brazil. Note: the fence that is visible in the photo is a fence along the road in front of the Department of Forest Sciences. The fence is not a cage; the monkeys are not fenced in in any way.