How should I cage my Marmoset Finger Monkey?

What should I put in the cage of my Marmoset Finger Monkey or Tamarin? How should I decorate it? What does the cage of my Marmoset Finger Monkey require?

† Housing in stable, compatible groups

† Adequate socialization, habituation and training of animals

† Sufficient space to provide for exercise, a range of species-typical
behaviours, structural division and suitable enrichment

† Sufficient height to allow vertical flight if alarmed. No small double tier cages since these limit upward movement, the lower levels can be dark and animals on the lower levels may be ignored

† A solid floor as a resting area and to allow provision of substrate for
foraging

† Structures to enable utilization of as much of the enclosure as possible
(e.g. sufficient perches, platforms, swings, ropes and ladders for all animals to occupy without competition)

† Visual barriers to help animals control their social interactions

† Nest areas for species that use them (e.g. wooden nest boxes and
plastic hanging buckets for marmosets and tamarins)

† A varied diet appropriate for the species

† Provision for foraging, including appropriate artificial feeding devices
and scatter feeding

† Appropriate wood (i.e. no chemical preservatives or long strips that can
block the gut) for species that gnaw (e.g. marmosets) and for scent
marking

† Toys, chews, tactile materials and destructible materials (e.g. cardboard
boxes)

† Novelty (e.g. minor changes in furniture, feeding practices and toys) † Adequate light levels and appropriate spectral emission for species’ needs

† A flexible enclosure/furniture layout to allow stress-free capture

† Provision to facilitate positive reinforcement training in groups (e.g.
separate areas in the front of the cage where dominant and subordinate
animals can be trained simultaneously) † Flexibility for future development/use 

                              


Refinements in housing and husbandry 

Understanding the animals’ natural history, sensory world, social structure and physical and behavioural characteristics and needs, is an essential prerequisite to the design of good primate housing and husbandry. Primate species are adapted both physically and behaviourally to their natural habitats; for example, they may be largely arboreal (e.g. cynomolgus macaques, marmosets, tamarins) or terrestrial (e.g. bonnet macaques and baboons) and it is important to consider this when designing housing systems. The degree of territoriality, styles of locomotion (e.g. vertical clinging and leaping, walking, running), sleeping and nesting beha- viour (e.g. using tree holes, building nests), and response to predators and climatic conditions are all factors to be taken into account. For example, most arboreal species flee upwards to escape terrestrial predators; and in the labora- tory, most primates will flee upwards if they are alarmedwhen a human approaches. Keeping these animals in small, conventional tiered cages frustrates this behavior for individuals in the lower tier, and is unacceptable in animal welfare terms.

Much has been written about primate husbandry, and guidance on designing good housing, husbandry and care is provided in the references in Box 1. The underlying prin- ciple is to provide safe, comfortable and hygienic housing and husbandry, which allows the animals to perform a wide range of species-typical behaviour and exercise a degree of choice and control in their environment. For example, they should be able to choose to socialize with, or avoid, group mates, or to be seen or not seen by neigh- bouring primates (Poole 1999, International Primatological Society 2007). Other factors that have to be taken into account include ease of cleaning, capture and monitoring of the animals.
The components of a good primate housing system are shown in Table 5. Most of them are applicable to all species, although the detail of how to interpret and apply each component may vary. Advice from a specialist in primate behaviour and welfare will help to interpret the requirements for individual species. It is also necessary to take into account the procedures that animals undergo and any requirements imposed by them. For example, sur- gically-prepared animals may need an area in the home enclosure where they can recover from anaesthesia yet retain visual and olfactory contact with the rest of the social group; enrichment for animals with motor impair- ment needs to take into account the animals’ reduced phys- ical capabilities. The enclosure design team should thereforeinclude, and take account of, the views of scientific and animal care staff and others with practical expertise of using the facilities.

Good housing that provides much of the above is now routinely provided in some establishments. However, many laboratory primates are still housed in small, barren cages that bear little relation to the complex three- dimensional environments that they inhabit in the wild, and which neither allow performance of a range of species- typical behaviours, nor provide space for adequate sociali- zation, enrichment and opportunity to exert choice and control. This affects both the physical and behavioural health of the animals, which in turn can influence the quality of research data (Reinhardt 2004). 

Environmental enrichment

It is best to provide enrichment as part of a formal enrich- ment programme. Records of the enrichment items pro- vided should be maintained, together with a record of how the animals use them and whether there are any pro- blems with any items. Changing the enrichment items can provide novelty, but if individuals use certain items exten- sively then these should not be removed. Where items are rotated between groups this should be recorded to ensure that all groups of animals have access to them.
A useful searchable database for ideas on environmental enrichment and husbandry refinement for primates is pro- vided by the Animal Welfare Institute, Washington DC (see http://www.awionline.org/lab_animals/biblio/enrich. htm). Some additional ideas are provided below.

A heated area 
Primates like to bask in sunlight, but where it is not possible to include outdoor runs or windows, areas of additional heat/lighting can be provided. In pilot studies by members of the Working Group, infant common marmosets were particularly interested to move to heated areas and family groups would congregate there as well. 

Incorporating visual barriers 
Visual barriers between and/or within enclosures allow the occupants the choice between seeing other primates and humans, or hiding from them. This enables them to have greater control over their social interactions, helps minimize intra- and inter- group aggression and promotes successful pairing and grouping. Examples of visual barriers are floor- mounted or hanging plastic panels, shower curtains, sacking or large wide pipes. They should be carefully posi- tioned so that they do not block light sources. The barrier need not be complete, as primates are thought to perceive that they are hidden even if a large part of their body is visible.

 

Adapting enclosure materials Wood
The inclusion of wood within the cage is beneficial for all species. It is less cold and noisy than metal, provides a softer textured surface and facilitates a variety of species- typical behaviours, for example, it can be manipulated and chewed. Natural branches and/or wooden dowel perches can be included to provide additional usable space. The type of wood must not be toxic to the animals; maple, beech and oak are all safe. If real wood cannot be used, then plastic wood is a good alternative. 

Transparent materials 
Primates are highly reactive to visual stimuli and strongly motivated to obtain visual infor- mation about their surroundings. Primate rooms should have windows wherever possible to provide natural light and stimulation by increasing the area of vision. Doors and access corridors should also have windows, so that the animals can see when someone is about to enter the room and who that person is, so that they are not startled. Windows in enclosures should have stickers to prevent the animals running into them when first introduced.