Marmosets Lochte & Hermione Make Public Debut at St. Augustine Alligator Farm
ST. AUGUSTINE, Florida (August 19, 2026) – Geoffroy’s marmosets Hermione and Lochte made their public debut at the St. Augustine Alligator Farm on July 2. The pair have lived behind-the-scenes at the St. Augustine Alligator Farm since 2024, but are now ready to educate the public about the background, needs, and conservation efforts of these engaging monkeys. Their new habitat, lovingly created by the zoo’s Bird & Mammal team, is right by the Komodo dragons and close to saltwater crocodiles Maximo and Sydney’s iconic home.
“It’s been wonderful seeing our guests’ response to the marmosets,” said Megan Victoriano, Bird & Mammal Curator at the St. Augustine Alligator Farm Zoological Park. “The female, Hermione, is 17 years old and can be easily identified by her shorter tail and one eye. She is the most gregarious of the two and is quick to check out new enrichment and engage with staff for training. Lochte is our 14-year-old male; he is often seen on higher perches and plants to keep a lookout around his habitat.”
Hermione and Lochte both originally came to the St. Augustine Alligator Farm from other Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA)-accredited facilities in 2015, at the recommendation of the organization’s Species Survival Plan, or SSP. SSPs allow AZA-accredited facilities, accredited related facilities, and sustainability partners to collaboratively manage each species, ensuring a genetically diverse, demographically varied, and biologically sound population. Each program is managed by experts from AZA-accredited facilities across the country and beyond.
Marmosets are small monkeys, native to the lowland forests of Brazil. They grow to about 8 inches in length plus 11 inches in their tails. Males and females look similar, with a blackish-brown coat and long black ear tufts. They have a white forehead, chest, and throat, with darker brown patches and a black tail with light rings. They are omnivores, eating fruit, flowers, nectar, and small animal prey such as lizards, snails, frogs, spiders, and insects. They also enjoy gum from trees, using their larger incisors to gouge holes into the tree trunks.
The Bird & Mammal team at the St. Augustine Alligator Farm hopes Lochte and Hermione will help educate the public about the Geoffroy’s marmoset and how they can support conservation efforts for animals in the wild. The St. Augustine Alligator Farm is home to 24 species of crocodilians, birds, mammals, and reptiles, and offers encounters, the Crocodile Crossing adventure course, a world-class natural Rookery, zoo camps, community events that support conservation, and more.
