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Monkey (Golden Lion Tamarin)

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Leontopithecus rosalia
Monkey (Golden Lion Tamarin)

Range

Golden lion tamarins can only be found in three small areas of the rainforests in coastal, southeastern Brazil.

Habitat

Golden lion tamarins live in rain forest. There may only be 400 left in the wild.

Body Traits

The golden lion tamarin is a very small monkey. They are no more than 2.5 feet long including their tail and up to 2 pounds. They are about the size of a squirrel. They have golden, reddish fur that frills around their bare faces like a lion’s mane. They have claws instead of fingernails that they use to dig into trees looking for insects to eat.

Habits

They live in small family groups and are active during the day (diurnal). At night they sleep in tree cavities.

Diet

They eat insects, fruit, small reptiles and some plants matter (omnivores).

Predators

Predators include raptors, cats, and large snakes.

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Reproduction

Females are pregnant for about 130 days (gestation) when they have 1 - 2 young. Tamarins stay with 1 mate (monogamous) and both take care of the young. They live in small family groups of up to 2-8 tamarins. When babies are 3-4 weeks old they begin to be cared for by their father or siblings.

Lifespan and/or Conservation Status

They live about 15 years in the wild. They are critically endangered and considered one of the rarest mammals in the world.

Monkey (Golden Lion Tamarin)

Classification

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Subphylum: Vertebrata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Primates
Suborder: Haplorrhini
Family: Cebidae
Subfamily: Callitrichinae
Genus: Leontopithecus
Species: Leontopithecus rosalia

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