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Cotton-top Tamarin
Saguinus oedipus
Colombia, South America

Measurements

Body length: 20 cms
Weight: 800 g

Diet

Insects, fruits, nectar and tree gum.

Identification

Easily identifiable from other tamarin species, with their spectacular crest of white hair. They have brown coats across the back, with white under-sides and legs. Both males and females are similar in appearance.

Behaviour

Home range:7-10 hectares.
Live in groups of up to 20 members with an adult breeding pair and off-spring of several different ages, which help to care for new-born tamarins. They are also territorial and uses scent marks to define their territory. When coming into contact with other groups, instead of physical contact they will threaten the other group with the showing of their rear and genital area as a territorial display.

 

Distribution & Habitat

Cotton-top tamarins inhabit tropical rainforests, open woodlands, and secondary forests od north-western Colobmbia. They are sensitive to any alteration in their habitat.

Reproduction

Gestation: 140 days
Sexual maturity: 18 months
One to two young born, sometimes twice a year.
Fathers carry their young for much of the day, with the babies returning to their mothers to suckle.
Young members of the group gain parenting skills by baby-sitting younger siblings.

Conservation

Classified as endangered by the IUCN. Loss of habitat is the main threat to this species. The well-established captive population in zoos seems to have dropped in numbers in recent years.