GOLDEN LION TAMARIN

Leontopithecus rosalia

ORDER

Primates

FAMILY

Callitrichidae

HABITAT AND RANGE

Golden Lion Tamarins live in the heavily populated costal region of Brazil where less than 2% of the forest remains. They inhabit the Atlantic Coastal Forest of Brazil. They prefer forests that contain many vines, bromeliads, and fruits. They sleep in tree holes. Their forests are being cut down for lumber and to make room for human population expansion.

IDENTIFICATION

GLT's are small orange-yellow monkeys. They weigh 17 to 24 ounces. GLT's get their name from their striking orange mane. They typically measure 6 to 10 inches long, and their non-prehensile tails range from 12 to 15 inches long. Their thumbs are not fully opposable and they hallux (big toe) has a flat nail and is located back from the other digits.

DIET

GLT's are omnivores; they eat fruit, insects, eggs, and small lizards. They share food among family members. The juveniles sometimes steal food from their siblings.

REPRODUCTION AND LIFESPAN

GLT's live in family groups of 2 to 9 individuals. Everyone participates in the care of the babies. The adult male carries the babies most of the time, but all members have been known to carry the babies. Forty percent of infants die in their first year. GLT's are sexually mature at 18 months old. They live to be 15 years old in the wild, and into their 20's in captivity. They give birth to twins in September through December. The babies each weigh up to 2 oz when born.

NOTES

• GLT's are endangered due to fragmented habitats/populations and the illegal pet trade. About 1,500 GLT's live in the wild. About 450 live in zoos worldwide. 
• They have long, slender fingers that enable them to probe crevices, bark, and bromeliads for their prey; this behavior is called micromanipulation.
• Their natural predators are birds of prey, large cats, and snakes.
• GLT's have a specific alarm call for birds flying overhead. When they make or hear this call, they head for the trunks of the trees or just fall to the ground.
• Marmosets and Tamarins are distinguished from other New World monkeys by their small size, modified claws on all digits except for the nail on the big toe, two molar teeth in
either side of each jaw, and the occurrence of twin births.
• Some zoos have released GLT's into wooded areas on their grounds where they can move freely through the trees, learn how to catch their prey, and escape predators (such as
hawks and raccoons). They wear radio collars so the zoos can track them. Those GLT's that passed this "boot camp" have then been released into the rain forests of Brazil. Over
150 GLT's have been reintroduced and have successfully reproduced. The reintroduction project has added over 550 animals to the wild, with over 95% of them being wild born.