Where does the golden lion tamarin live?
The golden lion tamarin is a small New World monkey, endemic to the Atlantic coastal forests of Brazil. Its geographic range is entirely within the state of Rio de Janeiro, and most of its original habitat has disappeared. A 2022/2023 census estimated about 4,800 individuals in its current primary area, the São João and Macaé river basins. A captive population maintains about 490 individuals among 150 zoos.
What does the golden lion tamarin eat?
It eats mostly fruits and small animal prey, with smaller quantities of nectar and plant exudates. Animal prey includes insects, frogs, lizards and birds. It lives in groups of two to eight members, usually with one breeding male and female. It commonly gives birth to twins: 78% of recorded births in 2001 in the Poço das Antas Reserve were twins.
Is the golden lion tamarin endangered?
Yes: the IUCN lists it as Endangered. The threats are habitat loss and fragmentation, hunting and trapping for the pet trade, yellow fever epidemics and introduced species. It has, however, been partly saved by reintroductions: 146 zoo-born tamarins were released between 1984 and 2000, and in 2022-2023, 2,256 of their descendants survived, about 46% of the population.
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