Golden Lion Tamarin

Kingdom Order Family Genus Species
Animalia Primates Callitrichidae Leontopithecus Leontopithecus rosalia
Golden Lion Tamarin
IUCN Status: Endangered
  • Common Name: Golden Lion Tamarin
  • Taxonomy Classification Year: 1766
  • Monkey Size: 20 to 36.6 cm long (8 to 13in)
  • Skin Color(s): Bright orange
  • Habitat: Rainforest
  • Diet: Omnivorous
  • Native Countries: Brazil

Golden Lion Tamarin Distribution

Golden Lion Tamarin Characteristics

Golden Lion Tamarin

The golden lion tamarin[1] (Leontopithecus rosalia), also called the golden tamarin, is a small New World primate in the Callitrichidae family.

  • They have small round heads adorned with a thick golden mane on the crown, cheeks, ears, throat, and shoulders.
  • Their hairless faces are flat with widely spaced nostrils. Their bodies are draped in long, soft, silky fur ranging in color from pale gold to rich red gold.
  • An interesting feature is that these monkeys have claws, not flattened nails.
  • The golden lion tamarin is 200 to 366 mm (8 to 13 in) long with a tail length of 315 to 400 mm (12 to 15 in).
  • There is no sexual dimorphism in Golden lion tamarins.

Golden lion tamarin

What Do Golden Lion Tamarins Eat?

What Do Golden Lion Tamarins Eat?

Being omnivorous, the Golden Lion Tamarin diet includes but not limited to[¶]:

  • Ambay Pumpwood (Cecropia pachystachya).
  • Pois Doux (Inga thibaudiana).
  • Icecream bean (Inga edulis).
  • Johnny berry (miconia)
  • Wild Balata (Micropholis guyanensis).
  • Forest Snakevine (Hyperbaena domingensis).
  • Punchberry (Myrcia splendens)

Golden Lion Tamarin Facts

Golden Lion Tamarin

  • The golden lion tamarin derives its name from its vivid reddish-orange coat and extra-long hair around its face and ears, giving it a distinctive mane.
  • Like most New World Monkeys, the golden lion tamarin has tegulae, claw-like nails, rather than the flat nails or ungulate found in other primates, including humans.
  • By moving their sleeping nests around frequently, groups reduce the scent they leave behind and minimize the chances of predators finding them.
  • Groups of these tamarin species use hollow tree cavities, thick tendrils, or epiphytes as roosting places.
  • The golden lion tamarin tends to be active earlier during the hotter and wetter seasons and retire later as the days are longer.

Suggested Reading: All Types of Monkeys

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BioExplorer.net. (2024, December 18). Golden Lion Tamarin. Bio Explorer. https://www.bioexplorer.net/animals/mammals/monkeys/golden-lion-tamarin/.
BioExplorer.net. "Golden Lion Tamarin" Bio Explorer, 18 December 2024, https://www.bioexplorer.net/animals/mammals/monkeys/golden-lion-tamarin/.
BioExplorer.net. "Golden Lion Tamarin" Bio Explorer, December 18 2024. https://www.bioexplorer.net/animals/mammals/monkeys/golden-lion-tamarin/.
Key References
  • [1]“Golden lion tamarin | Smithsonian’s National Zoo”. Accessed September 08, 2022. Link.
  • [¶] – Bello, C., Galetti, M., Montan, D., Pizo, M. A., Mariguela, T. C., Culot, L., Bufalo, F., Labecca, F., Pedrosa, F., Constantini, R., Emer, C., Silva, W. R., da Silva, F. R., Ovaskainen, O. and Jordano, P. (2017), Atlantic frugivory: a plant-frugivore interaction data set for the Atlantic Forest. Ecology, 98: 1729. doi:10.1002/ecy.1818. doi:10.1002/ecy.1818

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