Cotton-top Tamarin
Saguinus oedipus
Conservation Status
Critically EndangeredMammalia · Primates · Callitrichidae
About
The cotton-top tamarin is a small New World monkey weighing less than 0.5 kg (1.1 lb). This New World monkey can live up to 24 years, but most of them die by 13 years. One of the smallest primates, the cotton-top tamarin is easily recognized by the long, white sagittal crest extending from its forehead to its shoulders. The species is found in tropical forest edges and secondary forests in northwestern Colombia, where it is arboreal and diurnal. Its diet includes insects and plant exudates, and it is an important seed disperser in the tropical ecosystem.
Fun Fact
Cotton-top tamarins have a shock of white hair sprouting from their head like Einstein, and they are one of the few primate species where fathers do most of the infant carrying.
Quick Facts
Habitat
Tropical forests
Diet
Omnivore
Lifespan
13-16 years
Threats
- Illegal Logging
- Deforestation
- Habitat Fragmentation
- Genetic Bottleneck