Golden-headed lion tamarin
Leontopithecus Chrysomelas
IUCN Status:
Diet
Fruits, flowers, nectar and even small animals like frogs, lizards and spiders!
Breeding
Only one female in a group will breed, everyone else will help care for the young, this is called co-operative breeding.
At The Zoo
All our golden headed lion tamarins belong to the Brazilian government and as a requirement of the stud book the sexes have been separated to stop our troop from continued breeding.
Habitat
Only 2-5% of their original habitat remains. This is mainly lowland seasonal rainforest in the state of Bahia, Brazil. They prefer older forests as there are more tree holes available for sleeping sites.
Fun Facts
When threatened they will fluff up their manes to look bigger than they are, and wiggle their tongues at intruders!
Behaviour
An average group size for this species is 5-8 individuals. When foraging they use their long slender fingers to reach into holes and break open wood to find tasty insects inside.