The four species of lion tamarins make up the genusLeontopithecus. They are small New World monkeys named for the mane surrounding their face. Living in the eastern rainforests of Brazil, like all other hapalines they are arboreal. Lion tamarins weigh up to 2 pounds and are about 12 inches long, with tails about 17 inches long. They jump through trees using their fingers to hold onto branches and their claws to dig under the bark to search for insects to eat. They also eat some snakes, small lizards and small fruits.
Lion tamarins tend to live in family groups, with both parents sharing different tasks of child-rearing the yearly twins. The mother nurses her young every two to three hours, and the father carries the babies on his back.
Diurnal tree-dwellers, they sleep in tree cavities at night, and also seek shelter during the hottest part of the day.
Species list
The different species of lion tamarins are easily discernable from each other, based upon the coloration of their fur:
Golden Lion Tamarin, L. rosalia - golden fur all over, mane sometimes darkening or black
Golden-headed Lion Tamarin, L. chrysomelas - black furwith golden faces, arms and tial
Black or Golden-rumped Lion Tamarin, L. chrysopygus - black fur with a dark gold rump
Superagui or Black-faced Lion Tamarin, L. caissara - golden fur with black faces arms and tails
(Buss, 1970; Buss and Cooper, 1972; Patino and Ruiz, 1993); Leontopithecus rosalia (Buss, 1975); Saguinus oedipus (Glass and Jenness, 1971); and Callithrix jacchus (Turton et al., 1978).
In general, milk of the order Primates, compared with that of other orders, is characterized by moderate amounts of solids and fats, low levels of proteins, and high levels of sugar (Oftedal, 1980).
(1) Homo sapiens, Packard, 1982; (2) Pongo pygmaeus, Pan troglodytes, Ben Shaul, 1962; Gorilla gorilla, Tailor and Tomkinson, 1975; (3) Cercopithecus talapoin, Buss and Cooper, 1970; Papio anubis, Papio cynocephalus and Papio papio, Buss, 1968; (4) Saimiri sciureus, Buss and Cooper, 1972; Leontopithecus rosalia, Buss, 1975; (5) Lemur spp., Buss et al., 1976.
To the great surprise of primatologists, a new species of primate, a new lion tamarin, has been found in one of the world's most endangered ecosystems in the Atlantic forest region south of So Paulo, Brazil.
The new species is named LEONTOPITHECUS CAISSARA, and is the fourth species of lion tamarin, all of them rare.
The new species is known only in a troop numbering about a dozen.
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