Tamarin

Tamarins are little New World monkeys belonging to the Callitrichidae family and the genus Saguinus. They are the earliest offshoot in the Callitrichidae tree, together with saddleback tamarins, and thus the sister group of a clade that includes lion-headed tamarins, Goeldi's monkeys, and marmosets. They can be found in northwestern Colombia, the Amazon basin, and the Guianas, ranging from southern Central America to central South America. It must be on the alert for aerial and ground predators while feeding most of the day. They are an easy target for predatory birds, snakes, and mammals due to their small size compared to other primates. They eat fruits and other plant parts, as well as spiders, insects, tiny vertebrates, and bird eggs, and they are omnivores.

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Tamarin Monkey

Tamarins are squirrel-sized New World monkeys belonging to the Callitrichidae family, which includes the Saguinus species. The appearance of different tamarin species varies greatly, ranging from virtually completely black to combinations of black, brown, and white. It must be on the lookout for airborne and ground predators while feeding for most of the day. They are accessible prey for predatory birds, snakes, and mammals due to their diminutive size compared to other primates. Cotton tamarins have a good sense of cooperation, according to Cronin, Kurian, and Snowdon. They may have acquired cooperative behaviour as a cognitive adaptation, according to the scientists.

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Description

The appearance of different tamarin species differs widely, ranging from virtually completely black to combinations of black, brown, and white. Many species have facial hairs that resemble a moustache. They have a body length of 13 to 30 cm (5.1 to 11.8 in) and a tail length of 25 to 44 cm (9.8 to 17.3 in). They weigh between 220 and 900 grammes (7.8 to 31.7 oz). Tamarins are distinguished from marmosets by their lower canine teeth, which are noticeably longer than the incisors. They can live up to 18 years in captivity. 

Behaviour and Reproduction

Tropical rainforests and open forest areas are tamarins' homes. They are arboreal and diurnal, and they run and hop through the trees quickly. They live in groups of up to 40 members, each of which is made up of one or more families. The majority probably, however, groups consist of only three to nine members. They are especially omnivores, eat fruits, vegetables, insects, tiny vertebrates, and bird eggs, among other things. The typical gestation period is 140 days, and the majority of births are twins. 

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The group's adult males, subadults, and juveniles help with the young's care, bringing them to their mother to nurse. The young start eating solid food after about a month, but they aren't weaned for another two to three months. In their second year, they reach full maturity. Polyandrous tamarins are nearly entirely found in the wild.

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Cotton-top tamarins (Saguinus Oedipus) in the wild breed cooperatively. In a series of cooperative pulling experiments, Cronin, Kurian, and Snowdon tested eight cotton top tamarins. Two monkeys were placed on opposing sides of a nutrition glass apparatus. Food would only fall for them if both monkeys pulled a handle on their side of the apparatus towards themselves at the same time.

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Taxonomy

Ten different species of Saguinus tamarins were classified in the first classification, which was subsequently divided into 33 morphotypes based on facial pelage. Variations in dental measures led to a later categorization into two clades. According to the most recent categorization, there are fifteen species with no subspecies. The earliest species groups began splitting 11–8 million years ago (considerably earlier than the divergence of Callithrix, Cebuella, and Mico), prompting the scientists to divide the saddle-back tamarins into their genus, Leontocebus. Others argue that the mystax group of tamarins is unique enough to be classed as a subgenus of Tamarindus. 

Types of Tamarins

1. Cotton-Top Tamarin

The cotton-top tamarin is a small arboreal monkey that is 7 to 10 inches in length (the tail adds another 10 inches or so) and weighs only one pound. This is about the size of a squirrel. Males and females are roughly the same size and shape. This species differs from most New World monkeys in that it has claws instead of nails and lacks a prehensile tail. The cotton tamarin is an adept climber who spends much time embellishing the branches far above the ground, even without a prehensile tail. Because they lack opposable thumbs, their strong claws allow them to cling to tree bark. The social structure of tamarin is highly developed, based on the need for cooperation and altruism.

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The group is known as a troop or tribe and generally consists of three to nine members (but it can sometimes reach 19), including a dominant mating partner, children, and sometimes immediate kin. The dominant pair is in charge of the group's protection as well as the family line's survival. The rest of the gang follows a strict hierarchy and ranking system based on dominance. Everyone in the group plays a part, especially when it comes to rearing the children. Groups are not always permanent, and a monkey will sometimes leave one to join another.

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2. Golden Tamarin

The golden lion tamarin (Leontopithecus rosalia, Portuguese: mico-Leo-Dourado) is a small New World monkey belonging to the Callitrichidae family. It is sometimes known as the golden marmoset. This is an endangered species that lives in Brazil's Atlantic coastal forests. The wild population is scattered over four locations in southeastern Brazil, with a recent census suggesting that 3,200 individuals remain in the wild and a captive population of 490 individuals spread across 150 zoos. The golden lion tamarin gets its name from its vivid reddish-orange pelage and its characteristic mane of extra long hairs around the face and ears, hence it is also called orange tamarin. It has a black, hairless face. This species' vivid orange fur is devoid of carotenoids, which are responsible for bright orange colours in nature.

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The largest of the callitrichids is the golden tamarin. It has a length of 261 mm (10.3 in) and a weight of 620 g. (1.37 lb). The size difference between males and females is almost non-existent. Because they have lost all but 2%–5% of their original habitat in Brazil, the Golden Lion Tamarin has a very limited geographical area. The golden lion tamarin can be active for up to 12 hours every day. Each day, it sleeps in a different den. By moving their sleeping nests around regularly, groups reduce the amount of scent left behind, making it less likely for predators to detect them. Travelling and eating fruits are the first activities of the day.

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3. Pied Tamarin

The pied tamarin (Saguinus bicolour) is a critically endangered primate species that can only be found in a small part of the Brazilian Amazon Rainforest. In 2005, it was named the mascot of Manaus, Brazil. It's a New World monkey that can be found up to 35 kilometres north and 100 kilometres east of Manaus, the capital of Brazil's Amazonas state. 

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The Rio Cuieiras and Rio Preto da Eva interfluvium have the widest available. Pied tamarins can also be found in the nearby Rio Preto da Eva and Rio Urubu interfluvium, however, they are much less common. The body length of a pied tamarin is 20.8–28.3 cm, with a tail length of 33.5–42.0 cm. Males weigh 428 grammes. In the wild, it has a life expectancy of about ten years. Fruit, flowers, nectar, insects, spiders, tiny vertebrates, and bird eggs are all part of the tamarin's diet. Small cats, birds of prey, and snakes are its natural predators.

4. Saddleback Tamarin

Saddleback tamarins are small New World monkeys belonging to the Callitrichidae family and the genus Leontocebus. Based on genetic data and the fact that saddle-back tamarins are sympatric with members of the tamarin genus Saguinus to a higher extent than would be expected from two members of the same genus, they were split from the tamarin genus Saguinus.

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Saddleback tamarins cohabit with tamarins of the genus Sanguinus in some areas, but they prefer lower forest strata than Sanguinus species. They have longer and narrower hands than Sanguinus species, possibly as a result of differences in foraging behaviour also they are more likely to search for insects hidden in knotholes, crevices, bromeliad tanks, and leaf litter, whereas Sanguinus species are more likely to forage for insects exposed on surfaces like leaves or branches.

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5. Black Tamarin

The black tamarin (Saguinus niger), sometimes known as the black-handed tamarin, is a tamarin species that is only found in Brazil. They measure around 500 grammes and are among the smallest primates. The rear limbs are longer than the forelimbs, and the thumbs are not opposable, as they are in other tamarins. All fingers and toes have claws, as do two molars on each side of the jaw, except the big toe. The black tamarin's face is usually hairless. The fur is blackish-brown in colour with lighter markings on the back, similar to that of the red-handed tamarin but missing the reddish-orange feet and hands.

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Tamarins live in extended family groups of four to 15 people. Except for Goeldi's marmoset, groups of tamarins may include more than one female, but only one usually breeds. Dominant female callitrichids prevent their daughters and other subordinate females in their family group from reproducing.

6. Lion Headed Tamarins

Golden-headed lion tamarins are similar to other tamarin species in that they have large canines and a small head and body. In terms of appearance and size, males and females are very similar. These tamarins are most like other tamarins and marmosets, have non-opposable thumbs and claw-like claws on all digits save the big toe. Long digits are also used for forging tiny insects and animals. Males weigh 17 to 24.7 ounces (500 to 700 grammes) and have a body length of 8 to 13 inches (20 to 34 centimetres) and a tail length of 12 to 15 inches (32 to 40 centimetres). Only Brazil is home to golden-headed lion tamarins.

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They are restricted to the southern half of the Brazilian state of Bahia due to habitat damage. From 10 to 33 feet (3 to 10 metres) in the canopy, they thrive in tall evergreen broadleaf tropical forests and semi-deciduous forests along the Atlantic coast. They eat mostly soft, sweet fruits and are frugivores.

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Flowers, nectar, insects, and small invertebrates are also eaten by them. These tamarins may also ingest exudates (gums) on the fly, particularly considerable volumes released from wounds in wild cashew trees and leguminous tree beans. They do not eat leaves of any plants.

7. Moustached Tamarin

The moustached tamarin (Saguinus mystax) is a tamarin species native to the New World. The Callitrichidae family tree begins with tamarins. It gets its name from the lack of pigment in the facial hair that surrounds its lips, which resembles a moustache. The moustached tamarin, like all New World monkeys, is only found in Central and South America. These monkeys have white, curling hair around their mouth that resembles a moustache.

Their faces are flat, and their eyes are almond-shaped. Their ears are huge and furry, and their body hair is long and silky. Their body is brownish-black, and they have a white moustache and nose. Except for their big toe, they have tegula, which is claw-like claws on each digit. They can easily cling to trees while feeding due to their claws.

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8. White-Lipped Tamarin

The white-lipped tamarin (Saguinus labiatus), sometimes known as the red-bellied tamarin, is a tamarin found in Brazil and Bolivia's Amazon region. The red belly of these New World monkeys is their most distinguishing feature. It is otherwise black, with a tiny white moustache and a black-brown back. They dwell in social groupings with other creatures who are connected to them. The woman normally has one or two children at a time. The father is the one who carries the kids the most, but siblings (brothers and sisters) will also share the responsibility of carrying the children and thus learn how to be effective carers. 

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9. Emperor Tamarin

The emperor tamarin (Saguinus imperator) is a tamarin species that bears a similarity to German emperor Wilhelm. It can be found in the southwest Amazon Basin, east Peru, north Bolivia, and the states of Acre and Amazonas in western Brazil. The emperor tamarin's fur is mainly grey in hue, with yellowish speckles on the chest. The tail is brown, and the hands and feet are black. It has a lengthy, white beard that reaches over the shoulders on both sides. The animal grows to a length of 23–26 centimetres (9–10 in), with a tail length of 35–41.5 centimetres (13.8–16.3 in). It is roughly 500 grammes in weight (18 oz).

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10. Geoffroy's Tamarin

The Panamanian, red-crested, or Rufous-naped tamarin (Saguinus geoffroyi), commonly known as the Panamanian, red-crested, or Rufous-naped tamarin, is a tiny monkey found in Panama and Colombia. It has a reddish nape and is mostly black and white. Geoffroy's tamarin is a diurnal creature that spends most of its time in trees but does come down to the ground on occasion. It prefers to live in groups of three to five people, with one or more adults of each sex. It eats insects, exudates, fruits, and other plant parts, among other things. The majority of its diet consists of insects and fruits, but exudates are also important. However, because its teeth aren't designed to gouge trees for sap, it can only eat exudates when they're commonly available.

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Tamarins are omnivores, eat fruits, vegetables, insects, tiny vertebrates, and bird eggs. The typical gestation period is 140 days, and the majority of births are for twins. They live in groups of up to 40 members, each of which is made up of one or more families. Saguinus tamarins are species with no subspecies. The earliest species groups began splitting 11–8 million years ago. Some argue that the mystax group of tamarin is unique enough to be a subgenus of Tamarindus.