Geoffroy s Tamarin Monkey

Facts about Geoffroy's tamarin monkey. "Scientific name for Geoffroy's tamarin monkey is Saguinus geoffroyi". Geoffroy's tamarin monkey also reffered to as the Rufous-naped tamarin or the Red-crested tamarin monkey, is a small species of monkey that habits the forests of South America. Due to its characteristics, Geoffroy's tamarin monkey is thought to be related to the cotton-top tamarin. The Geoffroy's tamarin monkey spends its time in trees found in the tropical forests of Colombia and Panama in South America. It is also easier to find it on the coasts of the Pacific than the Atlantic.
Monkey meaning (any mammal of the order Primates), this includes the macaques, capuchins, guenons and langurs, this excludes humans, the anthropoid apes, and, usually, the prosimians and tarsier.

Geoffroy's tamarin monkey is mostly black and white and has a reddish nape. It has no fur but a very conspicuous distinctive "v" shape mark on its head. Just like most callitrichids, this is a small monkey. Excluding the tail, adults have a length between 8 7/8 to 9 3/4 inches (22.6 to 23.8cm). This makes the monkey one of the smallest in Central American. The tail measures 12 3/4 to 15 3/16 inches (31.4 to 15.2cm). Geoffroy's Tamarin Monkey are also lightweight, the average weight for an adult male being 1 pound (486 grams) only. Females, on the other hand, are slightly larger than males; they weigh an average of 1.1 pound (507 grams). On its back, the Geoffroy's tamarin monkey has variegated yellow and black fur, has pale feet, legs, and chest. It has a nearly bare face, but the head bears red fur with a triangular patch on the front. The tail, on the other hand, is chest-nut with a black tip.

The Geoffroy's tamarin monkey is highly territorial and will make numerous calls and threats if it notices any signs of danger in its habitat. Nevertheless, the monkey is very sociable and will relate very well with other members of its species. Geoffroy's Tamarin Monkey is a diurnal primate. This means that the monkey can either forage at night or in the daytime. However, the monkey is more active during the day and seeks safety of the treetops at night.

The feeding habits of the Geoffroy's Tamarin Monkey are characterized by those of an omnivore. Some of the food the monkey eats, which, in fact, makes most of its diet, includes insects, green plants and fruits. In some instances the monkey feeds on tree sap, eggs, and small animals and hunt down lizards and other reptiles. The Geoffroy's tamarin monkey lacks well-adapted teeth to gnaw the bark and feed on sap, for this reason, and it would eat exudate.

The Geoffroy's Tamarin Monkey is not free from predators itself. Larger animals such as the wild cats, snakes, dogs, and birds of prey are some of the primary predators the monkey has. Humans also lie at this group because they destroy their natural habitat.

Geoffroy's Tamarin Monkey breed between the months of April and July. In this case, the female gives birth to twins (occasionally a single infant) after a four to five month gestation period. After giving birth, the male Geoffroy's tamarin monkey grooms the infant while the female breastfeeds it. However, most of the cleaning of the infant is done by a female. Since the monkeys live as a family, older siblings take turns to groom the younger ones. After two to five weeks, the young Geoffroy's tamarin monkey can walk on its own and after another two weeks, feed on solid food. They then become independent at fifteen to eighteen weeks of age and fully weaned at twenty to twenty-five weeks. The Geoffroy's tamarin monkey reach sexual maturity at the age of two (years) and live for about 15 years.

Geoffroy's Tamarin Monkey are in large numbers in the wild. Due to this reason, they are not considered to be endangered or becoming extinct. The IUCN classifies them as “least Concern”. Still, their population has been in the decline but this is so because they are constantly losing their habitat to humans.