Golden Lion Tamarin Monkey

Facts about Golden Lion tamarin monkey. "Scientific name for Golden Lion tamarin monkey is Leontopithecus rosalia". Golden Lion tamarin monkey is also commonly referred to as golden marmoset. The Golden Lion tamarin monkey small new world monkey is endemic to Brazil’s popular eastern rainforests. At the moment the Lion Tamarin monkey is listed as endangered species; it is estimated that there exists about a thousand individuals in the wild.

Golden Lion tamarin monkey Physical Description

Golden Lion tamarin monkey name is basically influenced by their bright fur that is golden-orange in color. The lengthy fur on the face including the ears gives it a distinct mane that resembles that of a lion’s. The Golden Lion tamarin monkey has a dark hairless face. Though it is a small type of monkey, it is the largest of the callitrichines. It is thought that this lion tamarin obtains its golden color from carotenoids found in its diet and the sunlight.

The Golden Lion tamarin monkey measures about ten inches (25 cm) in height and weighs about .70 ounces (20 grams). If you are not an expert of dealing with animals, it is quite difficult for you to differentiate the male from the female as the Golden Lion tamarin monkey are quite similar in appearance especially the physical size. Just as the other species of Lion Tamarins, they have claw-like nails unlike the flat nails that are common in the other types of primates. The flat nail is known as ungulae while the claw-like nail known as tegulae, which helps the Golden Lion tamarin monkey cling on tree branches while moving and jump from tree to tree.


Golden Lion tamarin monkey Habitat and Distribution

Generally, the distribution of the Golden Lion tamarin monkey is quite limited; this fact has been greatly influenced by distraction of its natural habitat. At the moment, Golden Lion tamarin monkey are confined in the tropical rainforest of southeastern Brazil. The Golden Tamarins are found in lowland forests that are less than 984 ft (300 meters) above sea level, and they are also common in the swampy and hilltop forests.

Golden Lion tamarin monkey Behavior and Social Structure

Averagely, a Golden Lion tamarin monkey is active for 12 hours in a day. It will frequently change its sleeping dens and this helps them evade their potential predators as the frequent change of sleeping places doesn’t concentrate its scent in a particular area that can be easily traced by the predators. The Golden Lion tamarin monkey travel a lot during the day as they search for their feed which is mostly fruits. In the early afternoon they switch focus to insects and small anthropoids, and eventually in the late afternoon they relocate to their rest dens. The Golden Lion tamarin monkey normally prefer to sleep at heights such as 50 feet (15 meters) from the ground surface.

The Golden Lion tamarin monkey are typically social as they live in family groups consisting of at most 8 individuals, this includes one to three adult males; again one to three adult female Golden Lion tamarin monkey and the rest are the juveniles, infants and the sub-adults.

Golden Lion tamarin monkey Diet

The Golden Lion tamarin monkey are generally omnivorous and their diet includes flowers, fruits, bird eggs, small vertebrates, nectar and insects. Mostly, they rely on micro-habitats for their foraging habits. The Golden Lion tamarin monkey use their fingers with sharp claws to extract potential prey from dense growth, under the leaves, and crevices. Fifteen percent of their diet is exclusively made up of insects.