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Project Noah Nature School
Leontopithecus Rosalia
As its name would suggest, this lion tamarin is a reddish orange to golden brown in color. Its hair is longer and darker around the face, forming a mane on top of the head and on the cheeks and throat. Its limbs are slender yet capable with sharp claw-like nails (called tegulae), befitting its strictly arboreal life. Although quite long, its tail is not prehensile. The tail and forepaws of this monkey may have a black coloration. Its body may be up to 335 millimetres (13.2 in) long and its tail up to 400 millimetres (15.7 in). The male reaches a maximum weight of just 700 grams (25 oz) in the wild though higher weights can be found in captivity. The pregnant female may weigh up to 790 grams (28 oz) but a non-gestating female typically weighs closer to 550 grams (19 oz).
Toronto Zoo
Most of the wild population is confined to the Poço das Antas Biological Reserve, a protected area of swampy forests in the state of Rio de Janeiro. It is an important bastion of the golden lion tamarin, as only 2% of forests in the monkey's original range remains. Furthermore, its existing habitat has been broken up by logging and agriculture. This attrition has led to isolated populations and inbreeding, a combination likely to result in extinction. A high canopy with dense tangles of vines is required by the golden lion tamarin. Other than providing a home, the labyrinthine forest affords some degree of protection from its many predators. The species' main predators are raptors, large cats and snakes. The canopy also provides an important source of food. These omnivorous primates rely on rainwater and insects concentrated in the reservoirs of bromeliads and other small animals inhabiting the bark of trees. Fruit is also consumed. For instance, at União Biological Reserve, more than 160 species of fruit were observed being eaten.
Spotted on Jul 12, 2011
Submitted on Jul 12, 2011
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