Cotton-top Tamarin
Cotton-top Tamarins are members of a group of monkeys found all over the South American rainforests. They are agile monkeys. This means they can move quickly and twist and turn to catch prey or escape predators.
Cotton-tops don’t have to use mousse or styling gel to look cool.
-Jim
Physical Description
Cotton-top Tamarins are small monkeys that weigh 1 pound or less. They have beautiful reddish and blackish patches of long silky fur. They get their name from the thick white crest of fur on their heads. It looks like a big ball of cotton. All tamarins have claws instead of nails which they use for grasping and catching prey.
Family Life
Mother Cotton-top Tamarins normally give birth to twins. Father Cotton-top Tamarins and older brothers and sisters help to carry and raise the babies. This family group of 10 to 12 monkeys is called a troop.
Diet
Fruit, insects, bird eggs, spiders, tree frogs and lizards
Quick Stats
- Scientific Name: Saguinus oedipus
- Type of Animal: Mammal
- Diet: Omnivore
- Lifespan: Up to 22 years
- Status in the Wild: Endangered
- Filmed At:
The Roger Williams Park Zoo
- In Episode:
Roger Williams Park Zoo
