Some Monkey business by Donie

Golden Lion Tamarin Monkey

Leontopithecus rosalia

     

       
The critically endangered golden lion tamarin is named for its striking orange mane.

Lion tamarins take their name from their impressive manes—thick rings of hair reminiscent of Africa's great cats. The golden lion tamarin may be the most beautiful of the four lion tamarin species. Its abundant golden hair frames a charismatic black face and covers its small body and tail. Despite their name, these rare primates have far more in common with their monkey relatives than any feline.

The golden lion tamarin forms social family groups. Males help to raise their offspring, and often carry their young on their backs in between feedings. Tamarin young are usually twins.

Golden lions live primarily in the trees. They sleep in hollows at night and forage by day while traveling from branch to branch. Long fingers help them stay aloft and snare insects, fruit, lizards, and birds.

These interesting animals are critically endangered, as are many of the forests in which they live. Brazil's Atlantic coastal rain forests are disappearing due to ever-expanding logging, agriculture, and industry, and unfortunately, the golden lion tamarin is in danger of vanishing with them.

The golden lion tamarin has a very limited distribution range. It is found only in Brazil where it lives in 14 highly fragmented forests remnants totaling 154 km square (59.5 mi square). Tamarins live along the far southeastern border of the country in the municipalities of Silva Jardim, Cabo Frio, Saquarema, and Araruama.^[7] However, that have been successfully reintroduced to the municipalities of Rio das Ostras, Rio Bonito, and Casimiro de Abreu.^[8] Tamarins live in coastal lowland forests below 300 m (984 ft) above sea level They can be found in hilltop forests and swamp forests.

Golden lion tamarins are active 12 hours a day. They leave their nesting sites around dawn and establish new nighttime dens before dusk. The early morning is spent traveling and feeding on fruits. As the afternoon nears, tamarins focus more on insects and spend much of the early afternoon feeding on them. The late afternoon is spent traveling to their nighttime dens. Tamarin groups sleep in hollow tree cavities or in dense vines or epiphytes. They do not sleep in the same spot on consecutive nights, but use site within their home range. Sites that are between 11 and 15 m (36.1 and 49.2 ft) off the ground are preferred. Tamarins tend to start their activities earlier and cease later in warmer, wetter times of the years as the days are longer. During drier times, tamarins forage for insects longer as they become more scarce.

The golden lion tamarin has a diverse, omnivorous diet consisting of fruits, flowers, nectar, bird eggs, insects and small vertebrates. Microhabitats are important for foraging and other daily activities and tamarins will use bromeliads, palm crowns, palm leaf sheaths, woody crevices, lianas, vine tangles, tree bark, rotten logs, and leaf litters Tamarins use their fingers to catch prey hiding in crevices, under leaves, and in dense growth. It is made possible by elongated hands and fingers. Insects make up to 10-15% of their diet. Much of the rest is made of small, sweet, pulpy fruits. During the rainy season, fruit makes up to 80% of the golden lion tamarin’s diet, however during drier times, it must supplant its diet with other foods like nectar and gums. Small vertebrates are also consumed more at these times as insects become more scarce.