lion tamarin

primate

Also known as: Leontopithecus

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July 14, 2026

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Lion tamarins are a type of tamarin, which are small, long-tailed South American monkeys belonging to the primate family Callitrichidae. These primates are characterized by their long, silky fur and a golden mane, resembling a lion's, which gives them their name. They are found in isolated remnants of tropical forests in southeastern Brazil. Lion tamarins are known for their long, slender hands and fingers, which they use to extract insects from crevices. All four species of lion tamarins are classified as endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources.12

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marmoset
Lion tamarins (genus Leontopithecus) are named for their thick manes, and all four species are classified as endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources. The black-faced lion tamarin (L. caissara), which was first discovered in 1990, is classified as a…
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Lion tamarins (genus Leontopithecus) are named for their thick manes, and all four species are classified as endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources. The black-faced lion tamarin (L. caissara), which was first discovered in 1990, is classified as a…
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primate
Diet
…slightly larger, but equally diurnal, tamarins (genus Saguinus) are more omnivorous. An approximate cutoff point of 500 grams (Kay’s threshold, after the primatologist Richard Kay, who first drew attention to it) has been proposed as an upper limit for species subsisting mainly on insects and a lower limit for those…
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…slightly larger, but equally diurnal, tamarins (genus Saguinus) are more omnivorous. An approximate cutoff point of 500 grams (Kay’s threshold, after the primatologist Richard Kay, who first drew attention to it) has been proposed as an upper limit for species subsisting mainly on insects and a lower limit for those…
Read More