(Saguinus oedipus)
Familie: Marmosets or Tamarins (Callithricidae)
Orden: Primates (Primates)
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Cotton-top Tamarin
(Saguinus oedipus) Familie: Marmosets or Tamarins (Callithricidae) Orden: Primates (Primates) |
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Other names: Cotton-top Marmoset, White-plumed Bare-face Tamarin, Pinché. Size: Max. 75 cm (incl. tail), weight up to 900 g. Distribution: Only found in NW. Colombia. Habitat: Tropical forest. Food: Insects (particularly grasshoppers, etc.), ripe fruit, plant exudates (sap, gums, resin), and nectar. Also leaves, small vertebrates, spiders, and probably birds' eggs. Reproduction: The males of the Cotton-top Tamarin are modern men, participating in the birth of the young as a kind of midwives. After birth, they carry the young around, except when they are transferred to their mother to feed. After 3 weeks the young begin investigating the surroundings on their own, but are still carried by the male in between, until they are about 6-7 weeks old. Activity and behaviour: Lives in groups of usually 3-9 animals, occasionally solitary, in pairs, or in groups of up to 19 animals. Move about up to 2 km per day. Longevity: This species has been known to survive up to almost 25 years in captivity. Status: The Cotton-top Tamarin is listed as endangered in both the Colombian Endangered Species List and in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, Appendix I (1988). It has been estimated that 75% of the original distribution has been cleared for agriculture and pastures, and the remaining areas are not considered sufficient to maintain natural, viable populations. The pet trade has also depleted the wild population. References: Nowak, R.M. 1991. Walker's Mammals of the World. 5th edition. Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore & London. Rylands, A.B. (ed.). 1993. Marmosets and tamarins. Systematics, behaviour, and ecology. Oxford University Press, Oxford, New York, Tokyo, etc. 396 pp. Text & layout: Rune Midtgaard |
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