Cotton-top Tamarin
Saguinus oedipus
Photo: Wikimedia Commons (CC) via https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cotton-top_tamarin
Overview
The cotton-top tamarin is a small New World monkey weighing less than 0.5 kg (1.1 lb). This New World monkey can live up to 24 years, but most of them die by 13 years. One of the smallest primates, the cotton-top tamarin is easily recognized by the long, white sagittal crest extending from its forehead to its shoulders.
The species is found in tropical forest edges and secondary forests in northwestern Colombia, where it is arboreal and diurnal. Its diet includes insects and plant exudates, and it is an important seed disperser in the tropical ecosystem.
Cotton-top Tamarins face severe population decline primarily due to extensive deforestation and habitat fragmentation in their native Colombian range, where over 95% of their original forest habitat has been destroyed. The species is further threatened by illegal capture for the pet trade and biomedical research, which historically removed thousands of individuals from wild populations.
Habitat
A sign in Tayrona National Natural Park in northern Colombia pointing out the tamarin's endangered status in the only part of the world where it still exists The cotton-top tamarin is restricted to a small area of northwest Colombia, between the Cauca and Magdalena Rivers to the south and east, the Atlantic coast to the north, and the Atrato River to the west. They are found exclusively in...
Other threatened species in Callitrichidae
Threatened in Brazil
Frequently asked questions
Why is Cotton-top Tamarin classified as Critically Endangered?
Where does Cotton-top Tamarin live?
What are the main threats to Cotton-top Tamarin?
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