Tim, Tammy, Tristan, Tom & Teeny

Cotton-topped Tamarins are highly endangered, having lost 75% of their original habitat (south-eastern Costa Rica to north-western Columbia) to deforestation.

Cotton-topped Tamarins vocalize with birdlike whistles and soft chirping sounds. They prefer dense vegetation with lots of vines where insects are numerous. They sleep in broad tree forks and are active during the day. They move with quick, jerky movements and seldom spend time on the ground. They are very alert and active.

Cotton-topped Tamarins weigh 10-18 ounces and the males are only slightly larger than females. They have claws rather than nails on their fingers and toes, except for the big toe. Tamarins eat small fruits, insects and occasionally buds and leaves.

They are found in groups of two to thirteen. All group members take some part in carrying the young and also surrender food morsels, particularly insects, to them and to the breeding female and infant carriers.

Tamarins are from the grouping called New World Monkeys (from the Americas) and differ from Old World Monkeys (from Africa and Asia) in that they have only two-colour vision like the rest of mammals, not three-colour. They have prehensile tails, no pads on their bottoms and are also smaller.