Awesome Emperor Tamarins

(Saguinus imperator)

Description & Size 

Emperor Tamarins are a species of tamarins that has a distinctive white mustache. It got its name because it supposedly looks like the German Emperor Wilhelm II, but it had started out as a joke. They're gray with yellowish spots on its reddish chest. They also have black hands and feet as well as a brown tail that is nearly twice their length. Their small fingers are equipped with claws and they have canines that are bigger than their incisors. They are 24 to 26 cm (9.5 to 10.25 inches) long without the tail. Their tails are about 35 cm (13.75 inches) long, helping them to keep balance. Emperor tamarins weigh around 300 to 400 grams (10.5 to 14 oz.) when mature. They are extremely agile. 

Habitat, Status, & Subspecies/Subfamily    

This primate lives in tropical rain forests, staying to trees that are less than 80 to 95 feet. It lives in the southwest Amazon Basins in South America and moves through the trees by leaping from branch to branch. Their conservation status is at endangered, but some sources say they are at least concern or intermediate. One reason for their status is human logging. Unfortunately, some are kept in captivity as pets. There are two subspecies, black-chinned emperor tamarin and bearded emperor tamarin. They belong to a subfamily that includes 21 different species of small primates that live all over South America.

Behavior & How They Live  

Emperor Tamarins live in groups of 3 to 8. The groups are called harems. Each harem is led by the oldest female with a few mature males. They groom each other as an act of bonding and socializing. Every harem has special cries when there is an interloper. Occasionally, they form associations with brown-mantled tamarins and saddleback tamarins, but the emperor tamarins are always dominant. They are always on the move. They are good at spotting aerial predators, which are predators that are in the sky.

Diet & Predators

An emperor tamarin's diet, like other tamarins, is consisted of fruits, flowers, nectar, insects, tree gum, and sap. Sometimes they also eat bird eggs and small vertebrae like tree frogs. Since they are small and lightweight, they can retrieve food from thinner branches and the ends of branches that larger animals can't reach. They can only eat tree gum and sap that is already coming out of the tree. The insects that they eat are locusts, spiders, beetles, and ants. They are eaten by anacondas and hawks.

Reproduction & Lifespan

These small animals are polyandrous, meaning that they have more than one mate. Their gestation lasts for about 140 to 145 days. Like all tamarin species, twins are usually born and sometimes there are triplets. All the members in the harem help to care for and raise the young, even if they aren't one of the parents. They are weaned around three months and are fully mature at about two years old. Their life span is over 15 years, and some have been known to live for 20 years. Unfortunately, we don't know a lot about their population in the wild. Their survival is crucial to the health of their environments.

Interesting Facts:

• The word tamarin comes from the word monkey in Galibi.
• An animal in captivity isn't as happy as an animal in its home area.
• 2/3 of female emperor tamarins see only three colors, helping them detect ripe fruit. Everyone else sees two colors.
• Their tail is like an extra hand for grabbing branches.
• They have longer fingers than their relatives.
• Their claws are believed to be an adaptation, not a trait passed from their ancestors.

Classification:                                                                                                               

Pictures & Videos:

Thank you Youtube!! 

Bibliography:

Information: 

"Emperor Tamarin" last revision: Jan. 1, 2009; 20, Jan. 2009 <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emperor_Tamarin>                    

"Emperor tamarin- SAGUINUS IMPERATOR" 20, Jan. 2009 <http://www.americazoo.com/goto/index/mammals/102.htm> 

"EMPEROR TAMARIN" 2000; 20, Jan. 2009 <http://www.thewildones.org/Animals/emperor.html>

"Emperor Tamarin (Saguinus imperator)" 27, May 2007; 20, Jan. 2009 <http://www.theprimata.com/saguinus_imperator.html>

"Emperor Tamarin" 20, Jan. 2009 <http://www.macalester.edu/~montgomery/EmperorTamarin.html>

Pictures (in order of appearance):

"Emperor Tamarin" 16, Jan. 2009 <http://www.hensonrobinsonzoo.org/vrtourlb/tamarin.html>

"Emperor tamarin monkey sticking out his tongue" 16, Jan. 2007; 20, Jan. 2009 <http://img1.photographersdirect.com/img/18574/wm/pd1112490.jpg> 

Laman, Tim "Captive emperor tamarin sticks its tongue out" 20, Jan. 2009 <http://www.ngsprints.co.uk/images/M/401012.jpg>

"Emperor Tamarin" 20, Jan. 2009 <http://www.macalester.edu/~montgomery/EmperorTamarin.jpg>

"Emperor Tamarin" 20, Jan. 2009 <http://cache.daylife.com/imageserve/03zK7Uu3Q5f1B/610x.jpg>

Butler, Rhett A. "Emperor Tamarin (Saguinus Imperator)" 2007; 18, Feb. 2009 <http://travel.mongabay.com/animals/sf/600/Emperor_Tamarin_2734.JPG> 

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