- Golden Lion Tamarin
Taxobox
name = Golden Lion Tamarin [MSW3 Groves|pages=133]
status = EN
trend = up
status_system = iucn3.1
status_ref =IUCN2006|assessors=Rylands, A.B., Bampi, M.I., Chiarello, A.G., da Fonseca, G.A.B., Mendes, S.L. & Marcelino, M.|year=2003|id=11506|title=Leontopithecus rosalia|downloaded=4 May 2006]
regnum =Animal ia
phylum =Chordata
classis =Mammal ia
ordo =Primate s
familia =Cebidae
genus = "Leontopithecus "
species = "L. rosalia"
binomial = "Leontopithecus rosalia"
binomial_authority = (Linnaeus, 1766)The Golden Lion Tamarin ("Leontopithecus rosalia", Portuguese: "Mico-leão Dourado") also known as Golden Marmoset, is a small
New World monkey of the familyCebidae . Native to theAtlantic coastal forests ofBrazil , the Golden Lion Tamarin is anendangered species and among the rarest animals in the world, with an estimated wild population of "more than 1,000 individuals" and a captive population maintained at approximately 490 individuals.Physical characteristics
As its name would suggest, this
lion tamarin is a reddish orange to golden brown in color. Its hair is longer and darker around the face, forming a mane on top of the head and on the cheeks and throat. Its limbs are slender yet capable with sharp claw-like nails (called tegulae), befitting its strictlyarboreal life. Although quite long, its tail is not prehensile. The tail and forepaws of thismonkey may have a black coloration. Its body may be up to convert|335|mm|in|1 long and its tail up to 400 millimetres (16 in). The male reaches a maximum weight of just convert|700|g in the wild though higher weights can be found in captivity. The pregnant female may weigh up to convert|790|g but a non-gestating female typically weighs closer to convert|550|g.Behaviour and reproduction
The Golden Lion Tamarin is diurnal and primarily arboreal, forming small groups of up to fourteen individuals, led by a breeding pair; occasionally two unrelated males may be involved, but only one typically mates with the lead female. The group patrols a consistent territory of around convert|400000|m2|acre|-1; fighting between groups is avoided by scent marking and "ritual encounters". By night, the tamarins sleep in abandoned nesting holes in trees, or in large
bromeliad s.The group is cooperative in the rearing of young; however, only the dominant female usually breeds. The males are responsible for the bulk of rearing duties, with the mother nursing and providing transportation for the infant during its first week of life. Resources are shared among the group, as are predator surveillance duties. The young are well cared for until adolescence. Unlike other primates, both males and females leave the group; their rate of survival is low, as less than one quarter successfully integrate into a new group or establish themselves in an unoccupied territory.
Fully mature at 2-3 years, the Golden Lion Tamarin is able to breed at 18 months of age. The breeding season is from September to March.
Gestation lasts for 126-130 days, usually ending in twin births; there may be up to two litters annually. The young tamarins are weaned after just 90 days; less than half of infants survive their first year of life. If they do, a lifespan of 8-15 years can be expected. One captive tamarin has been reported to be 28 years old.Distribution and habitat
Most of the wild population is confined to the
Poço das Antas Biological Reserve , a protected area of swampy forests in the state ofRio de Janeiro . It is an important bastion of the Golden Lion Tamarin, as only 2% of forests in the monkey's original range remains. Furthermore, its existing habitat has been broken up bylogging andagriculture ; this has led to isolated populations and inbreeding, a combination likely to result inextinction .A high canopy with dense tangles of vines is required by the Golden Lion Tamarin; other than providing a home, the labyrinthine forest affords some degree of protection from its many predators. Its main predators are raptors, large cats and
snake s. The canopy also provides an important source of food; the omnivorous lion tamarins rely on rainwater andinsect s concentrated in the reservoirs ofbromeliad s and other small animals inhabiting the bark of trees. Fruit is also consumed; for instance at União Biological Reserve, more than 160 species of fruit were observed being eaten.Conservation status
This species was first listed as endangered in 1982, rising to critically endangered in 1996. By 2003 the successful establishment of a new population at
União Biological Reserve enabled downgrading the species to endangered, [http://www.eaza.net/rainforest/GLTTranslocatedPopulation_May06.pdf Translocations of Golden Lion Tamarins – history and status as of MAY 2006] ] but theIUCN warns that extreme habitat fragmentation from deforestation means the wild population has little potential for any further expansion.In an attempt to curb the Golden Lion Tamarin's precipitous decline, several conservation programmes have been undertaken. The intent is to strengthen the wild population and maintain a secure captive population in
zoo s worldwide. The survival rate of re-introduced animals has been encouraging, but destruction of unprotected habitat continues.In popular culture
*
Pudding Fong from the anime and manga seriesTokyo Mew Mew is infused with the genes of a Golden Lion Tamarin.References
External links
* ARKive - [http://www.arkive.org/species/GES/mammals/Leontopithecus_rosalia/ images and movies of the Golden Lion Tamarin "(Leontopithecus rosalia)"]
* [http://nationalzoo.si.edu/ConservationAndScience/EndangeredSpecies/GLTProgram/Learn/BasicFacts.cfm Smithsonian National Zoological Park's Golden Lion Tamarin Conservation Program]
* [http://pin.primate.wisc.edu/factsheets/entry/golden_lion_tamarin Primate Info Net "Leontopithecus rosalia" Factsheet]
* [http://www.natureserve.org/imagerepository/GetImage?SRC=6&BATCH=49&FMT=gif&RES=600X615&NAME=leontopithecus_rosalia The Golden Lion Tamarin's range (Natureserve.org)]
* [http://www.smithsoniannetworks.com/site/smithsonian/show_lion.do Golden Lion Tamarins, Smithsonian Networks]
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