Cotton Top Tamarin

Latin Name: Saguinus oedipus

Other Name: Cotton Headed Tamarin

Habitat and Range: Lowland rain forests in Colombia.

Captive/Wild Lifespan: Up to 20 Years.

Gestation: 140 days, 1-3 offspring will be born, usually non-identical twins. The female will carry the newborns on her back for 2-3 weeks then allows the male to take time carrying the young as well.

 Diet: Omnivore– fruit, seeds, insects, mice, birds and nectar from certain flowers.

Adaptations: This small New World monkey is almost completely arboreal with more than 30 different calls ranging from chips to shrills and squeaks. Sounding more like birds than monkeys.

IUCN Status: Critically Endangered 2014

Conservation: A conservation program for the Cotton-top Tamarin in Colombia was established in 1987 to begin the first long-term field study on this species in collaboration with Colombian biologists, educators, NGO's and government authorities first research focused on understanding the factors influencing reproductive strategies of Cotton-top Tamarins, but it quickly grew into a comprehensive conservation program including educational efforts, capacity building, training Colombian students, development of economic alternatives, and the development of an agricultural training program to decrease the pressure on the forest by local communities

Did you Know: During the 60’s and 70’s nearly 30,000 were exported for the pet trade and biomedical research on colon cancer.

Here at the Cape May Zoo:  We have Mom, Cordelia and Dad, Lil T with their high-spirited new baby (August 3rd , 2020) Kida. Cotton-top tamarins exhibit a special behavior called alloparenting. This means that both parents, as well as older siblings and other members of the troop, all help care for the infants. Lil T sure did his share of carrying around Kida.