This website was completed by John Doehring in partial fulfillment of the requirements for Biology 323, Animal Behavior, at Davidson College in the Spring Semester 2007.

Golden Lion Tamarin

(Leontopithecus rosalia)

Habitat

The golden lion tamarin is found in very small pockets (approximately fourteen) in the Eastern Brazilian rainforest.  The Uniao Biological Reserve and the Poco das Antas reserve constitute the largest areas and contain the most numerous populations of wild golden lion tamarins (Cawthon, 2005).  These lowland, coastal rainforest areas are characterized by extremely dense vegetation, high humidity, and an abundance of fruit.  However, these areas are not fully forested and the presence of bare patches between forests contributes to isolation and limited habitat availability.  In Poco das Antas, only thirty-five square kilometers are forested; at Uniao, only twenty-four kilometers are forested (Cawthon, 2005).  The Eastern Brazilian rainforest is experiencing extreme deforestation pressure and is quickly disappearing.  The trees in the area are cut down for local lodgings, agriculture, and lumber (Frantom, 1999).  The golden lion tamarin, therefore, is one of the most endangered species in the world, if not the most endangered.  There are an estimated four hundred to five hundred individuals left in the wild, with approximately the same number in zoos worldwide. 

Golden lion tamarins prefer the lowland areas below 500 m above sea level but are found up to 1,000 m above sea level.  The variety of habitat among the pockets where golden lion tamarins live is markedly different, ranging from primarily swamp areas in the Poco das Antas reserve to primary hillside regions in Uniao (Cawthon, 2005).  Though there are swamp areas with primary forest in Uniao, the golden lion tamarins are usually observed on the hillsides.  Thus they occupy the swamp areas in the Poco das Antas reserve most likely due to the absence of a preferable alternative habitat (Cawthon, 2005).  The habitat of the golden lion tamarin is also significantly influenced by seasonal effects.  The rainy season begins in October and ends in April, with the highest rainfall occurring in December and January.  There is usually over 125 mm of rainfall during the wet months and below 75 mm during the dry months.  The rainy season also contributes to extremely warm temperatures, often above 100 degrees F (Cawthon, 2005).  Population densities are lower in the southern areas of these regions because the climate and therefore the food resources are more dependent on the season (Frantom, 1999).

Photo courtesy of theWisconsin Primate Research Center (WPRC) Library

While most marmosets and many members of the Callitrichinae family are gumnivores or opportunistic gumnivores, golden lion tamarins are omnivorous creatures.  Their diet consists primarily of fruit and insects but includes spiders, snails, lizards, eggs, small birds, and scattered vegetables (Frantom, 1999).  Their long, skinny fingers allow them easier access to the more difficult-to-reach spots in the trees where many of their food items are located.  While most tamarins have a heavy diet of exudates (tree sap, gum, and resin) golden lion tamarins lack the narrow, elongated incisors needed to rely exclusively on gumnivory (Bramblett, 1994).  Additionally, their stomachs lack the ability to efficiently digest excessive amounts of exudates.  The seasonal dependence of fruit and the inability to rely exclusively on exudates contributes to the vulnerability of this species (Campbell, 2007). 

Any questions regarding the content or design of this website should be sent to John Doehring or to Dr. Verna Case, Chair of the Biology Department at Davidson College.