Golden Lion Tamarin (Leontopithecus Rosalia Rosalia)

Description:
Weight: 1 1/2 pounds Head and body length: 11-16 inches in length Tail: 10-15 inches in length Color: light blonde-orange to dark orange with a lion-like mane surrounding the face.

Habitat:
High in the treetops (canopy) of primal forests (forests that have not been disturbed by humans).

Range:
Coastal forests of South America, near Rio Sao Joao, and the Poco d’Anta Reserve in Brazil.

Diet:
Omnivorous – fruit, flowers, insects, small vertebrates, tree gum, nectars and bird eggs.

Life Span:
10-12 years in the wild, 15 years or more in captivity.

Status:
Endangered

​These inquisitive animals spend their day foraging for food and looking for snack treats the zookeepers hide throughout the exhibit. The monkeys are exhibited with red-footed tortoise because they share habitat in the wild.

Next time you’re at the zoo, compare the Golden-lion Tamarins with other monkey species – the Howler monkeys, pygmy marmosets and pale-faced saki – that are also in the rainforest building. How are they alike? How are they different?

Rainforest Building open daily from 10:30 am to 3:30 pm