The cotton-top tamarin has a crest of long white hair from its forehead to the shoulders. Typically, its back is brownish black while the inside of the arms and legs is white. Cotton top tamarins have modified claws instead of nails on all their fingers and toes. Cotton top tamarins also have two molars on each side of their jaws, instead of three molars, like new world monkeys. They are very small, weighing less than a pound.

    Cotton top tamarins live in northwest Colombia, South America. They live in the trees in tropical forests. They are active during the day.

    Cotton top tamarins travel in-groups of 2-13 individuals. They defend small home territories.

    These tamarins' diet consists of insects most of the time but they can eat a large amount of fruit and vegetables. They find most of their fruit on the trees where they stay to live. They travel 1-2 kilometers a day foraging for food and seeking sleeping spots high in the forks of trees.They also do what is called gum feeding, which is feeding on the sap that comes out of trees. They also lick leaves wet with rain or morning dew to get moisture because if they would get down on the ground to find water other animals might get them and eat them. The cotton top tamarins have a specific call associated with food preferences.

    The cotton top tamarins have up to 2 babies a year - twins . They ride on the mother’s back until they are old enough to walk and to hunt themselves.

    Cotton top tamarins are endangered because their habitat is being destroyed. The endangered population is estimated at 2,800.

For more information visit:
http://www.csew.com/cottontop/
http://www.primate.wisc.edu/pin/factsheets/saguinus_oedipus.html
http://www.animalinfo.org/species/primate/saguoedi.htm
                                                                                                                    by Mildred
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