The Golden Headed Lion Tamarins are small monkeys. They weigh about as much as a gray squirrel. They have golden fur on their heads, tails, and arms. The rest of their body is black. They are very playful and run around a lot. They are funny to watch. Their two middle fingers are webbed together. This helps the tamarin get insects and grab branches when taking long leaps.

     The Golden Headed Lion Tamarin lives in southeastern Brazil. It lives in the forests in the mountains. Its home is in the top of the trees.The tamarins in South America are endangered because of  the near total destruction of their habitat. People have cut down their homes in the rainforests of Brazil.

    The Golden Headed Lion Tamarin eats small mammals, such as small birds and other mammals, fruit, and its favorite - insects.

    Tamarins live in small family groups of about 2-11 individuals.  The tamarin likes to run and jump. If two are together they chase each other in circles until they get dizzy and fall down. They are always up to something.

     It takes 132-134 days for the Golden Headed Lion Tamarin to have babies. They have 1-3 babies and often have twins. The babies are very cute at birth. The mother keeps a very close eye on them to make sure predators don't attack them. The females can give birth up to two times per year. Tamarins learn about raising their young by helping to raise their siblings.

    In the early hours of Friday, June 2, 2000 twin Golden Headed Lion Tamarins were born at the Brandywine Zoo. When they were first born, the babies clung tightly to their parents' backs as they moved through the tree branches in the exhibit. They looked like patches of scruffy hair. When they got older they ventured out onto the branches of the trees on their own.

    The Brandywine Zoo's Golden Headed Lion Tamarins are part of an important international captive breeding program which was established to ensure the continued existence of these rare and wonderful animals. The Zoo has been a successful part of the international efforts to save the tamarins of South America. The captive bred population of tamarins is the most closely managed of any species of threatened mammal.