Virtual Non-Human Primate Zoo

SCIENTIFIC CLASSIFICATION

  Order: Primates

    Suborder: Haplorrhini

      Infraorder: Simiiformes

        Parvorder: Platyrrhini

          Superfamily:  Ceboidea

            Family:  Cebidae

              Subfamily:  Callitrichinae

                Genus:  Saguinus

                  Species:  imperator

 

COMMON NAME:  Emperor Tamarin

 

GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION: 

• Bolivia

• Brazil

• Peru

 

HABITAT:  Amazonian Topical Forests & Rainforests

 

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION:

• black or dark gray body coat

• red-orange chest and tail fur

• long white mustache

• forehead, crown, cheeks and temple are all covered with long hair

• round nose with widely separated nostrils

• claws on all fingers and toes except great toe

• nail on great toe

• known to live up to 20 years

• 23 - 27 cm (9-10.5 inches) in body length

• 300 - 400 grams (10.7-14.2 oz) at full size

• dental Formula 2.1.3.2

• non-prehensile tail

• non-opposable thumbs

• good depth perception

 

DIET:  Omnivorous

• fruits

• small vertebrates

• spiders

• insects

• tender vegetation

• sometimes bird eggs

 

LOCOMOTION TYPE:  Arboreal Quadruped

• leaps between branches

 

SOCIAL GROUP ORGANIZATION:

• mating system is primarily polyandry, although monogamy and polygyny have also been reported

• forms mixed species associations with the Saddle-Back Tamarin

 

PARENTAL CARE:

Offspring are cared for by all adult group members, including the males.

 

COMMUNICATION:

• communicate with eyelid, ear, and hair erection

• make high pitched trilling and staccato call

• some calls are inaudible to the human ear

• mother exposes her tongue to signal to other adult group members to carry their offspring

 

MISCELLANEOUS NOTES:

• allegedly named for its resemblance to the German Emperor Wilhelm II

• the oldest female tends to lead the group above several adult males

 

ENDANGERMENT STATUS:  Least Concern

 

To learn more about Saguinus imperator, visit the following websites:

1. MAC COMO ZOO - Macalester College's BIOL 170 Como Zoo Webpage

2. San Francisco Zoo & Gardens - Emperor Tamarin

3. IUCN Redlist

4. Animal Diversity Web - Saguinus imperator

5. ARKive - Emperor tamarin

 

Information and photographs compiled by S. Campos and B. Lambaren.