An overview of golden lion marmoset

There are up to 350 species of primates. All though these animals are all in the same order, they are very different. They all come in various sizes, colors and physics.

The Leontopithecus Rosalia, also known as the Golden Lion Marmoset or the Golden Lion Tamirin, is a small Primate in the Family Cebidae and Genus Leontopithecus. The animal gets it name from it’s striking appearance to a Lion. They are covered in a golden- red fur, have a black face and a mane to surround it. The Golden Lion Marmoset is believed to get its fur color from sunlight and carotenoids, in its diet. The Golden Lion Marmoset is about 17 to 24 ounces. They are about 6 to 10 inches in length with a tail length of anywhere between 12 and 15 inches. There are no physical differences between male and female Golden Lion Marmosets, except females are slightly bigger. The Golden Lion Marmoset also have long digits, with claw like nails, which allows for them to reach for food underneath tree bark and leaves. Their ability to obtain food with their digits has given them the title of manipulative feeders.

The Golden Lion Marmoset is only found in the forest of Brazilian state Rio de Janeiro. The forests are very Humid with a lot of vines, bromeliads and epiphytes. They are in the closed canopy usually anywhere from 29 to 100 feet off the ground. But since most of their habitat is degraded, they can also be found in Microhabitats. These Microhabitats are places like, bromeliads, palm crowns, palm leaf sheaths, woody crevices, lianas, vine tangles, tree bark, rotten logs, and leaf litter.

The Golden Lion Marmoset locomotive is arboreal quadrupedalism. This is common in both Old World and New World Monkeys. This means they have a lateral placed scapulas, equal length limbs and long tails. Since they spend most of their time in trees, they move by leaping, bounding, running and walking along tree branches.

The Golden Lion Marmoset are Omnivores. They have a broad diet. They eat fruits, flowers, insects, small vertebrates, exudates, nectar and bird eggs. All of which are available to them in their habitat. Insects typically make up 10 to 15 percent of their diet. But majority of their diet comes from small sweet pulpy fruits found on trees not vines. During the rainy season, 80% of their diets come from fruits because it is readily available. But during the dry seasons, they supplement fruits with nectars and gums. Also since insects are hard to find during the dry season, they supplement them for small reptiles.

On average, there are eight Golden Lion Marmosets, which includes at least one breeding male and female, juveniles and infants, in a family group, or troop. The larger family groups usually consists of two or males and one female or have two to three female and one female. But only the dominant female will reproduce. Most females give birth to twins after a four month pregnancy. The babies are typically nursed for 90 days. Everyone in the family helps take care of the infants. The father helps out by carrying the babies on his back. And they share food amongst each other, which helps strengthen their social bonds. Sexual maturity is reached at 18 months for females and 2 years for males.

Females inherit their rank from their mothers and will be dominant over new males who join their troop. Both male and females can leave their family groups to establish their own troops or to seek higher ranks amongst another troop.