AUTHORS

Dara-Michelle Farr

Erica McCormick

Maria Kovell


http://www.mnzoo.org/conservation/conservation_grant_tamarin.asp



Of the three types of tamarins, the cotton-top marmoset can be distinguished by its bare face. It is on average 9 inches tall and is covered with red, brown, gray and white hair over most of its body. The tamarin has claw-like nails that aid it in clinging, running and leaping. Tamarins are social creatures that are very vocal within their like-species groups that they live closely around.

Friday, March 5, 2010

PROGNOSIS

Image found at: http://www.peaceriverrefuge.org/121805%20344.jpg

Prognosis for recovery

  • Tamarins are expected to thrive within the currently controlled preservation parks in Columbia, but continue to decline in the wild.

  • We were unable to find any further expected outcomes for the species.

  • An increase of research would most likely improve the prospects for the cotton-top marmosets.

PROTECTION MEASURES

Protection measures implemented

  • The cotton-top marmosets are now protected by international law.
  • They are also now more protected in captivity, but are still critically endangered in the wild.

REASONS FOR DECLINE



Reasons for decline




  • Tamarins have lost more than three-quarters of their original habitat to deforestation, which has been cited as the chief reason for their steps toward extinction.

  • In addition to humans clearing forests, the tamarins’ habitat has also been destroyed by humans capturing the animals to bring them to pet trading for scientific research.

  • Heavy exporting of the tamarins for biomedical research specifically contributed to their decline in the late 1960s and early 1970s.

ENDANGERED STATUS



Conservation status

  • Tamarins are nationally and internationally known as critically endangered.


Endangered listings

  • CITES - Appendix I

  • U.S. ESA – Endangered

  • IUCN - Endangered as S. o. oedipus


Image found at: http://media.idahostatesman.com/smedia/2009/12/22/23/1223_Local_tamarin1.standalone.prod_affiliate.36.jpg

POPULATION STATUS

Image found at: http://www.bing.com/images/search?q=cotton-top+tamarin&FORM=BIFD#focal=4695e7ae4d3d76efe5429860bf9adcae&furl=http%3A%2F%2Fimages.ibsys.com%2F2005%2F0204%2F4165133.jpg
Historical population numbers


  • Unknown

Current population numbers


  • Their total population now includes 1800 captive and less than 1000 in the wild.

  • Tamarins typically live for 13.5 years.

DISTRIBUTION



Where they can be found



  • Cotton-top marmosets are found in a small area of northwest Colombia.


Current and historical range




  • Their range is bound by the Cauca and Magdalena Rivers and the Atlantic coast.

  • The area south of the Magdalena River and east of the Cauca River has historically been the best habitat for them, but they are now only found in scattered parks and reserves throughout this area.

  • One notable park where many cotton-top marmosets currently reside is Paramillo National Park, which contains primary and secondary forest.


ECOLOGY

Habitat

  • Cotton-top marmosets are found in humid tropical forests, dry deciduous forests, and secondary growth forests; they are much more used to rainfall than we are!

  • They use several layers of the forests by moving vertically between understory and canopy areas, but they most prefer to reside in trees.
    If found on the ground, they are most likely foraging among leaf litter for food.
  • They are mostly found at elevations between 400-1500 meters (1312-4921 feet).

Food requirements

  • Their main sources of food include insects, fruit, plant exudates, and nectar.
  • Plant exudates are an essential source of minerals and other nutrients for them.
  • Tamarins do not have the same adaptations to eating gum, sap, resin and latex (or exudates, substances found in plants) that other marmosets do, which explains their diet rich in insects and fruits.

  • They depend on other means of eating exudates, such as finding bark that has weathered off a tree or holes in plants left by other insects.

  • They have also been known to eat reptiles and amphibians.

Other niche requirements

  • Tamarins pounce, turn over leaves, explore crevices, and move around stealthily and rapidly to seize their insect prey.

  • They are also very important seed dispersers in tropical ecosystems.

  • Tamarins ingest and void seeds that are even larger than species much bigger than them (such as chimpanzees) do not eat.

  • Swallowing such large seeds probably helps the animals get rid of parasites found in their intestines and digestive tract.

Behavior

  • A typical day for a cotton-top marmoset would start about an hour and 20 minutes after the sun comes up. The animals would awake together (they sleep in groups), and the entire group would leave the sleeping tree at the same time.

  • Tamarins usually do not use the same tree for consecutive nights to sleep in.
  • The rest of the day would include phases of foraging, resting, and traveling. First they would spend a great deal of time traveling and foraging, but as the day goes on, they would take longer and longer resting breaks in between. One could even say that they take a lunch break like we do, followed by a somewhat restored state that allows them to again travel around more quickly for the remainder of their ‘work’ day.

  • Even while the group is resting during the day, though, one member will separate itself and guard so it can easily warn the group of potential dangers.
  • They are extremely vigilant and are constantly scanning for potential predators above and around them.

Natural predators

  • Cotton-top marmosets’ main predators are: raptors, mustelids, felids, and snakes.

Reproduction

  • Tamarins are known for giving birth to non-identical twins.

  • They have a pregnancy period of 6 months, or 183 days.

  • Both parents seem to care for their young, who tend to ‘grow up’ and leave home between 18 months (for females) and 2 years (for males).

Research done on tamarins

  • One of the most know (and only) long-term studies conducted on the cotton-top marmoset was done by primatologist Patricia Neyman in the mid-70s.

  • Neyman studied the species’ daily habits as well as the characteristic and mannerisms of individual animals.

Video of a tamarin eating:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U5YWPmItWDQ