Emperor Tamarin

Species: Imperator

Phylum: Chordata

Class: Mammalia

Kingdom: Animalia

Order: Primates

Genus: Saguinus

1. Emperor tamarins are small monkeys with long, white whiskers that sweep back from the muzzle on both sides and look like mustaches. It is believed that they were named after German emperor Wilhelm II, who also wore a mustache. They have dark fur on their faces and ears, and their bodies are primarily gray with small amounts of gold, white and red.


2. Their tails are long and red. Like all tamarins, emperor tamarins have narrow hands with non-opposable thumbs. They have long canine teeth and claws (rather than nails) on all digits except for the big toe.


3. Emperor tamarins are native to the southwest Amazon Basin, with a range that crosses Peru, Brazil and Bolivia. They live in a variety of wooded habitats, including lowland, mountain and seasonal flooded forests.


4. These tamarins are omnivorous. They primarily eat fruit but may also feed on insects, gum, nectar and leaves. At the Smithsonian's National Zoo, emperor tamarins eat fruits, carrots, sweet potatoes, green beans, hard-boiled eggs, mealworms and crickets.


5. Emperor tamarins generally live in extended family groups of two to eight individuals, though there can be as many as 15 in a group. They have also been observed living in mixed-species groups with other tamarins, particularly the saddleback tamarin (Saquinus fuscicollis). This mutually beneficial relationship likely protects both species from predators.


6. Emperor tamarins live for 10 to 20 years.


7. Family groups usually include one breeding female and two breeding males. Breeding females will mate with all breeding males in the group. After a gestation period of 140-145 days, or just over four and a half months, females give birth to one or two young (or, rarely, three). Adult males assist with the birth, taking the newborn immediately and washing it.


8. The mother will carries and feeds the babies for about 30 minutes every 2-3 hours. Otherwise, the males carry and care for the infants. Adults carry the infants until they are 6-7 weeks old, and the young are weaned after two to three months. Emperor tamarins reach sexual maturity when they are 16-20 months old.