Golden Lion Tamarins Born at Palm Beach Zoo
West Palm Beach, Florida, March 19, 2012 – The Palm Beach Zoo has announced the birth of twin golden lion tamarins (Leontopithecus rosalia) on Wednesday, March 14th to mother Guilda and father Jack. The sex of the babies is not yet known. This is the third set of twins born to Guilda and Jack in the past three years. The Palm Beach Zoo houses 10 golden lion tamarins, including the new twins. Eighteen golden lion tamarins have been born at the Palm Beach Zoo since 1987.
Golden lion tamarins are on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List for Threatened Species and are listed as Endangered. More than 90% of the original Atlantic coastal forest, which contains the golden lion tamarin’s habitat, has been lost or fragmented to obtain lumber and charcoal and to clear out areas for plantations, cattle pasture, and development. Golden lion tamarins have been the focus of intense captive breeding and reintroduction efforts during the last 30 years. Thanks to these and other conservation efforts, their population in the wild has grown from less than 200 to approximately 1600. Continued conservation is still needed, especially continued protection and restoration of tamarin habitat.
Golden lion tamarins are small primates whose native habit is in the dense lowland rain forest and swamp forest of southeastern coastal Brazil. Their coloration ranges from pale gold to a rich reddish-gold, with variable black markings, particularly on the tail. Their head and body length is about 11 inches and their tail averages 13 inches. Wild golden lion tamarins typically weigh 1.2 – 1.5 pounds. Zoo tamarins may be somewhat larger and heavier.
In the wild, fruit and insects make up the major part of their diet. They also eat spiders, snails, small lizards, birds’ eggs and nestlings, flowers, and frogs. In the zoo, they eat specially formulated marmoset diet, crickets, mealworms, and a variety of fresh fruits.
In most monkey species, only the mother carries a new baby; but in marmosets and tamarins, the father as well as older brothers and sisters will also help carry the baby, giving the mother a chance to rest. In golden lion tamarins, the mother carries the babies 24 hours a day for the first week or so after birth, after which the father and later the siblings start to help.
Golden lion tamarins in the wild may live as long as 17 years, but most fall victim to predators, injury or illness long before reaching this age. In the protected environment of a zoo, some individuals survive beyond 20 years of age.
About the Palm Beach Zoo
The Palm Beach Zoo is located at 1301 Summit Boulevard, just east of I-95 between Southern and Forest Hill Boulevard. There is ample free parking. The zoo is open from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. every day except Christmas and Thanksgiving Day. For more information regarding the Palm Beach Zoo please visit www.palmbeachzoo.org.
