Habitat
Found in mature and disturbed lowland forest, especially riversides and viny habitats.
Geographical spread
South America: east of the Andes in Brazil, Peru and Bolivia, SW Acre,
Brazil, Pando, Bolivia and north of the Rio Madre de Dios, Peru.
Current population
No accurate figures.
Status
Classified by IUCN as threatened but status indeterminate.
Size
Head and body length 230-258mm, tail length is 350-415mm.
Weight
Approximately 400g.
Average life expectancy
A captive specimen was still living after 17 years and 11 months
(Jones 1982).
Normal diet
Feeds on fruit, insects and flower nectar in the dry season. Emperor tamarins
mainly forage for insects on leafy foliage and twigs, where they catch active prey with catlike
stealth.
Normal lifestyle
Live in extended family groups that include from 2-10 individuals. Often form
a mixed troop with a group of Saddle-back tamarins (S. fuscicollis), with which they may defend
a common territory. This 'co-territoriality' has not really been seen before in South American
primates, although it is well documented for species of guenon in Africa. It has been suggested
that this association leads to more efficient exploitation of food resources. Both species feed
on similar plants and by sharing a common territory, travelling together and keeping in constant
contact, they can regulate the intervals between visits to a plant, allowing the accumulation of
ripe fruit.
Previous geographical spread
Probably none.
Reasons for decline
Clearing of forest habitat is the main reason for their decline.
Current threats
Deforestation remains the most threatening.
Conservation projects
None specifically focusing on Emperor Tamarins.
File last modified Thursday, October 3, 1996