Golden-Headed Lion Tamarin
Named for their long, golden manes, Golden-headed lion tamarins are native and live only in Brazil. They are considered to be an endangered species. Their body is black, with golden to orange limbs and paws. Their tail is black with golden in colour. When threatened or alarmed, these tamarins raise their beautiful mane and fluff up their fur that makes them look bigger than they really are. Males and females in this species look alike and are similar in size.
Habitat
They live in Brazil and are found only in the state of Bahia. They inhabit the lowland and premontane tropical moist forest. It is found only in the lowland and premontane tropical forest fragments in the state of Bahia and therefore is considered to be an endangered species. It lives at heights of 3–10 metres. Its preferred habitat is within mature forest, but with habitat destruction but this is not always the case. Also known to use cabruca - cacao plantations which are shaded with some few native trees remaining from the original forest.
Diet
Golden-headed lion tamarins are omnivores. They have a very wide diet and eat plants, fruits, flowers, nectar, insects and small invertebrates; which include insect larvae, spiders, snails, frogs, lizards, bird eggs and small snakes.
Breeding
There is not much known on Golden-headed lion tamarins' mating system. However, according to different sources, and information on the possible social groups, it can be assumed that some may practice monogamous mating systems (one mate for life), and some may practice polyandrous mating systems (one female mates with more than one male). The breeding season occurs usually during the warm and wet season, from September through March. The gestation period lasts around 125-132 days. Females usually give birth to twins once a year. Both males and females invest energy in caring for the young, and all members of the group also help with juvenile care. Males in this species become reproductively mature at around 24 months of age, and females at 18 months.
Population
According to the IUCN Red List, the total population size of Golden-headed lion tamarins in the wild is around 6,000-15,000 individuals. The population size of this species in the Una Biological Reserve (Bahia, Brazil) is around 400-450 individuals. Currently, this species is classified as Endangered (EN) on the IUCN Red List and its numbers today are decreasing.
Threats
The main threat to Golden-headed lion tamarins is the loss of the habitat. The forest of Bahia, Brazil has been reduced to 2% due to farming, ranching, mining, and urbanization. The Atlantic Forest is highly fragmented, and the disappearance of this habitat is the main reason for the Golden-headed lion tamarin's decline. The majority of the forest was once dominated by cocoa plants through a method known as cabruca. This is a system of shade cropping in which the middle and understory trees are removed and replaced with cocoa trees. Although tamarins' habitat is reduced, they still leave old-growth trees which give them a place to forage and to sleep. In 1989 farmers abandoned their cocoa plants due to a fungus that attacked their harvest. The old-growth which was once available abundantly to the tamarins was destroyed to harvest timber, clear land for cattle or grow other crops. The Atlantic Forest is now a mosaic of primary and secondary forest and agricultural lands.
Conservation
Included on the Brazilian Official List of Species Threatened with Extinction, and likewise on the regional threatened species list of the state of Minas Gerais. It is listed on Appendix I of CITES. The Una Biological Reserve (18,500 ha), created to protect has an estimated population of about 400-450 animals, and a key strategy which has guided conservation efforts over the last decade has been to promote the preservation of the forests adjacent to the Reserve. Besides the Una Biological Reserve, this species also occurs in: Serra sa Lontras National Park (16,800 ha), Una Wildlife Refuge (23,000 ha), Lemos Maia Experimental Station (495 ha), and Canavieiras Experimental Station (500 ha). There is a well-managed captive breeding programme with a good founder stock. Although not currently contributing directly to the conservation of Golden-headed Lion Tamarins in the wild, the captive population arose from animals confiscated from illegal trade in the 1980s, is an important genetic reservoir: a guarantee of a portion of the genetic variation in this species, while the wild populations continue to decline with ongoing deforestation.