Biology

An arboreal species, the black-faced lion tamarin is active in the day and uses its long dextrous digits to forage for fruit, flowers, seeds, young leaves, nectar, insects, and small vertebrates such as reptiles and nestlings (2) (6). It typically lives in groups of two to seven individuals (2), and at night the whole group retires to tree holes to sleep (7). Births peak from September to March (5), and females usually give birth to twins (4). Some experts believe that the black-faced lion tamarin is actually a subspecies of the black lion tamarin (Leontopithecus chrysopygus) (4).