The cotton-headed top tamarin is diurnal and arboreal, feeding on fruit, insects, tender vegetation, small vertebrates and bird eggs (6) (10). With the exception of smaller prey, animals are killed with a bite to the head (3). Cotton-headed tamarins obtain the water they need by licking leaves that are wet with rain or dew, rather than expose themselves to predation by venturing down onto the forest floor (5). When not feeding, much time is spent in social grooming. Like other tamarins, they run their clawed digits through each other's fur, examining it, and use their teeth, lips and tongue to pick off particles (8). These social monkeys live in groups of 3 – 13 individuals, with the average being around 7 (2). Their home ranges extend from 7-10 hectares and often overlap with those of other groups, with contact between groups being agonistic (5). These tamarins are territorial, scent marking their home ranges and defending them with showy confrontations, fluffing up their fur and making loud calls to scare away intruders and attract individuals from their own group (6). There can be more than one adult male and female in the group but only one female actually breeds (3) (5). Reproduction in other females is suppressed by the behavioural domination of the reproductive female, and by the effects of her pheromones and genital gland scent (6). Males and other group members play a major role in caring for the young (8). The co-operative breeding system of tamarins appears to be unique amongst primates, and serves to help the breeding female care for the offspring (7). Lactation and feeding the young demands a great deal of energy, and so males and other group members often carry the young, allowing the female more time to forage and feed, while other members of the group also help by surrendering food morsels to the young and the breeding female (7). This explains why the female is usually larger in size than the male. In fact, research suggests that smaller males are often preferred mating partners by the females as they are more nimble in the forest and therefore better food gatherers (6). Like other tamarins, the cotton-headed tamarin usually gives birth to twins (8) (9). The gestation period is around 140 days (2), and the offspring, born helpless (3), are carried everywhere rather than being left in nests (9). The co-operative care of the group is key to the infant's development, for they become independent after only two months. This unique breeding system is also essential as it enables tamarins to maintain a high reproductive rate (6). Once established as breeders in a group, a female can produce twins once a year, and sometimes twice (9).

The stunning cotton-headed tamarin is one of South America's most endangered primates (5). Its name describes the fantastic crest of long white hair flowing around the black face like a mane of white cotton (6). Its body is small and covered with thick fur, with a brown back and shoulders, and white to yellow chest and limbs (6). The fore and hind limbs are similar in size, allowing it to move quadrupedally through the forest, running along branches or jumping short distances between tree braches (7) (8). Like marmosets and other tamarins, the ancestral primate nails on their toes and fingers have evolved into claws on all but their big toes, allowing them to climb in a squirrel-like fashion in the trees (6) (9). This small monkey has a long tail, which assists in balance; it is reddish orange towards the base and black towards the tip (5). Males and females look the same in appearance, as do the young (7).

Saguinus oedipus occurs in north-western Colombia between the Río Atrato and the lower Río Cauca (west of the Río Cauca and the Isla de Mompos) and Magdalena, in the Departments of Atlantico, Sucre, Cordoba, and western Bolivar, north-western Antiquoia (from the Uraba region, west of the Río Cauca) and north-eastern Choco, east of the Río Atrato, from sea level up to 1,500 m (Hernández-Camacho and Cooper 1976; Hershkovitz 1977; Hernández-Camacho and Defler 1989; Mast et al. 1993 ).

The south-western boundary of the cotton-top?s range has not been clearly identified. Mast et al. (1983) suggested that it may extend to Villa Arteaga on the Río Sucio (Hershkovitz 1977), which included reports of Cotton-top Tamarins in Los Katios National Park. However, Barbosa et al. (1988) were unable to find any evidence of Cotton-top Tamarins in this area nor in Los Katios, where they observed only Saguinus geoffroyi.

Groups have been seen in the Islas del Rosario and Tayrona National Park in the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta (Mast et al. 1993; A. Savage and L. H. Giraldo, pers. obs.). However, these populations were founded by captive animals that were released into the area (Mast et al. 1993) and these remnant populations are here considered as outside of the historic range of the species.

Northwest Colombia

Biogeographic Regions: neotropical (Native )

Historic Range:
Costa Rica to Colombia

Confined to Colombia, but formerly much more widespread across the country (2).

Cotton-top tamarins are distinguished from other members of the genus Saguinus by possessing a crest of long whitish hair from the forehead to the nape flowing over the shoulders. Their back is brown and the underparts of the arms and legs are whitish to yellow. The rump and inner sides of thighs are reddish-orange. The base of the tail is also reddish-orange, while the tip is blackish.

Characteristics that distinguish callitrichids from other new world monkeys are modified claws instead of nails on all digits and the presence of two rather than three molars on each side of the jaw.

Range mass: 260 to 380 g.

Habitat and Ecology

Systems

• Terrestrial

Cotton-top tamarins inhabit tropical rainforests, open woodlands, and secondary growth. They are sensitive to any alteration in their habitat.

Terrestrial Biomes: forest ; rainforest ; scrub forest

This species is found in tropical rainforest edges and secondary forests. It has been found in a variety of habitats from wetland tropical forest, to moist woodland forest and dry thorn forest savannah (5).

Cotton-top tamarins are primarily insectivorous; insects being 40% of their diet. They also eat a large amount of fruit which consists of 38.4% of their diet. Feeding on exudates, which is known as gum feeding, takes up 14.4% of their diet. Saguinus oedipus have an interesting characteristic which consists of food associated calls that are correlated with food preferences. Certain calls made by cotton-top tamarins were strictly associated with a feeding context and were not used in non-feeding contexts. However, it should be noted that there is a 3% error, when these specific calls are made in non-feeding contexts.

Animal Foods: insects

Plant Foods: fruit; sap or other plant fluids

Primary Diet: omnivore

Average lifespan

Sex: male

Status: captivity: 23.1 years.

Average lifespan

Status: captivity: 23.0 years.

Maximum longevity: 26.2 years (captivity) Observations: One 26.2 year old animal was still alive in captivity (Richard Weigl 2005). Amyloid-beta protein plaque deposits typical of Alzheimer's disease, but not neurofibrillary tangles, were observed in the brains of animals over 12 years of age, suggesting these animals may develop early Alzheimer's disease pathology (Lemere et al. 2008).

Saguinus oedipus has a monogamous breeding system. This species has a form of cooperative breeding, which isn't present in many other Primates. It consists of adult 'helpers' staying in the family and gaining breeding experience instead of breeding themselves. This may result in the highest reproductive potential of all primates.

Mating System: monogamous ; cooperative breeder

Cotton-top tamarins are reproductively active seasonally with females being seen pregnant or suckling young only from January to June. They have an estrous cycle of 15 days and gestation lasts approximately 140 days. Sexual maturity is reached at 18 months in females and 24 months in males. Saguinus oedipus gives birth to non-identical twins twice each year.

Breeding interval: Saguinus oedipus breeds twice each year

Average number of offspring: 2.

Average gestation period: 140 days.

Average age at sexual or reproductive maturity (female): 18 months.

Average age at sexual or reproductive maturity (male): 24 months.

Key Reproductive Features: iteroparous ; seasonal breeding ; gonochoric/gonochoristic/dioecious (sexes separate); viviparous

Average birth mass: 39.36 g.

Average gestation period: 178 days.

Average number of offspring: 1.9.

Average age at sexual or reproductive maturity (male)

Sex: male: 550 days.

Average age at sexual or reproductive maturity (female)

Sex: female: 548 days.

The following is a representative barcode sequence, the centroid of all available sequences for this species. 

 
There is 1 barcode sequence available from BOLD and GenBank.   Below is the sequence of the barcode region Cytochrome oxidase subunit 1 (COI or COX1) from a member of the species.  See the BOLD taxonomy browser for more complete information about this specimen.  Other sequences that do not yet meet barcode criteria may also be available.
 

Download FASTA File

Barcode of Life Data Systems (BOLDS) Stats
Public Records: 1
Species: 1
Species With Barcodes: 1

Year Assessed

Assessor/s

Reviewer/s

Contributor/s

The main problems contributing to the cotton-top tamarin's status as endangered is the clearing of their forest habitat and population depletion from animal trade. Nature reserves have been set up to help maintain populations of Saguinus oedipus.

US Federal List: no special status

CITES: appendix ii

IUCN Red List of Threatened Species: critically endangered

Current Listing Status Summary

Status: Endangered
Date Listed: 10/19/1976
Lead Region: Foreign (Region 10) 
Where Listed:


Population detail:

Population location: entire
Listing status: E

For most current information and documents related to the conservation status and management of Saguinus oedipus , see its USFWS Species Profile

Classified as Endangered (EN B1 + 2abcde, C2a) on the IUCN Red List 2002 (1), listed as endangered by the USDI (3) and listed on Appendix 1 of CITES (4).

Population

Population Trend

Major Threats

Deforestation is this species' greatest threat (6). It has already lost most of its habitat through forest clearing for timber, charcoal, human settlement, agricultural land and industry (3). The forest areas in which it now exists are so fragmented, it is believed that they are too small to maintain the tamarin populations (3). Sadly the continuous expansion of human settlement in northern Colombia has brought the cotton-headed top tamarin more bad luck. With easier access to the tamarin's habitat, animal collectors trap these small monkeys and sell them in port cities, either for export or local trade (10). Populations in the past have also suffered from the export of significant numbers for biomedical research in the 1960s and 1970s (5) (9).

Conservation Actions

The cotton-headed tamarin has been listed as endangered since 1970 by the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) (1). It is also recognised as endangered on the USDI (3), and its listing under Appendix I of the Convention for International Trade of Endangered Species (CITES) means that international trade of this species is prohibited (3). However, its numbers have continued to dwindle away, as has its habitat and hope of survival. If this species is to survive, it is essential that immediate conservation measures are implemented (3) (8).

None

None