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Emperor tamarin

Saguinus imperator


Emperor tamarins are small New World monkeys, a term which describes monkeys from South and Central America.

These small primates have striking long and white moustaches. It is believed that the emperor tamarin was jokingly named after the German Emperor Wilhelm II who sported similar facial hair.

The average body length of an emperor tamarin can be up to 25 centimetres (cm) and a tail length of 40cm. They can weigh up to 450 grams.

IUCN Status

The IUCN status of the Emperor tamarin is least concern.

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For more info on classifications visit www.iucnredlist.org (link opens in new window).

  Fun fact Males help take responsibility for infants, washing them and carrying them between feeds

Animal class

Mammal

Conservation status

They are listed under Appendix II of CITES.

Habitat

Rainforest

Population

It is unknown how many are left in the wild exactly. It is believed that they are decline.

Diet

Omnivore. These tamarins eat fruits, flowers, nectar, gums and some small invertebrates.