Amazing Creatures: Emperor Tamarin
Physical Description
Emperor tamarins are small monkeys with long, white whiskers that sweep back from the muzzle on both sides and look like mustaches. It is believed that they were named after German emperor Wilhelm II, who also wore a mustache. They have dark fur on their faces and ears, and their bodies are primarily gray with small amounts of gold, white and red.
Their tails are long and red. Like all tamarins, emperor tamarins have narrow hands with non-opposable thumbs. They have long canine teeth and claws (rather than nails) on all digits except for the big toe.
Native Habitat
Emperor tamarins are native to the southwest Amazon Basin, with a range that crosses Peru, Brazil and Bolivia. They live in a variety of wooded habitats, including lowland, mountain and seasonal flooded forests.
Food/Eating Habits
These tamarins are omnivorous. They primarily eat fruit but may also feed on insects, gum, nectar and leaves.
At the Smithsonian’s National Zoo, emperor tamarins eat fruits, carrots, sweet potatoes, green beans, hard-boiled eggs, mealworms and crickets.
Social Structure
Emperor tamarins generally live in extended family groups of two to eight individuals, though there can be as many as 15 in a group. They have also been observed living in mixed-species groups with other tamarins, particularly the saddleback tamarin (Saquinus fuscicollis). This mutually beneficial relationship likely protects both species from predators.
