Pied Tamarin

Quick Take

• Pied tamarins live in one of the most unlikely places on Earth, and that is the very reason they're disappearing. See their restricted range →
• In pied tamarin groups, only one female reproduces, and what the other females do instead is stranger than you'd expect. Explore their social structure →
• Male and female pied tamarins literally see their world differently, and this gap between them is more dramatic than in most primates. Discover their vision differences →
• When it comes to raising babies, pied tamarin dads take the lead, and the reason why may surprise you. Meet the tamarin dads →

Pied tamarins are endangered primates in northwest Brazil. The Yoda-looking species, which enjoys strong social bonds, also goes by the name Brazilian bare-faced tamarins.

Primates in Peril lists pied tamarins as one of the 25 most endangered primates. Furthermore, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature, the species’ population has dropped more than 80 percent over three generations, making these tamarins Critically Endangered.

Urban sprawl and rural expansion are exceptionally destructive to the species, and many conservation groups are working to ensure tamarin survival.

Incredible Pied Tamarin Facts

• Pied tamarins only live in a quadrant of restricted rainforest in Brazil. However, conservationists are worried that lawmakers may sacrifice protected areas in favor of expansion.
• Pied tamarins are New World monkeys — a taxonomic grouping of four to five primate families found in the tropical regions of Central America, South America, and Mexico.
• The biggest threat to Brazilian bare-faced tamarins is habitat destruction linked to Manaus — a bustling metropolis in the heart of the Amazon Rainforest.
• Pied tamarins are one of the few species in their genus with hairless faces.

Classification and Scientific Name

Saguinus bicolor is the scientific name for these tamarins. Saguinus is a combination of the Portuguese word “sagui,” which translates to “small monkey,” and the Latin suffix “inus,” meaning “of or pertaining to.” Bicolor refers to the animal’s dual-toned fur.

Colloquially, pied means “having two or more colors,” and tamarin describes species in the marmoset — the small monkey — family. Most have distinctive fur tufts around the shoulders and neck, in addition to hairy faces. However, pied tamarins stand apart from the marmoset family with their hairless faces.

Primatologists now mostly agree that these tamarins have three subspecies: S.b. bicolor, S.b. ochraceus, and S.b. martinsi. They all have slightly different coloring but live in the same region.

Appearance

At roughly 8 to 11 inches and weighing between 450 and 650 grams — just under a pound and a half at most — these tamarins are small compared to other primates. However, they are one of the larger tamarin species and have proportionally large claws!

Pied tamarins’ necks and shoulders are wreathed in shaggy white fur. But from the waist down, they have almond-colored coats. These tamarins’ black hairless faces, large distinct ears, and round eyes make for a very “Yoda-esque” visage.

Speaking of eyes, females of the species can see more colors than males because the former enjoy trichromatic vision and the latter only dichromatic vision.

As for the rest of their features, these tamarins sport flat noses with sideways nostrils and have 32 teeth. Plus, instead of fingernails, claws extend from all of pied tamarins’ digits, except on the big toe.

Behavior

These tamarins are social animals that live in small cooperative groups of up to 15 individuals, but most have between five and seven members.

A matriarchal, polyandrous species, pied tamarin clusters are led by alpha females who are the only female members of the tribe to mate and give birth. Other females in the group exhibit reproductive instincts, but they self-suppress urges.

Pied tamarins are highly territorial animals that use body language and high-pitched vocalizations to alert friends and scare enemies. A journalist working with researchers in the Amazon once described the monkey’s chatter as sounding like a “boiling teapot doing Morse code.”

Diurnal, arboreal, and quadrupedal, Brazilian bare-faced tamarins spend their days foraging in trees, using all four limbs for locomotion.

Additionally, like most primates, these tamarins use a multi-faceted communication system involving scent markings, body language, and a series of whistles and chirps. Grooming is central to their lives and plays a major role in maintaining social balance.

Habitat

Pied tamarins only live in one Brazilian region in and around Manaus, Amazonas. Like a real-life Wakanda,, Manaus is a booming, high-tech city right in the middle of the Amazon Rainforest.

The rivers Amazon, Cuieiras, Negro, and Urubu outline the species’ historical region. The species can be found 27 miles north of Manaus and up to 62 miles east.

The bare-faced monkeys prefer lowland rainforests and typically occur at altitudes between 32 and 40 meters (about 105 to 131 feet). Currently, various preservation initiatives protect tamarin habitats. However, conservationists worry about politicians dismantling current protections and, by extension, eliminating areas for endangered species.

Diet

These tamarins are omnivores that enjoy figs, flowers, fruits, insects, spiders, frogs, lizards, and bird eggs. However, they prefer to feast on plants and fruits.

Scientists working with captive tamarins have had difficulty developing ideal diets for them. As a result, many of the small monkeys living in zoos and labs struggle with breeding and reproduction. However, the more we learn about nutrition, the more progress researchers are making.

Predators and Threats

Small wild cats, birds of prey, and snakes are the tamarins’ natural predators. Dogs and cats introduced to the region by humans also attack the small primates.

Food competition is another major challenge for pied tamarins. Red-handed and golden-handed tamarins also occupy the same area, eat the same foods, and may be displacing pied tamarins.

But ultimately, habitat destruction is the species’ main threat. Manaus, the city in pied tamarins’ historical region, is expanding, as are surrounding farmlands — and the resulting road-building and land clearing are destroying the monkeys’ natural homes. Deaths from electrocution by power lines are also on the rise.

Reproduction, Babies, and Lifespan

Reproduction

Only alpha females reproduce in these tamarin groups, and they mate with several males. Gestation lasts between 140 and 170 days, 80 percent of births produce twins, and the father does most of the infant care. Mothers step in when the baby needs to nurse, but the father and other group members handle the rest.

Babies

Baby tamarins aren’t independent and cling to their parents for about 21 days. Newborns mostly stick to their fathers, except when it is time to eat, at which point they are handed off to their mother. Additionally, other members of the traveling pack will take turns carrying and caring for babies.

What are baby pied tamarins called? Like humans, brand new monkeys are called “infants.”

When infants reach a month old, they start exploring a bit on their own but still spend six to seven weeks carried by another group member.

Females reach reproductive maturity at 18 months; for males, it takes 20 months.

Lifespan

In the wild, these tamarins typically live 10 years. In captivity, many survive to about 19.

Population

Even though conservationists don’t have a firm count on the number of remaining pied tamarins, experts consider the animal Critically Endangered because their population has decreased by at least 80 percent over the past three generations.

Pied Tamarins in U.S. Zoos

Currently, 170 tamarins live in zoos worldwide. In the United States:

• The Philadelphia Zoo was the first American zoo to breed pied tamarins.
• Lincoln Park Zoo participates in a pied tamarin species survival program.
• The Dallas World Aquarium cares for several pied tamarins and other New World primates.

This is not an exhaustive list. To find a zoo near you that houses these tamarins, use a search engine.