Animal
Cotton-top tamarin
A small monkey with a white crest from the forests of northern Colombia.
Langue du contenu
A crest of long white hair rises above the cotton-top tamarin’s small face. It contrasts with darker areas of fur on the back. This primate weighs only a few hundred grams, with a body length of about 20-28 centimetres. Its tail measures 36-42 centimetres and is longer than the head and body together. These proportions show how small a tamarin is compared with larger monkeys such as the mandrill.
The species comes from northern Colombia, where it inhabits forests and scrub. It lives in trees and is active during the day. It moves on all fours and also leaps between branches. Small family groups travel through vegetation in search of food.
Fruit is only part of a tamarin’s diet. It also eats insects, spiders, flowers, birds’ eggs and small vertebrates. Its varied food therefore comes both from plants and from small animals. Communication includes high-pitched sounds, chirps and trills that can resemble birdsong. These calls help tamarins communicate with group members and signal their territory within dense vegetation.
Pour les enfants
A cotton-top tamarin has long white hair above its head, forming a fluffy crest. The whole animal weighs only a few hundred grams. Its tail is longer than its head and body together.
In the wild it lives in northern Colombia. It spends the day among trees and shrubs, walking on all fours and leaping between branches. It travels with a small family group.
Its menu includes fruit, insects, spiders, flowers and birds’ eggs. This little monkey can make chirping calls that sound a little like birds. It uses sounds to communicate with other tamarins and signal its territory. In a forest, where branches and leaves block the view, calling is an important part of keeping in touch with the group.
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