IUCN Conservation Status –
Least Concern
Extinct In The Wild
Class: Mammals
Order: Primates
Family: Callithrichidae
Our family of three emperor tamarins, Geta and her sons Brutus and Theodosius, live in Monkey Heights.
Emperor tamarins are endemic to lowland tropical forests of the southwestern part of the Amazon Basin, in countries such as Bolivia, Brazil and Peru.
Their diet is primarily made up of fruit, nectar and sap.
Interesting facts!
- This New World monkey is said to be named after Wilhelm II, an emperor of Germany who had a very long white moustache!
- These tamarins often exhibit communal care: when all adults within the social group help to rear any infants.
- Vocalisations are important in the emperor tamarin world as it’s their main form of communication.
Conservation
As with many other tamarin species, destruction of their forest habitat is the main threat that they face. Their numbers are decreasing, but the wild population is currently stable.