Golden-headed lion tamarin

Description

The habitat of the golden-headed lion tamarin is restricted to a small strip of Atlantic rainforest in the state of Bahia, in southeast Brazil, although they can also be seen inside the dense cacao plantations in the same region.
Diurnal and tree-dwelling, they live in small groups of no more than 8 individuals that defend the territory where they feed on a large variety of fruits, complementing this diet with sabia, flowers, nectar, invertebrates and small vertebrates. Their fingers are shaped like claws, helping them grab onto vertical surfaces of tree trunks and remain stable on small branches. Like all other titis, they move as quadrupeds and can also jump from tree to tree.
They tend to have twins, which they care for cooperatively among all group members, thus decreasing the energy the mother must expend and contributing to the survival of the infants. They sleep in holes in trees, which leads to limited populations, as it affects the distances they must travel in the morning to reach feeding areas and return to the holes in the evening.
They are currently in serious danger of extinction as a consequence of the destruction of jungles and excess capturing. This species is protected by the Washington Convention, in appendix I.