Lion tamarin
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[Photo] Golden Lion Tamarin (Leontopithecus rosalia). Golden Lion Tamarin monkey at Paignton Zoo, Devon, England. Taken by Adrian Pingstone in July 2003 and placed in the public domain. Originally uploaded to English Wikipedia: 02:44, 30 July 2003 by User:Arpingstone

The four species of lion tamarins make up the genus Leontopithecus. They are small New World monkeys named for the mane surrounding their face. Living in the eastern rainforests of Brazil, like all other callitrichines they are arboreal. Lion tamarins weigh up to 900 grams (2 pounds) and are about 30 cm (12 inches) long, with tails about 45 cm (17 inches) long. They jump through trees using their fingers to hold onto branches and their claws to dig under the bark to search for insects to eat. They also eat some snakes, small lizards and small fruits.

Lion tamarins tend to live in family groups, with both parents sharing different tasks of child-rearing the yearly twins. The mother nurses her young every two to three hours, and the father carries the babies on his back.

Diurnal tree-dwellers, they sleep in tree cavities at night, and also seek shelter during the hottest part of the day.

Species list
The different species of lion tamarins are easily discernable from each other, based upon the coloration of their fur:

Golden Lion Tamarin, Leontopithecus rosalia - golden fur all over, mane sometimes darkening or black
Golden-headed Lion Tamarin, Leontopithecus chrysomelas - black fur with golden face, arms, and tail
Black or Golden-rumped Lion Tamarin, Leontopithecus chrysopygus - black fur with a dark gold rump
Superagui or Black-faced Lion Tamarin, Leontopithecus caissara - golden fur with black face, arms, and tails

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lion_tamarin

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