Blog 1: Emperor Tamarin
Emperor Tamarin
Taxonomy
Saguinus imperator, known as Emperor Tamarin, tití emperador, or “mustache monkey”, is a monkey under the Haplorrhini suborder. They are identified in the Simiiformes infraorder, which branches into the Platyrrhini parvorder and further classifies it in the Callitricidae family, and the Callitricinae subfamily. The genus of the Emperor Tamarin is the Saguinus, thus placing it as a New World monkey.
It is believed that they were named after the German emperor Wilhelm II, who also wore a mustache (Smithsonian’s National Zoo & Conservation Biology Institute).
Fig 2. Tori Saneda, Primate Taxonomy (CC BY-NC 4.0)
Morphology
Emperor Tamarins are small monkeys with long, white whiskers that sweep back from the muzzle on both sides and look like mustaches. They have dark fur on their faces and ears, and their bodies are primarily gray with small amounts of gold, white, and red. Their tails are long and red. They have narrow hands with non-opposable thumbs and long canine teeth and claws (rather than nails) on all digits except for the big toe (Smithsonian’s National Zoo & Conservation Biology Institute). Their claws are believed to be an adaptation to their environment, rather than a vestigial trait of their early ancestors. They have only two molar teeth on either side of each jaw. They are about the size of an eastern gray squirrel, with a long torso and long limbs proportionate to their size. Head-to-body length is 9-10 in (23-25 cm), but its tail adds another 14.8-16.3 in (35-41.5 cm). Emperor Tamarins weigh 10.6-18 oz (0.3-0.5 kg), they are sometimes referred to as “dwarf monkeys”. Like other members of the Callitricidae family, sexual dimorphism is unremarkable in this species. However, unlike other taxa within the family, they do not have prehensile tails. About two-thirds of female emperor tamarins possess trichromatic vision, this selective adaptation helps them find ripe fruit, which is a dietary staple for the species (New England Primate Conservancy).
Life History
Emperor tamarins live for 10 to 20 years. The gestation period usually lasts 140-145 days, just over four and a half months, and females give birth to one or two tamarins. Adult males assist with the birth, taking the newborn immediately and washing it. The mother carries and feeds the babies for about 30 min every 2-3 hours, otherwise, the males carry and care for the infants. Adults carry the infants until they are 6-7 weeks old, and the young are weaned after two to three months. Emperor tamarins reach sexual maturity when they are 16-20 months old (Smithsonian’s National Zoo & Conservation Biology Institute).
Conservation Status
These mustache monkeys are native to South America, they reside just south of the equator within the southwestern Amazon River Basin in eastern Peru, northern Bolivia, and the northwestern Brazilian states of Acre and Amazonas (New England Primate Conservancy). The IIUCN status of Emperor Tamarin is the least concern. It is unknown how many are left in the wild exactly, but it is believed that they are in decline (Belfast Zoo). In Brazil, the vast majority (86%) of primate species have declining populations, with the Emperor Tamarin being one of them. This is due to deforestation related to the production of forest-risk commodities including soy and cattle ranching, the illegal logging and setting of fires, dam building, road and rail construction, hunting, mining, and the confiscation and conversion of Indigenous Peoples’ traditional lands. Additionally, it is not only Brazil that struggles with this issue but also other Latin American countries where Emperor Tamarin resides such as Bolivia and Peru. They were four of the top seven countries in the world with the most tropical primary forest lost in 2019, 2020, and 2021 (Garber).
“Emperor Tamarin”, Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute, n.d., https://nationalzoo.si.edu/animals/emperor-tamarin. Accessed 16 February 2025.
“Emperor Tamarin Saguinus Imperator”, Belfast Zoo, n.d., https://www.belfastcity.gov.uk/zoo/our-animals/mammals/emperor-tamarin. Accessed 16 February 2025.
Garber, Paul A., et al. "An Urgent Call-to-action to Protect the Nonhuman Primates and Indigenous Peoples of the Brazilian Amazon." American Journal of Primatology, vol. 86, no. 3, 2024, p. e23523, https://doi.org/10.1002/ajp.23523. Accessed 16 Feb. 2025.
New England Primate Conservancy. “Emperor Tamarin Tamarinus Imperator”, New England Primate Conservancy, Kathleen Downey, 2021, https://neprimateconservancy.org/emperor-tamarin/#:~:text=This%20monkey%20is%20about%20the,(0.3%E2%80%930.5%20kg). Accessed 16 February 2025.
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