Emperor TamarinSaguinus imperator

DescriptionThey are mainly a grey color, with a

yellowish back and a reddish underside. The top of their head is a

silverish color, and the hands and feet are black. The most distinctive

characteristic about these animals is the long white mustache that hangs

down to its chest.

Emperor TamarinThe emperor tamarin got its

name from a joke. The person who discovered this animal called it an emperor tamarin because he thought it resembled the Emperor of

Germany.

ClassificationKingdom: Animalia (animal)Phylum: Chordata (vertebrate)Class: Mammalia (mammal)Order: Primates (highly developed brain, forward

facing eyes, shortened nose, opposable thumbs)Suborder: Haplorhini (dry-nosed primates)Infraorder: Simiiformes (monkeys, apes, humans)Family: Cebidae (marmosets, tamarins, capuchins,

and squirrel monkeys)Subfamily: Callitrichinae (marmosets and tamarins)Genus: Saguinus (tamarins)Species: Saguinus imperator (emperor tamarin)

RegionThey are found in the Amazon Basin,

ranging from Peru to Brazil. They prefer to live in light, dry-bottom, or

terrestrial forests.

ResponseThe emperor tamarin has to be quick

to catch their prey and get away from predators. Since they don’t

have long fingers, they can’t reach into trees. Because of this, they

catch camouflaged prey from the surface of leaves by grabbing it

quickly and sneakily.

ReproductionThese animals reproduce

sexually. Tamarins live together in a group of 3-8, and the oldest

female mates with all of the males. The gestation period lasts for about 140 days, and then the

young are born. 1-2 of these animals are born at a time.

Growth

These creatures live an average of 17 years. They have a body length of 9-11 inches, and a tail length of

about 15 inches. They are very lightweight, getting to be about

10-14 ounces at their mature age.

Organization

They are a vertebrate animal, so they have a backbone. They

breathe with lungs, and have opposable thumbs. These are important traits because the

thumbs are useful for grabbing things, they have a more

structured body system, and they don’t have to breathe through their skin or in any

other funky way.

Compare and Contrast

Tamarins• Canines larger than

incisors• Long, white

mustaches• 25 inches long

Marmosets• Live in groups up to 15• Uses big incisor teeth

to dig into tree trunks• 8 inches long

Similarities• Live in trees

• Live in the same regions (Brazil-Peru)• 2 animals are usually born at a time

• Group effort to care for young• Claws instead of nails