The Golden-Handed Tamarin (Saguinus midas) is a primate mammal in the Callitrichidae family of marmoset monkeys. It is also known as the Red-Handed Tamarin and the Midas Tamarin.
The Golden-Handed Tamarin is dark-brown or black with golden-orange hair on its hands and feet. Its face is hairless. It has large, black C-shaped ears. It has large, round, black eyes. It has sharp claws that enable it to climb trees. Its thumb is not opposable.
It measures 21-28 centimetres (8-11 inches) including the tail. Its tail measures 31-44 centimetres (12-17 inches) long.
The Golden-Handed Tamarin is native to the Amazon River in South America, in countries such as Brazil, Guyana, French Guiana, Suriname, and Venezuela. It prefers wooded areas.
It can leap over 18 metres (60 feet) from a tree to the ground.
It is omnivorous, eating fruit, flowers, nectar, insects, spiders, and bird eggs. Its predators include cats, eagles, and snakes.
It lives in groups of 4-15 individuals. Only the alpha (dominant) female has young. The alpha female is pregnant for 140-170 days before giving birth to two babies. The father usually looks after the babies, with the help of the entire group, which is called alloparenting. The mother feeds the babies.
The average life expectancy of the Golden-Handed Tamarin is about 10 years in the wild.
Location of photographs: Parc Zoologique de Paris in Bois de Vincennes, France
Photographer: Martina Nicolls
Martina Nicolls: SIMILAR BUT DIFFERENT IN THE ANIMAL KINGDOM