Endangered Species Spotlight: Cotton-top Tamarin
The cotton-top tamarin is a critically endangered primate found only in the tropical dry forests of northwest Columbia. A 2012 population study estimated that there were fewer than 7,000 of these miniscule monkeys remaining in the wild.
Fortunately, these animals are not alone in their fight for survival. For nearly four decades, the conservation organization Proyecto Tití has been working tirelessly towards their mission of protecting these adorable primates and the forests they call home. While that may sound like much ado about one tiny monkey, these creatures actually play an immense role in preserving their region’s biodiversity. Read on to learn more about this endangered species and why it’s vitally important for their population to be preserved.
Get to Know the Cotton-top Tamarin
Named for their distinctive shock of white hair, the cotton-top tamarin (Saguinus oedipus) is one of the smallest primates in the world. Weighing about one pound and measuring just 8–10 inches tall, their size is comparable to that of a squirrel. They have sharp, claw-like nails that allow them to easily climb and leap from tree to tree, and a long tail that helps them balance on narrow branches.
A highly social species, they typically live in familial groups of 2–9 members led by a male and female breeding pair. The adults in these groups share in the duties of raising the breeding pair’s offspring, as well as engaging in other altruistic behaviors that prioritize the group over the individual. These cooperative dynamics are facilitated in part by their extensive range of vocalizations; click here to listen to some of the unique chirps and calls that have been captured by Proyecto Tití’s field researchers.
The daily routine for these familial groups consists of foraging, traveling, and resting. After spending the night sleeping in the branches of a tree, their day begins about an hour and a half after dawn. Traveling as a group, they alternate between foraging for food along established routes and taking breaks for grooming or rest.
They travel upwards of 1.5–1.9 kilometers over the course of the day before finding another tree to sleep in around dusk. They tend to choose trees with dense foliage to help protect them from predators, so protection of their homes is vital.
Defenders of Biodiversity
One of the major ways that the tamarins help maintain their ecosystem’s biodiversity has to do with their diet. They largely feed on fruit and are capable of consuming impressively large seeds relative to their body size. This allows them to serve as important seed dispersers, expelling the consumed seeds around the forest in their waste.
These seeds have a higher germination rate than unconsumed seeds, meaning the seeds spread by the tamarins are more likely to sprout. By simply going about their business, the cotton-tops help preserve the populations of a wide variety of plant species.
These hungry little animals still have a voracious appetite which also serves as an important link in their ecosystem’s food chain. By consuming large amounts of insects — which make up 40% of their diet — the tamarins help to control insect populations in the forest and prevent certain ones from becoming pests. In turn, the primates serve as a food source for predators including snakes, birds of prey, wild cats, and other carnivorous mammals.
In a 2022 interview, Proyecto Tití co-founder Dr. Anne Savage described another surprising way that the species supports biodiversity in their habitat:
I remember walking through the forest one day and I was looking through binoculars and saw red on the face of a cotton-top tamarin. I thought for sure that it was dried blood. And then I noticed that this cotton-top put its face in these feathery-like structures surrounding a flowering plant. A few seconds later it would look up and start sneezing and I realized that the red was really pollen all over its face! That was a very fun discovery for me to watch unfold in the forest. Cotton-top tamarins can pollinate certain plants in the forest!
Call for Aid
Clearly these charismatic creatures pull much more than their weight when it comes to maintaining a diverse and healthy ecosystem. However, human activities have threatened the cotton-top population for decades. In the 1960s and ’70s, the primates were exported by the tens of thousands for use in biomedical research, resulting in drastic population declines; by 1990, it was estimated that as few as 300 to 1,000 remained in the wild.
Fortunately the species has now been restricted from international trade, but ongoing deforestation still poses a dire threat to these creatures — and by extension, the region’s overall biodiversity. Their tropical forest habitat has been reduced to a fraction of its original size. Habitat fragmentation has further complicated this endangered species’ struggle to survive.
Thankfully, the hard work of numerous conservation advocates has given these animals a fighting chance. After decades of severe population declines, their population remained relatively stable from 2005 to 2012, declining only 1.3% per year on average.
Helping to create nearly 13,000 acres of protected forests between 2011 and 2018, ReWorld has partnered with Proyecto Tití to purchase and restore the 956-acre Santa Helena Preserve in northern Colombia. This community-funded tropical forest will provide a safe and sustainable habitat for a variety of endangered species, including the cotton-top tamarin. Visit our website to learn how you can join the cause and help protect this one-of-a-kind creature.
