Black Lion Tamarin (Leontopithecus chrysopygus) lives in tropical rainforest across Southeast Brazil. It feeds on insects and fruit. Its conservation status is Endangered.
Fascinating facts about the Black Lion Tamarin
- The black lion tamarin, a species found only in Brazil's São Paulo state, disappeared from scientific records for 65 years before being rediscovered in 1970. Its range is centred on Morro do Diabo State Park, where it has long been thought to exist exclusively. After a six-year gap in sightings, an adult pair was located in 2016 at the nearby Caetetus Ecological Station, confirming that a few individuals still survive beyond the park's borders.
- A 2020 IUCN assessment counted roughly 1 600 black lion tamarins in the wild, with about 1 200 of those living inside Morro do Diabo State Park. The animals typically form groups of four to nine individuals that move through both secondary and primary forest along the edge of their home range. These small family units rely on the park's remaining habitat, making the concentration of most of the population there a critical factor for the species' survival.
- Within its genus the black lion tamarin produces the deepest, lowest-starting calls and covers the widest pitch range of any lion tamarin. These vocalisations serve several functions: defending territory, keeping the group cohesive, attracting mates and reuniting lost individuals, especially in the mornings when most calls are recorded. While pairs are generally monogamous, occasional polyandrous arrangements have also been observed in some populations.
- The black lion tamarin spends only a small fraction of its daylight hours gathering gum and fruit, allocating just 12.8% of the day to these sugary resources. In contrast, the bulk of its foraging effort, 41.2% of the day, is devoted to hunting insects high in the canopy. To reach the fruit and gum it climbs as high as ten metres, while its specialised fingers help it pry insects from bark and leaf litter.
- Births in black lion tamarins are markedly male-biased, with the population consistently producing about 60 males for every 40 females. This deviates from the typical mammalian pattern of an even 50:50 sex ratio. The skewed ratio is noted in the species' reproductive data, indicating that most litters contain more males than females. Such a bias may influence group dynamics, given that groups usually consist of four to nine individuals.
Sources
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At a glance
RangeSoutheast Brazil
HabitatTropical rainforest
DietInsects and fruit
About the Black Lion Tamarin
In the lush, emerald canopy of the Brazilian Atlantic Forest, the black lion tamarin dances through the trees with an air of reckless abandon, its sleek, ebony form weaving in and out of the dappled light. With a flick of its tail and a burst of energetic chirping, this diminutive primate navigates its arboreal realm with effortless ease, its large eyes shining like polished onyx as it surveys its kingdom. As one of the rarest and most endangered of its kind, the black lion tamarin's very existence is a testament to the fragile beauty and resilience of life in the wild.
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