An emperor tamarin with a long white mustache. — Photo: Brocken Inaglory, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Bearded Emperor Tamarin

Tamarinus subgrisescens

A small Amazon monkey with a long white mustache, thought to be named after a German emperor.

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About the Bearded Emperor Tamarin

Emperor tamarins are small monkeys with long white whiskers that sweep back like a mustache; they are believed to be named after German emperor Wilhelm II, who had a similar mustache. They live in the southwest Amazon Basin in Peru, Brazil and Bolivia, in lowland, mountain and flooded forests. They eat mostly fruit, plus insects, tree gum, nectar and leaves.^[1]

Quick facts

Scientific name: Tamarinus subgrisescens^[1][2]
Lifespan: 10 to 20 years.^[1]
Diet: Omnivore. Mostly fruit, plus insects, gum, nectar and leaves.^[1]
Habitat: Lowland, mountain and seasonally flooded forests.^[1]
Where it lives: Southwest Amazon Basin in Peru, Brazil and Bolivia.^[1]
Group life: Family groups of 2 to 8, sometimes up to 15.^[1]
Babies: 1 or 2 babies, rarely 3, after a 140- to 145-day pregnancy.^[1]
Conservation status: Least Concern (IUCN Red List, assessed 2015).^[2]

Fun facts

Emperor tamarins may be named after German emperor Wilhelm II and his mustache.^[1]
Males catch and wash newborn babies right after birth.^[1]
They often team up with saddleback tamarins.^[1]

Vocabulary

whisker: A long, stiff hair growing near an animal's mouth.
infant: A very young baby.
arboreal: Living mostly in trees.
omnivore: An animal that eats both plants and other animals.
least concern: A conservation label meaning a species is widespread and not at risk of dying out soon.

See it in person

Smithsonian's National ZooWashington, D.C. · Small Mammal HouseSee this animal on the zoo's website ↗

These zoos had this animal when we gathered our information, but animals sometimes move. Check the zoo's website or contact the zoo before you visit.

Sources

[1] Smithsonian's National Zoo & Conservation Biology Institute. “Bearded emperor tamarin.” https://nationalzoo.si.edu/animals/bearded-emperor-tamarin (accessed 2026-10-08)
[2] IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. “Tamarinus subgrisescens (Bearded Emperor Tamarin).” https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/43962/192553500 (accessed 2026-10-08)