Golden-headed Lion Tamarin

Leontopithecus chrysomelas

A small black monkey with a golden mane, found only in the coastal forests of Bahia, Brazil.

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About the Golden-headed Lion Tamarin

Golden-headed lion tamarins weigh 17 to 25 ounces, with bodies 8 to 13 inches long and tails 12 to 15 inches long. They are found only in southern Bahia, Brazil, in coastal rainforests 10 to 33 feet up in the trees. They eat mostly soft, sweet fruit, plus flowers, nectar, insects and tree gum. They sleep in tree holes at night.^[1]

Quick facts

Scientific name: Leontopithecus chrysomelas^[1]
Size: Body 8 to 13 inches, plus a 12- to 15-inch tail.^[1]
Weight: About 17 to 25 ounces.^[1]
Lifespan: About 8 years on average; longer in human care.^[1]
Diet: Mostly soft, sweet fruit, plus flowers, nectar, insects and gum.^[1]
Habitat: Atlantic coastal rainforests, 10 to 33 feet up in the trees.^[1]
Where it lives: Southern Bahia, Brazil.^[1]
Group life: Family groups of 5 to 7. Active during the day.^[1]
Babies: Born after about a 4-month pregnancy, usually once a year.^[1]
Conservation status: Endangered (IUCN Red List, assessed 2020).^[2]

Fun facts

A golden-headed lion tamarin may sleep in the same tree hole for six nights in a row.^[1]
They can climb down tree trunks head first or tail first.^[1]
Tamarins plant trees by dropping seeds far from the parent plant.^[1]

Vocabulary

mane: Long hair around the head and neck.
frugivore: An animal that eats mostly fruit.
seed dispersal: How seeds get carried to new places, like when an animal eats fruit and drops the seeds.
arboreal: Living mostly in trees.
endangered: A conservation label meaning a species faces a very high risk of dying out in the wild.

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. “Golden-headed lion tamarin.” https://nationalzoo.si.edu/animals/golden-headed-lion-tamarin (accessed 2026-10-08)
[2] IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. “Leontopithecus chrysomelas (Golden-headed Lion Tamarin).” https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/40643/192327573 (accessed 2026-10-08)