Golden Lion Tamarin

Leontopithecus rosalia

A tiny, bright-orange monkey with a lion-like mane that lives only in Brazil's Atlantic Coastal Forest.

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About the Golden Lion Tamarin

Golden lion tamarins live only in the Atlantic Coastal Forest of Brazil, now only within Rio de Janeiro state. Adults weigh about a pound and a half. They race through the trees along tangled vines and use long, thin fingers to dig insects out of cracks. They eat fruit, insects, small animals and bird eggs. At night they sleep in tree holes.^[1]

Quick facts

Scientific name: Leontopithecus rosalia^[1]
Weight: About 1.5 pounds.^[1]
Lifespan: About 10 years in the wild.^[1]
Diet: Omnivore. Fruit, insects and other invertebrates, small animals and bird eggs.^[1]
Habitat: Lowland coastal rainforest with vines and bromeliads.^[1]
Where it lives: Brazil's Atlantic Coastal Forest, now only in Rio de Janeiro state.^[1]
Group life: Family groups of two to nine, averaging six. Territories average about 100 acres.^[1]
Babies: Pregnancy lasts 126 to 130 days. Usually twins.^[1]
Conservation status: Endangered (IUCN Red List, assessed 2015).^[2]

Fun facts

Golden lion tamarin fathers usually carry the babies after the first two weeks.^[1]
Each newborn tamarin weighs only about 10 percent of its mother's weight.^[1]
Tamarins have different alarm calls for hawks and for predators on the ground.^[1]

Vocabulary

tamarin: A small South American monkey with claws instead of most fingernails.
bromeliad: A tropical plant whose leaves form a cup that holds water.
territory: An area an animal lives in and defends from others.
omnivore: An animal that eats both plants and other animals.
endangered: A conservation label meaning a species faces a very high risk of dying out in the wild.

See it in person

Zoo AtlantaAtlanta, Georgia · All AnimalsSee 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] Zoo Atlanta. “Golden Lion Tamarin.” https://zooatlanta.org/animal/golden-lion-tamarin/ (accessed 2026-10-02)
[2] IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. “Leontopithecus rosalia (Golden Lion Tamarin).” https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/11506/192327291 (accessed 2026-10-02)

Facts last checked 2026-10-02.

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