Cotton-Top Tamarin

Saguinus oedipus (also called Oedipomidas oedipus)

A squirrel-sized, critically endangered Colombian monkey with a wild crest of long white hair on its head.

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About the Cotton-Top Tamarin

Cotton-top tamarins are about the size of a squirrel, around 9 inches tall and just under a pound. They have a mane of long white hair on the head, brown to black fur on the back and white bellies, arms and legs. They live only in northwestern Colombia, in humid and dry forests. They eat insects, fruit, tree gum and nectar, and sometimes small reptiles and frogs.^[1]

Quick facts

Scientific name: Saguinus oedipus (also called Oedipomidas oedipus)^[1][2]
Size: About 9 inches tall.^[1]
Weight: Just under a pound.^[1]
Lifespan: About 13 years in the wild.^[1]
Diet: Insects, fruit, tree gum, nectar and sometimes small reptiles and amphibians.^[1]
Habitat: Humid tropical, dry deciduous and secondary forest.^[1]
Where it lives: Northwestern Colombia.^[1]
Group life: Groups of 3 to 9. Active during the day.^[1]
Babies: 1 to 3 babies.^[1]
Conservation status: Critically Endangered (IUCN Red List, assessed 2020).^[2]

Fun facts

Tamarins have claw-like nails instead of flat nails.^[1]
The whole group leaves the sleeping tree together each morning.^[1]
Cotton-top tamarins live only in Colombia.^[1]

Vocabulary

exudate: A sticky liquid that oozes from plants, like gum or sap.
quadrupedal: Walking on all four limbs.
territorial: Defending an area from others of the same kind.
arboreal: Living mostly in trees.
critically endangered: A conservation label meaning a species faces an extremely high risk of dying out in the wild.

See it in person

Oakland ZooOakland, California · Tropical RainforestSee 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] Oakland Zoo. “Cotton-top Tamarin.” https://www.oaklandzoo.org/animals/cotton-top-tamarin/ (accessed 2026-10-02)
[2] IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. “Oedipomidas oedipus (Cotton-headed Tamarin).” https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/19823/192551067 (accessed 2026-10-02)

Facts last checked 2026-10-02.

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