Home › Mammalia › Callitrichidae › Golden Lion Tamarin (Leontopithecus rosalia)
SPECIES PROFILE
Golden Lion Tamarin (Leontopithecus rosalia)
Leontopithecus
IUCN STATUS
Endangered
CONSERVATION STATUS
Endangered
CLASS
Mammalia
GEOGRAPHICAL RANGE
Atlantic Forest of Rio de Janeiro state, Brazil
DIET
Omnivorous
HABITAT
Atlantic coastal rainforest
🔬 Classification
PHYLUM
Chordata
CLASS
Mammalia
ORDER
Primates
FAMILY
Callitrichidae
GENUS
Leontopithecus
📋 Description
SIZE
Up to 30 cm + 40 cm tail; ~600 g
COLORATION
Brilliant golden-orange with a lion-like mane
ADAPTATIONS
Long fingers to probe bark for insects; lives in family troops
🌿 Ecology
HABITAT
Atlantic coastal rainforest
DIET
Omnivorous
GEOGRAPHIC RANGE
Atlantic Forest of Rio de Janeiro state, Brazil
REPRODUCTION
Usually twins, cared for by the whole group
DIET DETAILS
Fruit, insects and small vertebrates
⚠️ Threats & Conservation
PRIMARY THREATS
Deforestation, tiny fragmented range
💡 Interesting Facts
1
A conservation icon brought back from the brink by reintroduction from zoos.
2
Fewer than 200 remained in the 1970s; managed forests now hold several thousand.
🔭 Sighting Guide
📍 BEST PLACES TO SIGHT
Poço das Antas Reserve
União Biological Reserve
🗓️ BEST TIME TO SIGHT
Year-round
🎯 SIGHTING TIPS
Join a guided visit to Atlantic Forest reserves near Silva Jardim in the morning when troops are active.
