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Pied Tamarin

Sanguinus bicolor
The Pied Tamarin is an endangered species of primate that is found only within a small part of Brazil, just near the city of Manaus.

Pied Tamarins are named for their coloration. They have dark, bald head, white upper bodies, and brown lower bodies and tails. They live in small family groups of up to 10 individuals, and feed on fruits and invertebrates.

They actually are great seed distributors. They eat fruit and then either drop or excrete the seeds, helping to spread new plant life around the rainforest.

The major threat to the Pied Tamarins was habitat loss. That is how then ended up restricted to such a small area. Within most of their small range they now are protected, but a major new threat is actually competition from one of their cousins-- the Red-handed Tamarin. An unfortunately, it seems like the Red-handeds are displacing the Pieds.

IUCN Status : Endangered
Location : Brazil
Size : Length around 15in (40cm)
Classification : Phylum : Chordata -- Class : Mammalia -- Order : Primates
Family : Callitrichidae -- Genus : Saguinus -- Species : S. bicolor

Comments

  1. How sweet, they're just like mother nature's little helpers. :)

    VegCourtesy.blogspot.com

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