III. Back from the Brink
Golden lion tamarin
Index Naturae
IN 2.10.23-A
Golden lion tamarin
Leontopithecus rosalia
Adult portrait
III. Back from the Brink
Field notes
Golden lion tamarins search bark and bromeliads with long, slender fingers, finding small prey among the forest’s folds. Their family life is cooperative: adults and older young share food and help carry infants. At night, the group withdraws into a protective tree hole.
- Range
- Atlantic coastal forest of southeastern Brazil, particularly Rio de Janeiro state.
- Habitat
- Humid Atlantic Forest with a connected canopy, vines, bromeliads and tree holes.
Conservation
Captive breeding, reintroduction and forest restoration have helped this tamarin recover from a severe decline. Fragmented habitat still separates small populations, limiting their growth and leaving them vulnerable to disease and loss of genetic diversity.
Sources & conservation context
Source review: 6 October 2026. Assessment dates, where given, belong to the cited source.