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Pied tamarin

Saguinus bicolor bicolour

Pied tamarins are the most endangered of the three sub-species of bare-faced tamarins.

This term comes from the creatures’ bald, usually black, heads.

Belfast Zoo is home to several pied tamarins and the zoo has experienced a successful breeding programme with the animals.

This is surprising as pied tamarins are quite difficult to keep in captivity.

Diet
Pied tamarins eat fruit, flowers, gums and small animals.

Size
Body length can reach 283 millimetres (mm) and tails can be up to 420mm. Pied tamarins can weigh up to 430 grams.

Location
Pied tamarins are found in degraded forests near to the city of Manaus, northern Brazil.

Key to acronyms

EEP = European Endangered Species Programme
CITES = Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species
IUCN = International Union for Conservation of Nature
ESB = European Studbook

Conservation status
The IUCN believes pied tamarins face a very high risk of extinction in the wild. They are listed under Appendix I of CITES.

Threats
The greatest threat facing pied tamarins is habitat loss due to the expansion of the Brazilian city of Manaus.

Current population
The pied tamarin population is unknown but it is small and is thought to be in decline throughout their range.

Zoo population
There is an EEP for pied tamarins.

There are around 130 animals living in zoos around the world.