Golden Lion tamarin gives birth to twins again!

6 months after the birth of her first two offspring, our female Golden Lion tamarin gave birth to twins again only three weeks ago! Both are doing well and cling tightly to their father's fur, while their mother only takes them back for suckling.

Lion tamarins are the largest members of the Callitricidae family, with males weighing over 700 grams. At birth the offspring’s size is significant (it generally represents between 8 and 10% of the mother's weight) but it is not always easy to see them during the first few days as their fur blends in with that of their parents. After a few weeks, however, they become more active and open their eyes wider, making observations easier.

Golden Lion tamarins are omnivorous and feed on fruits, nectar, gum, small vertebrates and invertebrates (snails, lizards, spiders, insects) that they catch with dexterity in certain trees’ crannies using their long thin fingers and sharped claws. At the zoo they also eat a wide variety of food: fruits, vegetables, special “cake” for tamarins and animal proteins in the form of hard-boiled eggs, red and white meat, mealworms, etc.

There are 4 species of lion tamarins: the Golden Lion tamarin (Leontopithecus rosalia), the Golden-headed Lion tamarin (Leontopithecus chysomelas), the Black Lion tamarin (Leontopithecus chysopygus) and the Black-faced Lion tamarin (Leontopithecus caissara). Endemic to the Atlantic Forest of Brazil, all are classified as Endangered on the IUCN Red List, threatened by extreme habitat fragmentation, expanding urbanization and agriculture, and certain diseases including yellow fever which has recently caused a significant decline in Golden Lion tamarin populations in some protected areas.