Black lion tamarin
The black lion tamarin (Leontopithecus chrysopygus), also known as the golden-rumped lion tamarin, is a lion tamarin endemic to the Brazilian state of São Paulo, almost exclusively at the Morro do Diabo State Park. Its limited geographical range makes it the rarest of the New World monkeys, with little known about it. It was thought to be extinct for 65 years until its rediscovery in 1970. In 2016 an adult couple was found to the east, in the Caetetus Ecological Station, after six years with no sightings.
| Black lion tamarin | |
|---|---|
| Black lion tamarin at Bristol Zoo | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Primates |
| Suborder: | Haplorhini |
| Infraorder: | Simiiformes |
| Family: | Callitrichidae |
| Genus: | Leontopithecus |
| Species: | L. chrysopygus |
| Binomial name | |
| Leontopithecus chrysopygus (Mikan, 1823) | |
| Synonyms | |
|
ater Lesson, 1840 | |
A 2020 assessment by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) estimated that there were 1,600 individuals living in the wild, 1,200 of which are found in Morro do Diabo State Park. They are usually found in groups of 4 to 9, living in the secondary and primary forests along the circumference of its home range.
On average, the black lion tamarin weighs 300–700 grams (11–25 oz).