The pied tamarin is a small species of monkey found in

the rainforest of Brazil. The pied tamarin is an endangered species and is

one of the larger speciesof tamarin found on the South American
continent.

The pied tamarin is found in only one restricted area in the Brazilian
Amazon rainforest, where the pied tamarins are being protected from
being hunted and poached in the forest or from being subjected
to habitat loss in the form deforestation.

The pied tamarin is a very distinctive species of tamarin as it has a white

chest and back, brown, tan or red hind legs and tail and a black hairless
face. The pied tamarin is a highly territorial animal and is known to make
a variety of calls to warn unwanted visitors.

The pied tamarin is a diurnal primate which means that the pied tamarin
is most active during the day and rests in the safety of the tree tops
during the night. pied tamarins are very sociable animals and inhabit
their territory with their rest of the pied tamarin troop which generally
have between 3 and 15 members. Pied tamarin troops are led by the
eldest female and have predominantly male members.

The pied tamarin is an omnivorous animal meaning that the pied tamarin
hunts both plants and other animals in order to survive.
Fruits, insects and green plants make up the majority of the pied
tamarin's diet along with small rodents and reptiles, eggs and tree sap.

Due to the relatively small size of the pied tamarin, it has a number
of predators within its natural environment.
Wild cats, dogs, snakes and birds of prey are primary predators of the
pied tamarin, along with humans who are destroying their natural habitat.

The pied tamarin usually breeds between the months of April and July,
when the female pied tamarin will give birth to twins (or a single infant)
after a four to five month gestation period. The male pied tamarin's carry
and groom infants more than the females do, but females clean the infant
more than the males do. Older siblings are also known to contribute to
infant care, although infants prefer to be carried by their parents than by
their siblings. Infant pied tamarins become mobile at 2 to 5 weeks, and
begin eating solid food at 4 to 7 weeks. They are independent at 10 to 18
weeks and are fully weaned at 15 to 25 weeks. Sexual maturity is attained
at about 2 years of age.

Today, the pied tamarin population in the wild of South America has been
declining in recent years primarily due to habitat loss caused by
deforestation. The range of the pied tamarin is now restricted to just one
part of the Brazilian rainforest where the pied tamarin inhabits a number
of National parks and reserves.