Cute baby monkey - cotton top tamarin

http://www.zsl.org See our cute baby cotton top tamarin at ZSL London Zoo, a species that is classified as Endangered, the stunning cotton-headed tamarin is one of South America's most endangered primates. Its name describes the fantastic crest of long white hair flowing around the black face like a mane of white cotton. Like marmosets and other tamarins, the ancestral primate nails on their toes and fingers have evolved into claws on all but their big toes, allowing them to climb in a squirrel-like fashion in the trees. This small monkey has a long tail, which assists in balance. It is confined to Colombia, but formerly much more widespread across the country .This species is found in tropical rainforest edges and secondary forests. It has been found in a variety of habitats from wetland tropical forest, to moist woodland forest and dry thorn forest savannah. The cotton-headed top tamarin is diurnal and arboreal, feeding on fruit, insects, tender vegetation, small vertebrates and bird eggs. When not feeding, much time is spent in social grooming. Like other tamarins, they run their clawed digits through each other's fur, examining it, and use their teeth, lips and tongue to pick off particles. Deforestation is this species' greatest threat. It has already lost most of its habitat through forest clearing for timber, charcoal, human settlement, agricultural land and industry. The forest areas in which it now exists are so fragmented, it is believed that they are too small to maintain the tamarin populations. Sadly the continuous expansion of human settlement in northern Colombia has brought the cotton-headed top tamarin more bad luck. With easier access to the tamarin's habitat, animal collectors trap these small monkeys and sell them in port cities, either for export or local trade.