Emperor tamarin eating fruit perched on a branch at Paignton Zoo in Devon, UK

Emperor tamarin

Our emperor tamarin Theodosius lives in Monkey Heights with his companion, a golden-handed tamarin named Mrs Potts.

This New World monkey is said to be named after Wilhelm II, an emperor of Germany who had a very long white moustache!

Emperor TamarinSaguinus imperator

  • Class:

    Mammals

  • Order:

    Primates

  • Family:

    Callithrichidae

About the emperor tamarin

Emperor tamarins are endemic to lowland tropical forests of the southwestern part of the Amazon Basin, in countries such as Bolivia, Brazil and Peru.

Their diet is primarily made up of fruit, nectar and sap.

Conservation

As with many other tamarin species, destruction of their forest habitat is the main threat that they face. Their numbers are decreasing, but the wild population is currently stable.