Visitors to Stone Zoo will notice two new faces with the recent birth of cotton-top tamarin twins. 

On July 4, female cotton-top tamarin Amazon gave birth to the twins. The father is named Orinoco. The babies, whose sexes are not yet known, can be seen on exhibit with their parents as well as their five siblings.

 “The babies appear bright, healthy and alert and the group has been very attentive to these new additions. As with any new births, we are closely monitoring the mother and babies,” said Pete Costello, Assistant Curator of Stone Zoo. “Cotton-top tamarins are very social animals and our guests will have the unique opportunity to observe the family dynamics and watch as the twins grow up.” 

Zoo New England participates in the Cotton-Top Tamarin Species Survival Plan (SSP), which is a cooperative, inter-zoo program coordinated nationally through the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA). SSPs are designed to maintain genetically diverse and demographically stable captive populations of species. This birth is the result of a recommended breeding. 

These small, endangered primates can be found in the understory and canopy of the tropical forest in northwestern Colombia. About the size of a squirrel, these small mammals are noted for their long whitish crest of hair stemming from the forehead to the nape and flowing over their shoulders. Cotton-top tamarins are monogamous and groups typically include a dominant mated pair, their young, and a few subordinates and young. Their diet consists primarily of insects and fruit, and they play an important role as seed dispersers and pollinators in tropical ecosystems.

Learn more about cotton-top tamarins here

Photos courtesy of Zoo New England/Dayle Sullivan-Taylor