Leontopithecus caissara

The black-faced lion tamarin is 30 cm long, with a tail length of 32-40 cm and a weight of 540-710 grams. It is the largest marmoset. It is small and exquisite, with golden velvety soft hair all over its body, shining and eye-catching. The lion-like crown on its head brushes toward its back. Its face is black, and the surrounding hair is longer and darker, in the shape of a mane. Its tail and paws are black. Its mouth protrudes forward, and its ears are hidden under the hair. It looks dignified and majestic, just like a little lion, very beautiful and moving. Its body and feet are longer than those of other marmosets. There is a membrane connecting the second, third and fourth fingers, forming a webbed shape. Except for the thumb, all other fingers (toes) have sharp claws. It has 32 teeth in total, with long "fangs" on the lower jaw, and the length of the incisors and canines is almost equal.

First discovered in 1990 on Superagui Island off the southeastern coast of Brazil. By 1995, it was also recorded in the states of Paraná and São Paulo near the mainland. In 1997, the population was estimated to be less than 260, mainly distributed in Superagui National Park.
Its wild habitat is mainly tropical primary forest, usually active in the middle and canopy layers of large trees 3-10 meters above the ground, sheltered by dense vines and other parasitic plants, and living among the intertwined branches.

The Black-faced Lion Tamarin (scientific name: Leontopithecus caissara) was once a subspecies of the Golden Lion Tamarin and was classified as an independent species by the IUCN in 1990.

The black-faced lion tamarin is a diurnal arboreal animal. It is active and lively, with keen vision, hearing and smell. It is agile and extremely agile. It can leap from one tree to another tree far away in an instant, or run quickly along the trunks and branches. Some of its difficult movements are not only difficult for other monkeys to complete, but even squirrels can't catch up. Lion tamarins usually live in small-scale family-style groups, with 2-7 in each group, and 3-4 is the most common. Most of them are a pair of adults and their cubs, often gathering together to comb each other's beautiful golden long hair. They sleep in tree holes every night. Because the hole is very narrow, ordinary carnivores cannot enter, which can effectively avoid enemies. The tree hole is also covered with golden soft hair pulled from its body, which is both beautiful and comfortable, so a tree hole can be used for its habitat for many years.

The black-faced lion tamarin is an omnivorous animal, foraging for various insects, spiders, moths, flies, grubs, worms, and tender shoots, flowers and fruits of various plants, etc., especially figs. Sometimes they dig earthworms and small lizards on the ground, and sometimes they forage for bird eggs in trees, and even prey on newly born birds. In addition, in the forest where it lives, many tree trunks or branches are covered with holes of various sizes. This is because it likes to suck the sap of trees. It often uses its sharp claws to dig holes in the trunks or branches, or bites with its powerful incisors, and then sucks the flowing tree sap into its mouth with relish.

The breeding season of the black-faced lion tamarin is concentrated from September to March of the following year, that is, from early spring to late summer, which is the most humid and hot season in the area. The gestation period of females is 125-134 days, and each litter has 1-3 cubs, but 2 cubs are the most common. The cubs are mostly taken care of by males, and they can move independently after growing to 3 months.

After the 20th century, people's demand for various marmosets has continued to increase. According to statistics, between 1960 and 1965, 200-300 golden lion tamarins were shipped from Brazil to various trading markets each year. Most South American countries have banned or limited exports and established national parks and nature reserves to effectively protect these rare species. For example, Brazil has stopped exporting lion tamarins since 1969 and has significantly increased the scope of protection for primates. Despite this, the future of these beautiful small primates is still worrying.

Listed in the 2008 Red List of Endangered Species of the World Conservation Union (IUCN) ver3.1 - Critically Endangered (CR).

Listed as endangered species in Appendix I of CITES of the Washington Convention.

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