Cotton Top Tamarin Twins Born July 3rd

(July 2011)

Cotton top tamarin

The Zoo is proud to welcome a set of cotton top tamarin twins. They were born on July 3rd and are growing very fast! Keepers report that the twins were each 50-60 grams when first born and now weigh about 100 grams, which is approximately the weight of a mouse.

Cotton top tamarins got their name because of the white hair on their head and shoulders. In the wild, they are found in Central and South America’s rainforests, most likely up in the trees. Cotton tops are one of the smallest primates, with a body length of only 17 cm and a tail length of 25 cm.

The twins are still young, so they are not very active. Their main activity includes riding on their mom or dad’s back, but sometimes one of their three older sisters will carry and take care of them, too.

Keepers do not know the sex of the twins, so they don’t have names yet. The babies look much alike, but keepers say they can tell them apart because one has a darker head than the other, but that is likely to change.

Because they are so small, the twins can be hard to spot in their exhibit, especially when they are on their mom or dad’s back. Keepers report that the visitors that do see them think they are adorable, so stop by to see the new twins!