The black-faced lion tamarin has a golden body and a black face. Its head and body length is approximately 30 cm (12" ), and it weighs approximately 600 g (21 oz). This lion tamarin prefers primary lowland coastal forest (restinga), where it eats fruit, insects, nectar and plant exudates. It is arboreal and diurnal. Black-faced lion tamarins occur in groups of 2 - 11, with an average of 5 members per group.
The black-faced lion tamarin was first documented by Western science in 1990 on the island of Superagui, Brazil. By 1995, surveys revealed that it occurred on Superagui and adjacent parts of the mainland in the states of Parana and Sao Paulo, Brazil. Its available habitat totals approximately 17,300 hectares (68 sq mi). The black-faced lion tamarin is threatened by the development of tourism, the harvesting of palm hearts, and further deforestation to provide more land for cattle ranching.
Scientific Name:
Leontopithecus caissaraFull Taxonomy:
http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/classification/path/Leontopithecus_caissara.html#Leontopithecus%20caissara