A female Cotton-top Tamarin newborn needs your help – she needs a name! The Chattanooga Zoo is asking for input from the public in selecting that perfect name for the critically endangered primate. Entry forms are available at the Chattanooga Zoo’s gift shop. Entries will be accepted until November 4, 2009.
Cotton-Top Tamarin
The Cotton-top Tamarin, Saguinus Oedipus, is found exclusively in the forests of Columbia. Also known as the Cotton-headed Tamarin, the primate is easily recognized by the white hair on its head. About the size 
of a squirrel, the Cotton-top Tamarin weighs less than one pound. Living up to 15 years on average, the Cotton-top can live as long as 24 years of age in captivity. The social animal eats mostly fruit and insects.
Listed as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List, it is estimated that only 6,000 primates exist today. Threats to the Cotton-top include habitat loss due to deforestation and the illegal pet trade. It is estimated that 20,000 to 30,000 Cotton-top Tamarins were used in biomedical research in the United States in the 1960s and 1970s.
As part of the Species Survival Plan Program (SSP), the Chattanooga Zoo participates in a Tamarin breeding and educational program.
Cotton-top Tamarin photo by Ltshears
Cotton-top photo Ltshears
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