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Do you have questions about GLTs that aren't answered on the Conservation Kids' Club website? Check out the GLT facts for basic info and answers to some questions we have received.
Q. Where do golden lion tamarins live?
A. Golden lion tamarins, or GLTs, live in the Atlantic coastal rainforest, running along the coast from the north part of Brazil all the way down to Uruguay. GLTs are found about 70 km northwest of the city of Rio de Janeiro. The Atlantic coastal rainforest is a lowland tropical rainforest.
Q. What makes GLTs different from other monkeys?
A. GLTs are one of the smallest monkeys. They are New World monkeys, meaning that they live in South America. They normally give birth to twins and live in family groups. The father helps carry the babies after they are born.
Q. Do GLTs have prehensile tails?
A. No, GLTs do not have prehensile tails. Prehensile tails can grasp branches like a fifth limb. GLTs' tails are about 12 inches long and are used for balance as GLTs travel through the trees. They are very good leapers and can leap horizontally up to 12 feet between trees.
Q. What do GLTs like to eat? What is their favorite food?
A. In the wild, GLTs mainly eat fruit, insects, bugs, small lizards, small frogs, and even bird eggs. They find all of these things foraging in trees and plants that grow on trees called bromeliads. At the Zoo, GLTs are fed a wide variety of fruit, meal worms, crickets, and something called a canned marmoset diet, which is grain-based and has lots of nutrients (vitamins).
Q. I recently visited the National Zoo and was surprised to see GLTs living outside. What keeps these GLTs from leaving the Zoo?
A. This is the 21st year the National Zoo has released GLTs in Beaver Valley to live during the summer. At first this was in preparation for their release back into the wild in Brazil. Currently there is no more room to send any more GLTs back to Brazil (because so much of their habitat has been destroyed), but the Zoo continues to release a family each summer as a means to educate Zoo visitors about these little animals and because it is fun to see them in the trees. The reason they stay in the Zoo is simplewe provide them with a house to live in and their favorite food. They also have each other to play with in the trees. And, they are like usthey like to go home each night and sleep in their own beds.
Q. How many GLTs are there?
A. This is a complicated question. In Brazil, there are about 1,500 GLTs. In the 1980s there were only about 200 left. The National Zoo and other zoos and conservation organizations throughout the world have helped to build up the wild GLT population to where it is today. They live in two biological reserves similar to our national parks. In approximately 150 zoos throughout the world there are about 450 GLTs. We hope to build the captive population up to 500 in the next few years. By the year 2025 we hope to have 2,500 GLTs living in Brazil.
Q. What can I do to help save GLTs?
A. You can do several things. First, you can learn all about GLTs and the Atlantic coastal rainforest where they live and educate your friends and classmates on the importance of saving endangered species and endangered environments. You can actually do this through conservation measures right at home. Think of ways you and your friends can conserve water, air, paper, and electricity:
- Turn off the water when you brush your teeth.
- Don't pour that water down the drainsave it to water house plants.
- Recycle your cans, bottles, and paper.
- Turn off your TV or video game each day and go for a walk or read a book.
- Suggest to your parents to use (and re-use) paper or cloth sacks instead of plastic sacks to carry groceries.
- Plant a tree in your garden or grow your own vegetable garden.
Send us your ideas for how kids can help conserve our natural resources.
But, you say, you are not helping GLTs. Perhaps not directly, but you are helping to save the rainforests throughout the world. And, if you really want to help the GLTs directly, you can send a donation directly to:
Dr. Jonathan D. Ballou
Lion Tamarins of Brazil Fund
Dept. Conservation Biology
Smithsonian's National Zoo
Washington, DC 20008 USA
Email
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