Leontopithecus

Leontopithecus is the genus of the lion tamarins, also called maned marmosets, small New World monkeys of the family Callitrichidae that live in the eastern forests of Brazil. The genus holds four species, the golden lion tamarin, the golden-headed lion tamarin, the black lion tamarin and the Superagüi lion tamarin, which are told apart mainly by the colour of their fur. The name joins the Ancient Greek words for lion and monkey and refers to the mane around the face. Lion tamarins weigh up to about 900 grams, are arboreal and diurnal, sleep in tree cavities at night and live in family groups in which both parents share the care of the yearly twins. They eat small fruits, insects and small vertebrates such as small lizards and snakes. All four species are endangered or critically endangered, in part because their habitat has been disrupted by human development.