The cotton-top tamarin is easily recognized by the white fur on its head and chest.

The cotton-top tamarin is so small that it weighs just over one pound! They measure 8-10 inches long from head to body, while their tail can measure up to 16 inches alone. Their tail is not prehensile which means it can’t be used for grabbing things.

The 18 species of tamarin are split into three groups by their facial hair: hairy, mottled, or bare. The cotton-top’s fine hairs classify it as bare-faced.

Besides the white fur covering the cotton-top tamarin’s head and chest, their back is colored brown, rump and thighs are reddish, and their underparts and extremities are white or yellow.

These tamarins are found in the tropical and secondary forests of Columbia.

Cotton-top tamarins spend the day with their social groups travelling, grooming, and foraging before resting at night. Their diet is comprised mainly of fruit and insects. Cotton-top tamarins use different methods to find these insects from simply turning over leaves to exploring holes and chasing bugs.

Cotton-top tamarins can mate year-round, but only the dominant pair reproduces in the groups, which are made up of about 10 members. After mating, the dominant female is pregnant for a little over 5 months and gives birth to twins. The amount of multiples would be too taxing for just the dominant pair to raise so the other members are highly involved in infant care.

The cotton-top tamarin is one of the five primate families of the New World monkeys.

Even though their coat is not much for camouflage, the cotton-top tamarin is usually safe from predators since they live their entire life in the trees.