| Red-capped tamarin | |
|---|---|
 | |
Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Primates |
| Family: | Callitrichidae |
| Genus: | Saguinus |
| Species: | |
| Subspecies: | S. m. pileatus |
| Trinomial name | |
| Saguinus mystax pileatus I. Geoffroy &Deville, 1848 | |
Thered-capped tamarin (Saguinus mystax pileatus), is subspecies ofmoustached tamarin fromSouth America.[1] They are found inBrazil, on the eastern margin of theTefé andCoari rivers. Previously recognised as a separate species,Saguinus pilatus, the red-capped tamarin was demoted to subspecies status by a taxonomic review by Rylands et al., (2016).[2]
Like all tamarins they are relatively small, growing up to 56 cm long. They have claws instead of nails and their fur is mainly black in color, as it is with feet, hands and tail. The hair is uniformly black, except for the one around the muzzle, being their "mustache", however, smaller than that of the moustached tamarins. The hair of the head, from the nape to the forehead, has reddish tones almost of a deep burgundy color, which have earned the species their common and scientific names.
Little is known about the habits of these primates. They are presumably similar to the moustached tamarins. They live in the westernAmazon Basin in South America. Their distribution area is located in western Brazil, south of theAmazon River, in the eastern margin of the Tefe and Coari rivers.[3] Their habitat is in rainforests densely covered with undergrowth. They are diurnal and arboreal, living together in small groups led by a dominant female. The females can mate promiscuously with all the males (polyandry), but were also seen cases ofpolygyny andmonogamy. They mainly feed on fruits and insects, but occasionally they also eat eggs and small vertebrates.
