Emperor Tamarin

rainforest · tiny monkey · Amazon · facial hair

Magnificent mustache. The emperor tamarin's most famous feature is its long, white mustache that curls upward at the ends, supposedly looking like the beard of German Emperor Wilhelm II. This striking facial hair makes it one of the most recognizable monkeys in the world.

Amazon home. These small monkeys live in the rainforests of northern Brazil, Peru, and Bolivia, where they swing through trees in the thick Amazon Basin looking for food.

Pocket-sized primate. Emperor tamarins are incredibly small, weighing only about 1 pound (around 500 grams), making them one of the tiniest monkey species. Their long tail helps them balance as they leap between branches.

Family groups. They live together in small family groups of 3 to 8 monkeys and work as a team to find fruit, insects, and tree gum to eat throughout the rainforest.

Fruit and bug diet. These little monkeys are picky eaters that prefer fruits, insects, and the sap that oozes from trees, spending most of their day searching the forest canopy for snacks.