Eastern Black-handed Tamarin

• Common Name: Eastern black-handed tamarin
• Taxonomy Classification Year: 1807
• Monkey Size: 20.5 to 28 cm (8.07 to 11.02 in)
• Skin Color(s): Black
• Habitat: Rainforest
• Diet: Omnivorous
• Native Countries: Brazil

The Eastern black-handed marmoset^[1] (Saguinus ursulus) is a species of marmoset native to Brazil.

• These tamarins are mainly covered in jet-black fur, with only a small area around the nose, eyes, and most hairless ears.
• Golden brown stripes run the length of their backs and end at the tops of their long tails. Their fur is quite long and shiny.
• Their hind legs are longer than their front legs, which allows them to jump between high branches in the forest. Their fingers are slender and long, which helps them quickly grab fruit and insects.
• They have claws on all their fingers and toes except their big toes. Unlike many other primates, their thumbs are not opposable.
• Saguinus ursulus is easily distinguished from Saguinus niger because the dorsal hairs are present in irregular and wavy directions (homogeneously parallel and directed backward in S. niger). In addition, the face, fingers, and hands in S. ursulus are not appreciably hairy (it is hairy in S. niger).

• Eastern black-handed monkeys spend most of the day moving and foraging, spending relatively less time eating, socializing, and resting.
• To protect themselves from predators, these monkeys live and sleep in groups. This is important for their survival.
• There is a dominant mating female whose chemical signals suppress ovulation in other females when there is more than one in the group.
• Young eastern black-handed monkeys sometimes spend time socializing through play, which usually involves hunting.
• While the adult species are eating, toddlers can explore the treetops independently. Still, one of the adults will grab them when the group is ready to move.