Geographic Range
Saguinus tripartitus
occurs in the upper Amazon rainforest between the Rio Curaray in Ecuador and the
Rio Napo in Peru. It can also be found east of the Andes between the right bank of
the Rio Napo and the left bank of the Rio Putumayo in Ecuador.
- Biogeographic Regions
- neotropical
Habitat
Saguinus tripartitus
is found in lowland evergreen rainforests, seasonally flooded forests, and terra
firma of the Amazon basin. Although typically found at lower elevations,
S. tripartitus
has been recorded at up to 400 meters above sea level in the western limits of its
range, near the Andes Mountains. In general,
tamarins
are highly arboreal and are rarely seen on the ground.
- Habitat Regions
- tropical
- terrestrial
- Terrestrial Biomes
- rainforest
Physical Description
Saguinus tripartitus
can range from 218 to 240 mm in body length and 316 to 341 mm in tail length. They
have orange bodies and blackish orange hands. Their heads are covered in black fur
with muzzles and faces which are generally white. On their lower back is a patch of
cream colored hair. Their tails are generally black with an orange underside.
This species is also closely related to
Saguinus fuscicollis
. Some investigators consider
S. tripartitus
to be a subspecies of
S. fuscicollis
.
- Other Physical Features
- endothermic
- homoiothermic
- bilateral symmetry
- Sexual Dimorphism
- sexes alike
Reproduction
Saguinus tripartitus
, like other
callitrichids
, live in groups in which only the dominant female mates, typically with multiple
males. There is some evidence of facultative polyandry among tamarins, in which two
or more males mate with the female and cooperate in caring for the twin offspring.
- Mating System
- polyandrous
- cooperative breeder
Saguinus tripartitus
, like other
callitrichids
, live in groups in which only the dominant female mates. As in other callitrichid
species, the ovarian cycles of subordinate
S. tripartitus
females are suppressed while living in groups. In studies involving captive females
living in family groups, low and acyclic levels of urinary estradiol (a hormone produced
by the ovaries) were recorded while females were living as subordinates. When females
were removed from the family group and placed in isolation with a male, their levels
of urinary estradiol skyrocketed and immediate onset of their ovarian cycles occurred.
The physiological reasons behind this are not known, but it is speculated that pheromones
from dominant females may play a part in suppression of ovarian cycles in subordinate
females. The length of gestation and lactation periods, breeding seasons and intervals,
and time to sexual maturity, are not known. They are believed to be similar to other
members of the genus
Saguinus
in terms of these traits. Gestation periods for
Saguinus
range from 140 days to 180 days, with most species having gestation periods between
140 and 150 days. Information regarding lactation periods of
Saguinus
could not be found. No generalizations could be made about the breeding seasons of
the whole genus based on the information available. However,
Saguinus fuscicollis
breeds between April and October, and
Saguinus oedipus
and
Saguinus geoffroyi
breed between January and February. The age to sexual maturity varies between 15
and 24 months for
Saguinus
species.
Like other
tamarin
species,
S. tripartitus
gives birth to twins.
- Key Reproductive Features
- iteroparous
- gonochoric/gonochoristic/dioecious (sexes separate)
- sexual
- fertilization
- viviparous
Patterns and duration of parental investment are not known. Fathers tend to provide
and care for the infants more than mothers do after they are born. This may be offset
the substantial energy investment of the mother during gestation and lactation. Tamarins
give birth to young with large body masses relative to the mother's body mass, so
females invest large amounts of energy into the young before they are born. Post-birth
care from parents comes in the form of providing food, providing protection, and carrying
the young around as they develop. Social groups also help to care for the young, sharing
food and generally protecting them.
- Parental Investment
- altricial
-
pre-fertilization
- provisioning
-
protecting
- female
-
pre-hatching/birth
-
provisioning
- female
-
protecting
- female
-
provisioning
-
pre-weaning/fledging
-
provisioning
- male
- female
-
protecting
- male
-
provisioning
-
pre-independence
-
provisioning
- male
- female
-
protecting
- male
-
provisioning
Lifespan/Longevity
Little information is available about the lifespan of
Saguinus tripartitus
. Rowe (1996) lists lifespan in the wild as 6 years and Hershkovitz (1977) mentions
one specimen living five years, nine months, and nineteen days in captivity.
Behavior
Saguinus tripartitus
individuals are very social. There are definite social hierarchies among groups,
but these hierarchies have not been studied. Groups generally include 2 to 8 (maximum
15) members. The average group size is 5.3 individuals. These social hierarchies are
maintained through the use of scent marking.
Saguinus tripartitus
individuals are arboreal and rarely seen on the ground.
- Key Behaviors
- arboreal
- scansorial
- diurnal
- motile
- sedentary
- territorial
- social
- dominance hierarchies
Home Range
No information could be found regarding the home range of
Sagunius tripartitus
. They have been documented as having a population density of 13.5 individuals per
square kilometer.
Communication and Perception
Saguinus tripartitus
primarily uses scents in communication. Individuals use circumgenital marking (marking
using glands surrounding the anus) and suprapubic marking (marking using suprapubic
glands). Individuals of higher social rank mark more frequently than those of a lower
social standing.
Saguinus tripartitus
individuals can distinguish a large amount of information from scents, such as sex,
species, social rank and reproductive status.
- Other Communication Modes
- scent marks
Food Habits
Saguinus tripartitus
is primarily insectivorous and frugivorous. They have also been known to eat small
vertebrates, non-insect arthropods, flowers, nectars, gums, and other plant exudates.
They may feed less on exudates than some other primates because they lack the dentary
adaptations of those species for gouging into plants.
- Animal Foods
- reptiles
- insects
- terrestrial non-insect arthropods
- Plant Foods
- fruit
- nectar
- flowers
- sap or other plant fluids
Predation
Saguinus tripartitus
individuals are preyed on by a variety of animals including birds of prey, snakes,
ocelots, and tayras. They use several behaviors to protect themselves from these predators.
They differentiate between the fecal scents of predators and non-predators in order
to avoid areas which may have predators in them. They use specific warning calls which
can alert others nearby if the threat is aerial or terrestrial. They sometimes mob
predators.
Ecosystem Roles
In its ecosystem,
Saguinus tripartitus
is important for its role as prey for larger animals. Most often these are birds
of prey. It also has a small role as a predator of insects and very small vertebrates.
It is also possible that the diet of
S. tripartitus
makes them important in seed dispersal and the pollination of flowers.
- Ecosystem Impact
- disperses seeds
- pollinates
Economic Importance for Humans: Positive
Saguinus tripartitus
individuals are sometimes kept as pets. Because they are small, they are rarely hunted
for food. They are also used as models in biomedical research.
- Positive Impacts
- pet trade
- research and education
Economic Importance for Humans: Negative
There are no known adverse effects of
Saguinus tripartitus
on humans.
Conservation Status
Saguinus tripartitus
is listed as "Near Threatened" by the International Union for Conservation of Nature
and Natural Resources (IUCN).
Saguinus tripartitus
occurs in remote forests along the Rio Yasuni. Human activities have not greatly
impacted these forests to date, with the exception of small petroleum prospecting
encampments. However, the recent discovery of petroleum in the area has led to the
construction of the Pompeya-Iro highway through the area, which has caused some concern
about future deforestation and development in the habitat of
S. tripartitus
. Due to projected high rates of deforestation, the population of
S. tripartitus
is expected to decline by twenty-five percent over the next eighteen years (three
generations).
Additional Links
Contributors
Justin Carter (author), University of Michigan-Ann Arbor, Lauren Hall (author), University of Michigan-Ann Arbor, Phil Myers (editor, instructor), Museum of Zoology, University of Michigan-Ann Arbor, Tanya Dewey (editor), Animal Diversity Web.
- Neotropical
-
living in the southern part of the New World. In other words, Central and South America.
- native range
-
the area in which the animal is naturally found, the region in which it is endemic.
- tropical
-
the region of the earth that surrounds the equator, from 23.5 degrees north to 23.5 degrees south.
- terrestrial
-
Living on the ground.
- rainforest
-
rainforests, both temperate and tropical, are dominated by trees often forming a closed canopy with little light reaching the ground. Epiphytes and climbing plants are also abundant. Precipitation is typically not limiting, but may be somewhat seasonal.
- endothermic
-
animals that use metabolically generated heat to regulate body temperature independently of ambient temperature. Endothermy is a synapomorphy of the Mammalia, although it may have arisen in a (now extinct) synapsid ancestor; the fossil record does not distinguish these possibilities. Convergent in birds.
- bilateral symmetry
-
having body symmetry such that the animal can be divided in one plane into two mirror-image halves. Animals with bilateral symmetry have dorsal and ventral sides, as well as anterior and posterior ends. Synapomorphy of the Bilateria.
- polyandrous
-
Referring to a mating system in which a female mates with several males during one breeding season (compare polygynous).
- cooperative breeder
-
helpers provide assistance in raising young that are not their own
- iteroparous
-
offspring are produced in more than one group (litters, clutches, etc.) and across multiple seasons (or other periods hospitable to reproduction). Iteroparous animals must, by definition, survive over multiple seasons (or periodic condition changes).
- sexual
-
reproduction that includes combining the genetic contribution of two individuals, a male and a female
- fertilization
-
union of egg and spermatozoan
- viviparous
-
reproduction in which fertilization and development take place within the female body and the developing embryo derives nourishment from the female.
- altricial
-
young are born in a relatively underdeveloped state; they are unable to feed or care for themselves or locomote independently for a period of time after birth/hatching. In birds, naked and helpless after hatching.
- arboreal
-
Referring to an animal that lives in trees; tree-climbing.
- diurnal
-
- active during the day, 2. lasting for one day.
- motile
-
having the capacity to move from one place to another.
- sedentary
-
remains in the same area
- territorial
-
defends an area within the home range, occupied by a single animals or group of animals of the same species and held through overt defense, display, or advertisement
- social
-
associates with others of its species; forms social groups.
- dominance hierarchies
-
ranking system or pecking order among members of a long-term social group, where dominance status affects access to resources or mates
- visual
-
uses sight to communicate
- acoustic
-
uses sound to communicate
- chemical
-
uses smells or other chemicals to communicate
- scent marks
-
communicates by producing scents from special gland(s) and placing them on a surface whether others can smell or taste them
- visual
-
uses sight to communicate
- tactile
-
uses touch to communicate
- acoustic
-
uses sound to communicate
- chemical
-
uses smells or other chemicals to communicate
- pet trade
-
the business of buying and selling animals for people to keep in their homes as pets.
- carnivore
-
an animal that mainly eats meat
- insectivore
-
An animal that eats mainly insects or spiders.
- herbivore
-
An animal that eats mainly plants or parts of plants.
- frugivore
-
an animal that mainly eats fruit
References
Abbot, D., J. Barrett, A. Belcher, et al.. 1993. Marmosets and Tamarins: Systematics, Behaviour, and Ecology . United States: Oxford University Press.
Emmons, L. 1990. Neotropical Rainforst Mammals . United States of America: The University of Chicago Press.
Grizmek, B. 2003. Family: New World Monkeys II. Pp. 127-128 in Grzimek's Animal Life Encylopedia , Vol. Volume 14, Second Edition. Detroit: Gale.
Hershkovitz, P. 1977. Living New World Monkeys (Platyrrhini) . Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
Heymann, E., M. Vasquez. 2001. Crested Eagle (Morphnus guianensis) Predation on Infant Tamarins (Saguinus mystax and Saguinus fuscicollis, Callitrichinae). International Journal of Primatology , 72: 301-303.
Rowe, N. 1996. The Pictorial Guide to the Living Primates . East Hampton, New York: Pogonias Press.
de la Torre, S., F. Cornejo. 2008. "IUCN 2008 Red List - Saguinus Tripartitus" (On-line). Accessed March 27, 2009 at http://www.iucnredlist.org/details/19824 .