# Red-handed tamarin (*Saguinus midas*) The red-handed tamarin is a small monkey with bright orange hands and feet. They love to live in trees and are very playful, often jumping around with their friends in the forest. - **Category:** [Mammals](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/mammal) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 2/5 · Low - **Habitat:** Forests - **Also known as:** Golden-handed tamarin ![Red-handed tamarin](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Saguinus_midas_flk24863753.jpg&width=800) Photo: Frank Wouters, CC BY 2.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Saguinus_midas_flk24863753.jpg) ## Appearance The Red-handed tamarin has a striking black body with vibrant reddish-orange hands and feet, making them look like they're wearing bright gloves. Its face is dark and hairless. This small monkey's distinct coloration helps it stand out in the rainforest. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Animalia - **Phylum:** Chordata - **Class:** Mammalia - **Order:** Primates - **Family:** Callitrichidae - **Genus:** Saguinus ## Interesting facts - Dad and big siblings do most of the baby-carrying! Wow! - Red-handed tamarins love to lick sweet tree sap as a yummy snack! Wow! - Their amazing grip lets them quickly scamper up smooth tree trunks! Wow! - These tiny monkeys almost always have twins! Wow! ## Special abilities - **Shared Baby Care:** Red-handed tamarins have shared parenting that helps raise twins efficiently, with all group members helping out. - **Agile Climber:** Red-handed tamarins can quickly leap through trees because of their strong legs and claws, helping them escape predators. - **Scent Messaging:** Red-handed tamarins have special glands that help them mark territory, sending important messages to other tamarins. - **Mixed-Species Foraging:** Red-handed tamarins can forage with other monkey species, which helps them find food and spot predators. ## Measurements & details - **Length:** 20-28 cm - **Weight:** 0.4-0.55 kg - **Lifespan:** 10-18 years - **Speed:** 20 km/h - **Litter Size:** 1-3 - **Gestation:** 140-145 days ## Diet & Feeding They enjoy a varied diet of juicy fruits, tasty insects, and even tree sap! - **Primary Foods:** Fruits, Insects, Nectar, Tree sap, Small lizards, Bird eggs - **Foraging Method:** Foraging ## Ecological connections - **Eats:** Giant fig (*Ficus insipida*) — for its sweet, juicy fruits. - **Eaten by:** [Harpy Eagle](https://www.snappit.app/explore/harpy-eagle) (*Harpia harpyja*) — as a powerful raptor predator. - **Symbiotic with:** [White-faced saki](https://www.snappit.app/explore/white-faced-saki) (*Pithecia pithecia*) — for joint foraging and predator watch. - **Eats:** Leaf-cutter Ant (*Atta cephalotes*) — for protein-rich insect meals. ## Traits - [Furry](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/furry): Furry describes animals possessing a dense covering of soft hair or fur. - [Social](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/social): Social animals live in organized groups, cooperating for survival benefits such as foraging, defense, and raising offspring. - [Omnivorous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/omnivorous): This trait identifies organisms whose diet includes both plant and animal matter. - [Arboreal](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/arboreal): Arboreal animals live primarily in trees, utilizing them for shelter, food, and protection from predators. - [Colorful](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/colorful): Colorful describes organisms or objects displaying a wide range of bright and distinct colors. - [Forest](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/forest): Forest habitats are terrestrial environments dominated by dense tree cover, supporting a high diversity of plant and animal life. - [Rainforest](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/rainforest): This habitat trait refers to species found in tropical rainforests, characterized by high annual rainfall, high biodiversity, and dense tree cover. - [Diurnal](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/diurnal): Diurnal animals are primarily active during daylight hours, typically resting or sleeping at night. - [Endangered](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/endangered): Endangered status indicates a species is at a very high risk of extinction in the wild in the near future. ## Collections - [Mammals](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/mammals) ## Safety **Danger:** 2/5 · Low These monkeys are wild animals, so it's best to watch them from a distance and not try to touch them. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify Red-handed tamarin? Compare ears, muzzle, tail, feet and coat markings. Size is hard to judge without something nearby for scale, and young mammals may not have adult coloring yet. Mammal Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details. ### How long is Red-handed tamarin? 20-28 cm ### How much does Red-handed tamarin weigh? 0.4-0.55 kg ### How long does Red-handed tamarin live? 10-18 years ### How fast can Red-handed tamarin move? 20 km/h ### What does Red-handed tamarin eat? They enjoy a varied diet of juicy fruits, tasty insects, and even tree sap! ### Where is Red-handed tamarin usually found? Forests ### How does Red-handed tamarin hunt? Foraging ## Where to spot - [Zoo Kaiserslautern](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/zoo-kaiserslautern) — Rheinland-Pfalz, DE · Zoo - [Tier- & Freizeitpark Jaderpark](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/jaderpark) — Niedersachsen, DE · Zoo ## More Mammals - [Eastern Fox Squirrel](https://www.snappit.app/explore/eastern-fox-squirrel) (*Sciurus niger*) - [Eastern Cottontail](https://www.snappit.app/explore/eastern-cottontail) (*Sylvilagus floridanus*) - [Eastern Chipmunk](https://www.snappit.app/explore/eastern-chipmunk) (*Tamias striatus*) - [California Ground Squirrel](https://www.snappit.app/explore/california-ground-squirrel) (*Otospermophilus beecheyi*) --- Source: [Red-handed tamarin: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/red-handed-tamarin)