Which Brazilian rainforest mammal has a golden mane and is named for a lion?

The golden lion tamarin is the Brazilian rainforest mammal named for its lion-like golden mane.

This small New World monkey is endemic to Brazil’s Atlantic coastal forests, especially remnants of the Atlantic Forest in Rio de Janeiro state. Its scientific name is Leontopithecus rosalia, and its bright orange-gold fur surrounds the face like a mane.

Golden lion tamarins live in family groups and use all four limbs, as well as their long tails, while moving through the canopy. They eat fruit, nectar, flowers, insects, and other small animals. Tree holes and dense vegetation provide important sleeping and foraging sites.

Habitat loss once reduced the species to a small wild population, but captive breeding, reintroduction, forest restoration, and protected areas have improved its outlook. It remains endangered, and fragmented forest makes movement between groups difficult.