When I see photographs of monkeys I think they’re at least the size of chimpanzees but this monkey, native to Panama and northern Colombia, is only the size of a squirrel.
Geoffroy’s tamarins (Saguinus geoffroyi) are small colorful members of the marmoset family with bodies only 9 inches long but tails up to 15 inches. They live together in family groups of three to five individuals, traveling through the trees to find their favorite foods of insects and fruit. The brave ones visit bird feeders.
Bird feeders in the tropics are different from ours at home. Pennsylvania birds are attracted to seeds, suet and mealworms but tropical birds eat fruit so Panamanians put bananas, mangoes and papaya in their feeders. This inevitably attracts the monkeys.
At Cerro Azul we met a homeowner who feeds Geoffroy’s tamarins in her backyard every day. If she isn’t quick to fill the feeders they whine at her from the trees, but they are shy and won’t come down unless she is alone.
We all stood far away and Donna Foyle took pictures while the homeowner stabbed fruit chunks with the tip of a knife to hand it to the monkeys. Later she handed fruit to them directly.
Squirrels are scarce in the Panamanian jungle. We saw only one in Panama and it was at the airport hotel. So Geoffroy’s tamarins fill the niche of squirrels at the bird feeders.
These “squirrels” have thumbs!
Read more here about Geoffroy’s tamarin and see a photo of one with a baby on its back.
(photos taken at Cerro Azul on 23 March 2018 by Donna Foyle)
Oh my! That little face, how cute!
Great photos Donna Foyle!
Can’t wait to see more of your adventure.
They had these at the Aqua Zoo at the Pittsburgh Zoo running free in the vegetation behind the tanks. I would go there in the mid 70s with a basket of fruit, bread and snacks. They would jump from the rocks behind Chuckles the dolphin’s tank to the floor above where I was waiting. They would sit on the side of the basket and eat grapes. Right beside me! Too many people started to gather and try to pet them. The Zoo put a fence barricade up and the monkeys could no longer jump over. I always felt bad about that. Loved those little monkeys.
Welcome back! Looking forward to more pictures and news of Panama!
Thank you Kate for very informative blog and beautiful pictures by Donna of the little cute monkeys , we had good time watching them .