Adelaide Zoo Tamarins and Marmosets at Adelaide

last i knew of they had four - a pair and their two offspring. although sometime called "black lion tamarins" i think its a bit misleading as there is (if i remember right) another truly black species of lion tamarin. the adelaide animals are black with golden heads, hence the alternate name of "golden-headed lion tamarin". no other zoo in australia has acquired this species and i doubt they will. in fact, bar a couple of imports/births even the golden lions haven't been faring so well in the last few years.
 
Yahuh!

i have also seen one that has a gold rim around teh back of its neck, can anyone clarify this, Fact Finder?
 
my mistake ben,

just looked them up on isis, adelaide has 3 Leontopithecus chrysopygus which is indeed known as the black lion, as it is the blackest of the lion tamarin family.

where i got confused was that the species does have, as you say a golden rump, and thus they are also known as the "golden-rumped lion tamarin"

the golden-headed is another species with a very similar latin name.

they look great. wish more zoos committed to them.
 
i think they are something taht make a great exhibt what better contrast in adjoining exhbits black and gold!
 
yes whole heartedly agreed.

wouldn't it be nice if we had two representatives of each of the tamarin/marmoset families?

emps/cottontops - saguinus
black lions/golden lions - Leontopithecus
pygmy/common marmosets - callithrix
 
Good thinking Pat, Marmoset villages, well its not like they are that hard to house, some zoos dont 'house' them at all!
 
no, and as i mentioned before, doesn't it seem ridiculous that our zoos still are not managing to get support for such small species?

considering that things like golden cats/loris/tamarins can be housed in enclosures as small and simple as the ones we build birds and cats in our backyards, doesn't it seem bizarre that zoos that can afford "oranguatan sanctuaries", "great southern oceans" and "elephant forests" can't seem to find the resources to keep a pair of common marmosets?

i think the problem is this attitude of mega-exhibiting everything. it seems we can't have an exhibit these days without a glass front. for the sake of a total regional collapse of animals, don't you think our zoos could just put aside some money to build some generic carnivore and small mammal enclosures? even if they are off at some open range zoo?

surely they are not going to be as bad as some certain baboon and spider monkey exhibits i know of....
 
i just wrote that on the melbourne thread.
a core of mega-exhibits with a periphery of conservation breeding units for breeding more endangered species in less immersive settings, either on or off display reinforcing links to other agencies and in-situ projects and this aspect of the zoos agendas.

save the golden cats
 
Talking about small exhibits for smaller animals, Pat could you tell me why you dislike the small cats range at Mel.? After visiting today I don't really see anything wrong with them, other than being a bit small.
Thanks
Jay
 
After visiting today I don't really see anything wrong with them, other than being a bit small.

and there lies your answer. except i probably would not have said "a bit small" and instead described them as "very small".

i noticed on my last visit that some species, such as the binturongs, have landed "double cages", the zoo having removed some of the preexisting dividers between the cages, so its gotten a bit better.

but thats essentially it jay. i have no problems with "rows".. in fact they are quite enjoyable to walk along. only the small cat exhibits are tiny i think.

they would be much more suitable for things like tree-shrews, squirrels and marmosets etc...

you visited melbourne today? how was the marine development going? i hope you give us a review....:)
 
you visited melbourne today? how was the marine development going? i hope you give us a review....:)

I couldn't really see much and as I was with someone who is not a zoo fanatic like us I couldn't really go wandering off looking for better views etc. The area that it will be in seems fairly large.

I have to say that the gardens at the front path look pathetic though I fully understand why.


Saw the peccaries and watched the baby hoover up everything it could find. It is about half the size of the adults now.

Went for a wander alng the cats row and couldn't find the clouded leopard, then discovered her in the small cats section which I thought was a bit odd. Saw the black jaguar (or leopard) moving around looking very magnificent.

Avoided the baboons.

What's happening in the food court area where the heritage cage that once used to have macaws in it? Is that area going to become part of the marine enviroment?

The gibbons were calling madly, attracting everyone. The little baby is almost three moths old now. There were three orangs, all sitting on the ground (Dad, bub and mother?), it looks really weird to watch them on the ground when you know they should be up in the 'trees'.

The elephants (dare I talk about them?) were magnificant to watch. Bong Su was with the four females and very interested in one of them (Dokkoon?), she was backing into him, lifting her right hind leg and waving it at him, trumpeting a bit. He was sniffing her but not mounting. Another of the females was interfering, pushing the first out of the way and rying to manouver herself into position. The bunch of school boys watching was LOVING it, egging Su on and making ribald comments (damn 10 year olds know too much:rolleyes:), their female classmates were horrified and I heard at least two of the girls saying they couldn't watch. I love listening to those comments. Cityfolk:D

Saw two of he tigers, the cubs probably, playing around and stalking people.
The pygmy hippo exhibit still looks really great, from a visitor perspective I think it is a great design. Poor old Monkey treetops looks rundown. The female WF Gibbon was hanging at the front glass watching people while her mate was swinging round all over the place, both putting on a good show. Lots of people watching them.

Going again on Friday morning.

Sorry this should be in a different thread, could it be moved?
 
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Adelaide seems to be the only zoo in the region truly committed to tamarins; the others are rather half-hearted.

You're right, glyn and patrick, a few aviary type enclosures are not going to "break the bank" (jeez I love that expression!)

The only species which is thriving is the cotton-topped. According to ISIS there are 83 cottons in the region.

I'll have a bit of a gripe now and say that Aussie zoos generally (apart from Adelaide) seem to be quite happy to let the smaller species slide. If it's not big and spectacular, no-one in authority seems interested. (I've already mentioned the pygmy mongoose. Adelaide has battled on alone with this species for years).

Adelaide also seems to be the only place where you can see a decent representation of exotic lories.
 
Good point Ara. The 4 species of marmosets/tamarins at the Adelaide Zoo are entertaining to watch, and primates in general are consistently exciting for zoo visitors because they hardly ever stop moving! I'm not sure why more zoos don't focus on the tiny monkeys of the world, as they only require modest-sized enclosures and are a huge hit with children of all ages. There are also a large number of zoos around the world that have had a lot of success with breeding marmosets or tamarins.
 
i guess its a matter of priority. im a big fan of tamarins and marmosets too, but realistically managin 80+ individuals of 4 species across the region is a big ask.
they may be small, but Australia itself has plenty of small mammals of its own needing intensive CBP and resources which, for the moment, many species of tamarins are already receiving under EEPs and SSPs.
the current focus on Cotton Top Tamarins is feasible, and populations of Emporer Tamarins and Pygmy Marmosets are strong too. but there are probably greater priorities over other tamarin species being established in Australian zoos.
 
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