Their faces are dark and hairless. Behavior Golden lion tamarins prefer upper canopy regions of the rainforest. They can leap or jump with unbelievable speed from branch to branch. Even captive tamarins prefer to stay up as high as possible in their enclosures. Like all tamarins, they are very sensitive to direct sunlight and, in the free living state, will retreat into the dense foilage during the hottest hours of the day.
Tamarins make a variety of vocalizations.
The most common are a shrill whistle, chirring, descending trills, whines, and clucks. The female gives birth during the rainy season when food is more abundant. Twins are common. The young will then only return to the mother to nurse. Lifespan About 14 years.