The experience gained by the juveniles assisting in the care of the infants is essential in developing the skills necessary in rearing their own young when they mature. Adults of the same sex are extremely aggressive toward one another. The adult male and female of a group form permanent pair bonds. Tamarins tend to be monogamous and remain with the same mate. This breeding pair forms the base for a family group of two to eight family members, with temporary associations of 15-16.
Tamarins have a wide variety of vocalizations which they use in communicating in the dense forest.
Reproduction by subordinate females is suppressed behaviorally by the dominant female in a group. Day Exhibit Golden lion tamarins are on exhibit in the Day Exhibit building. Also clustered at the Day and Night Exhibits are the majority of the zoo's amphibians and reptiles. The Day Exhibit's day-active species are found in deserts, temperate and tropical regions from around the world. The animals found at the Night Exhibit are especially adapted to hunt and forage at night.