Tamarins live in family groups. The older twins stay a long time with their family helping their parents take care of the children. Both parents care for new-borns. The father takes care of the tiny babies by carrying them on his back. Mothers nurse babies every two to three hours.
Tamarins live in Eastern forests of Brazil.
Lion tamarins are losing their homes because of habitat destruction. This part of Brazil was one of the first areas to be colonized. Crowding in the surrounding cities makes people want to move to rural areas, the rainforest. New rainforest settlers trying to make a living as farmers clear rainforest, the home of tamarins, to grow cash crops. Agriculture, industry and urban expansion all threaten the habitats of lion tamarins.