Tamarin - Tamarin (English spelling)

A general term for animals in the genus Saguinus, family Marmosets, order Primates, class Mammalia. Members of this genus Saguinus are small monkeys about the size of a squirrel, just like marmosets. There is a remarkable variation in the growth and color of their body hair, and in the past several genera and many species were created, but now they are classified into one genus and 11 species. There are 32 subspecies. They are found in Panama, northwestern Colombia, most of the Amazon River basin, and the Guiana region, but not in the Orinoco River basin. They mainly eat fruits and insects, and although not as much as marmosets, they also eat tree sap and resin. The black-necked tamarin S. nigricollis and the spotted tamarin S. fuscicollis have been reported to be obsessed with searching for insects, especially grasshoppers and crickets. They live in small groups of several individuals, but several of these can join together to form larger local groups.

[Nishimura Akitatsu]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

哺乳(ほにゅう)綱霊長目マーモセット科タマリン属に含まれる動物の総称。この属Saguinusの仲間は、マーモセットと同様、リスぐらいの小形のサルである。体毛の生え方と色の変異が著しく、かつては数属と多数の種が設けられたが、現在では1属11種にまとめられている。亜種数は32。パナマ、コロンビア北西部、アマゾン川流域の大部分、およびギアナ地区に分布するが、オリノコ川流域にはいない。果実と昆虫を主食とし、マーモセットほどではないが樹液や樹脂も食べる。クロクビタマリンS. nigricollisとセマダラタマリンS. fuscicollisは、昆虫、とくにバッタやコオロギ探しに熱中するという報告がある。数頭の小集団で暮らすが、これがいくつか集まってより大きな地域集団をつくることがある。

［西邨顕達］

出典　小学館　日本大百科全書(ニッポニカ)日本大百科全書(ニッポニカ)について　情報 | 凡例