ABSTRACT
Breeding efforts intensified in the 1970s because the animals became less readily available from the wild and researchers desired animals that were of known age and parasite-free. The species most commonly used and bred included the cotton-top tamarin, the saddle-backed tamarin, the white-lipped tamarin, and the common marmoset. Successful captive breeding of the cotton-top tamarin became particularly crucial as this species was declared endangered by its country of origin, Colombia, in 1972 and then by the U. S. in 1976. Substantial improvements have occurred in callitrichid production and better definition of the reproductive potential of callitrichids in general and the cotton-top tamarin in particular have been recognized. The improved reproductive performance associated with housing in larger cages may be due to a combination of factors, including reduced crowding stress and larger, more complex family groups. Maintenance of genetic base should be possible that research have provided an understanding of the physical, nutritional, and social environment in which cotton-top tamarin will thrive.
