ABSTRACT
Due to its unique natural history and physiology, the cotton-top tamarin is one of the most important primate models for biomedical research, and has been used for laboratory research on numerous maladies, from Epstein-Barr virus to colitis and colon cancer. This chapter discusses the taxonomy, distribution, natural history, and conservation status of the Colombian cotton-top tamarin in the wild. In broad strokes, the distribution of the cotton-top tamarin extends from the eastern bank of the Atrato River to the western bank of the Cauca and lower Magdalena Rivers, bounded by the Colombian Caribbean coast to the north. The threats to wild cotton-top tamarins are many and can be characterized as direct pressures to the animals themselves or threats which derive from the loss or alteration of habitat. Cotton-tops are one of the best-represented primate species in captive collections, and one of the best studied by a number of disciplines.
