The cotton-top tamarin is a small New World monkey. It is native to the jungles of Colombia and it is named for the white crest of hair on its head. The monkey's diet consists of plant fluids such as tree sap, as well as fruit and the occasional insect. Tamarins are very social animals, with groups containing up to nine individuals. The monkey is critically endangered in the wild as a result of habitat destruction and being captured for the pet trade. Their natural predators include snakes, wild cats and birds of prey.