Finding Mr. or Mrs. Right in today’s day and age isn’t an easy task. With the success of the Internet, dating apps such as Tinder and Bumble have taken the place of matchmaking services for purposes of convenience. The skilled biologists at Moody Gardens have recently added matchmaker to their resumes as they successfully paired up and introduced two fuzzy Cotton-top Tamarins in the Rainforest Pyramid. This is a difficult feat as this process requires information to be sorted through an extensive database to find the ideal match. Both Victor and Gracie immediately took a liking to one another; so much so that he sweetly observed and presented his new lady’s favorite flower to her. Gracie willingly accepted the gift as her afternoon snack.
The Moody Gardens curatorial staff is very hopeful that the two will breed in the future. Tamarins thrive on companionship and usually live in large groups, with sometimes as many as fifteen members. Typically, female Tamarins give birth to non-identical twins and the father will take part in caring for the infant by carrying it on its back. Infant Tamarins are about 15-20% of the weight of an adult Tamarin so it will certainly be an endearing sight to see as you can imagine!
Native to the South American country of Colombia these petite primates spend most of their time in treetops feasting on fruit, bugs and flowers. Approximately 9 inches in height, they are among the smallest of the primates that are easily identified by their white flowing head of hair. Although small, these primates can produce close to 40 different vocalizations when communicating with family or other fellow Tamarins. The Cotton-top Tamarins reside in the Moody Gardens Rainforest Pyramid. This exhibit is home to various birds, mammals, amphibians and reptiles native to the rainforests around the world. Offering canopy and ground level views this immersive environment gives guests a one-of-a-kind experience.
Having visited the tropical house and aquarium at Moody Gardens a few times with my kids, I’ve been generally very impressed with these facilities. In many ways, the location deserves to make the claim, on its website:
“Today Moody Gardens® is one of the premier educational/leisure facilities in the Southwest.”
I was disappointed, therefore, to receive an email from Moody Gardens this morning, proclaiming that “baby tortoises predict super bowl winner.” I would have thought it much more in line with Moody Gardens’ educational aspirations to make a very clear point that this is not how zoology works, and that such a procedure as that described in the email is absolutely not a valid method for acquiring knowledge.
Superb content. Expect to incorporate this.