This little fella is a Golden Handed Tamarin (Saguinus midas) , isn't he cute! Tamarins are about the size of a small cat and have really long tails to help them balance while in the trees. Note the yellow fur on the hands and feet. This is the species of monkey that Chihiro and Michael are studying. There is a group of 11 that pass right by the field station each morning, so that is really exciting for research purposes. This very morning, I saw them three times while walking in the forest!
Another new development with my internship has come up as a result of the tamrin research. Chihiro, a Phd student, asked me to be her field research assistant, so I'll be going out into the forest each morning to look for the tamrins and help her with her research. This morning was my first day "on the job", and we spent the entire morning walking through the freshly cut trails and looking for the monkeys. We spotted them several times (it's SO exciting when you first find them), and then observed their movement and group size. This is an amazing opportunity for me to get some real field experience, and I get to spend a lot of time in the rain forest. I'll be doing field work with Chihiro in the mornings and working on the garden in the afternoons.
When I return to the city, I'll be sure to upload some pictures of me and Chihiro, and of the field research center.
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