Brazilian tamarins offer lessons on how to return species to the wild

Atlantic Forest: A diverse South American rainforest. Like the Amazon forest, it too is home to unique species of plants and animals. Among them: jaguars, toucans, tamarins and sloths. The huge Atlantic Forest runs down the eastern coast of Brazil. Then it continues inland into Argentina and Paraguay.

behavior: The way something (often a person or other organism) conducts itself or acts towards others.

biologist: A scientist involved in the study of living things.

breed: (noun) Animals within the same species that are so genetically similar that they produce reliable and characteristic traits. German shepherds and dachshunds, for instance, are examples of dog breeds. (verb) To produce offspring through reproduction.

captive breeding: The breeding of an animal, often a species threatened with extinction, in a protected environment. The species is often raised in part to supply animals for reintroduction back into the wild.

census: An official count or survey of a population.

conservation: (v. conserve) The act of preserving or protecting something. The focus of this work can range from art objects to endangered species and other aspects of the natural environment.

conservation biologist: A scientist who investigates ways to help preserve ecosystems and especially species that are in danger of extinction.

development: (in biology) The growth of an organism from conception through adulthood, often undergoing changes in chemistry, size and sometimes even shape.

endangered: An adjective used to describe species at risk of going extinct.

extinction: (adj. extinct) The permanent loss of a species, family or larger group of organisms.

forest: An area of land covered mostly with trees and other woody plants.

insect: A type of arthropod that as an adult will have six segmented legs and three body parts: a head, thorax and abdomen. There are hundreds of thousands of insects, which include bees, beetles, flies and moths.

native: Associated with a particular location; native plants and animals have been found in a particular location since recorded history began. These species also tend to have developed within a region, occurring there naturally (not because they were planted or moved there by people). Most are particularly well adapted to their environment.

primate: The order of mammals that includes humans, apes, monkeys and related animals (such as tarsiers, the Daubentonia and other lemurs).

radio: Referring to radio waves, or the device that receives these transmissions. Radio waves are a part of the electromagnetic spectrum that people often use for long-distance communication. Longer than the waves of visible light, radio waves are used to transmit radio and television signals. They also are used in radar. Many astronomical objects also radiate some of their energy as radio waves.

species: A group of similar organisms capable of producing offspring that can survive and reproduce.

strategy: A thoughtful and clever plan for achieving some difficult or challenging goal.