Red Howler Monkey
To see pictures of animals click the blue dot..
Red Howler Monkey
To see pictures of animals click the blue dot..
Facts and Knowledge: The red howler monkey announces its presence in the early morning and evening with a call that is reputedly the loudest sound made by any land animal. The red howler monkey lives in troops high in the forest canopy. Each day the troop slowly threads its way through the branches of the trees, feeding almost continuously and occasionally uttering a stream of raucous howls.
Habits: The red howler monkey lives in troops of 5 to 40, led by a dominant older male. In the larger groups he is attended by a few adults and sub adults. The dominant male leads the troop through the middle of the canopy of the forest in search of food. The monkeys move very slowly, covering about a quarter a mile a day. They are most active in the morning and evening, resting in the hot midday hours and sleeping in trees at night. The howler monkey is best known for its loud roar, which is heard through the forest early in the morning and at various intervals during the day and toward dusk. The oldest and strongest of the males starts the dawn of howls.
Food and Feeding: The red howler monkey feeds almost entirely on leaves, supplemented with nuts, seeds, fruits, and flowers. Like other plant eaters, it can eat tough, fibrous vegetation. To cope with the large quantities it needs to eat, it has an enlarged intestine containing strong bacteria that quickly digest the food. The red howler monkey is a selective feeder, searching for young, tender leaves as well as mature, nutritious varieties. Be feeding selectively, and by conserving its energy with slow movements, it can live for several weeks on a diet of nothing but leaves. The howler monkey moves slowly through the treetops, pulling leaves off with its hands. A ruff of fur under the monkeys chin hides the bone responsible for it loud howl.
Breeding: The red howler monkey can breed any time. Both male and female usually pair with a number of mates. After a gestation of four and a half months the female gives birth to one young. Born fully furred, the baby clings to its mothers underside, so she can join the troop on its daily foraging. As he baby gets older, its clings onto its mother's back to travel and rides this way for at least a year. It is not fully weaned until it is 18 to 24 months old. A young male is usually driven out of a troop as he becomes sexually mature. He then looks for a new troop to take over. When he finds one, he often kills all the infants, probably to make sure his leadership is not threatened. The infant monkey us at risk from adult males, who often kill the young in their quest for troop dominance.
Special Adaptations: The howler monkeys roar in made by air being forced through the hyoid bone in its throat, which amplifies the sound, making it audible for more than a mile. This loud, distinctive call probably serves to announce the presence of one troop to another. This announcement helps to avoid open confrontation with other monkeys. It also serves to space troops throughout the forest, ensuring that there is an equal share of food for all.
Did you know?
The Cebidae family of monkeys includes the only
night active monkeys, some of the worlds cleverest non human primates,
and the only monkeys with grasping tails.
Howler monkeys have the widest distribution of
the America primates.
The howler monkeys roar can be heard for over
two miles in the forest.
Key Facts;
Sizes:
Head and body length: Male, 1 1/2 - 2
1/2 ft.
Tail length: 1
1/2 - 2 1/2 ft.
Weight; Male, 14 lbs, Female: 10 lbs
Breeding:
Sexual Maturity: 3 1/2 to 4 years
Mating Season: Any time of the year.
Gestation: 41/2 months
No. of young: 1 female gives birth every
2 years.
Lifestyle:
Habits: Day active. Lives in troops of
varying numbers.
Diet: Leaves, fruit, flowers, nuts, and
seeds. Occasionally small mammals, reptiles, and birds.
Lifespan: Not known.
Call: Extremely loud howl.
Related Species: There are 6 howler monkeys
in the genus.
Distribution: Found from northern Colombia
and the Guineas, south to the Amazon. Also from the Andes eat to Rio Madeira
and south to central Bolivia.
Conservation: Unlike some howler monkeys,
the red howler monkey is not listed as endangered. But its future is precarious
as long as the destruction of the South American rain forests continues.
Features of the Red Howler Monkey:
Coat: Long and silky with bright reddish
gold color.
Face: Naked, framed by fur with protruding
muzzle and squashed nose.
Arms and legs: Long but robust. The fully
developed hands are very strong and dexterous.
Tail: Long and muscular, adapted for gripping
branches. Heavily furred except for the underside of the end except for
the underside of the end third, which is naked.
Other Howlers:
Mantled Howler: Dark brown or black coat
with yellowish fringe on its flank. Found in Central America from Mexico
to Ecuador.
Black Howler: Black male and light brown
female. Has a quieter call than the red howler.
Return to Wildlife Menu HERE!!