Howler monkey Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids Howler monkeys

Brown howler monkey
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Mammalia
Order:	Primates
Suborder:	Haplorhini
Infraorder:	Simiiformes
Family:	Atelidae
Subfamily:	Alouattinae Trouessart, 1897 (1825)
Genus:	*Alouatta* Lacepede, 1799
Type species
Simia belzebul Linnaeus, 1766
Species
See text

Alouatta distribution
Synonyms
Mycetes Illiger, 1811 Stentor É. Geoffroy, 1812

Howler monkeys are a type of monkey found in the forests of South and Central America. They are known for their incredibly loud calls, which can travel up to three miles through the thick rainforest. These monkeys are among the largest of the New World monkeys. There are 15 different types, or species, of howler monkeys. They mostly eat leaves, but they also enjoy fruits. When they eat fruit, they help spread seeds, which helps new plants grow in the forest.

Types of Howler Monkeys
Howler Monkey Body and Senses
- How Howler Monkeys Move
Howler Monkey Behavior
Howler Monkeys and Humans
Images for kids
See also

Types of Howler Monkeys

Howler monkeys belong to a group called Alouatta. Scientists have identified 15 different species of howler monkeys. These species are divided into three main groups. Each group includes several types of howler monkeys that live in different parts of Central and South America.

Some well-known howler monkey species include:

The Mantled howler (Alouatta palliata), found from Colombia to Mexico.
The Guatemalan black howler (Alouatta pigra), living in Belize, Guatemala, and Mexico.
The Venezuelan red howler (Alouatta seniculus), found in Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Brazil.
The Black howler (Alouatta caraya), which lives in Paraguay, Brazil, Bolivia, Argentina, and Uruguay.

Howler Monkey Body and Senses

A male mantled howler

Howler monkeys have short faces and wide noses. Their noses are very good at smelling, helping them find food like fruits and nuts from up to two kilometers away. They are about 56 to 92 centimeters (22 to 36 inches) long, not including their tails. Their tails can be just as long, sometimes even five times their body length!

Like many New World monkeys, howler monkeys have prehensile tails. This means their tails can grip things, acting like an extra hand. They use their tails to hold onto branches while they pick fruit and nuts. Unlike some other New World monkeys, both male and female howler monkeys can see colors very well, just like humans. They usually live for about 15 to 20 years. Male howler monkeys are typically a bit bigger and heavier than females.

A howler monkey skull

How Howler Monkeys Move

Howler monkeys usually move around by walking on top of branches using all four limbs. They are very careful, always holding onto a branch with at least two hands, or one hand and their strong tail. Their tails are so strong they can hold the monkey's entire body weight! Adult howler monkeys don't often hang by their tails completely, but younger monkeys do it more often. They also spend a lot of time sitting and resting.

Howler Monkey Behavior

A Bolivian red howler (Alouatta sara)

Living in Groups

Most howler monkeys live in groups of six to 15 animals. These groups usually have one to three adult males and several females. One type, the Mantled howler, often lives in larger groups of 15 to 20 monkeys with more than three adult males.

Female howler monkeys can have babies with different males in their group, or even with males from other groups. Unlike many other monkeys, young howler monkeys, both male and female, often leave their birth groups. This means that adult howler monkeys might spend most of their lives with monkeys they are not related to.

Howler monkeys don't fight much within their groups, and when they do, it's usually short. Serious injuries are rare. Males and females rarely fight each other. The size of a group can change depending on the species and where they live. Usually, there's about one male for every four females.

How Howler Monkeys Talk

A pair of black howler monkeys (Alouatta caraya) vocalising

As their name suggests, howler monkeys are famous for their loud calls. They have a special bone in their throat called a hyoid bone that helps them make these powerful sounds. Males in a group usually howl at dawn and dusk, and sometimes throughout the day. Their main calls are deep, guttural growls or "howls."

Howler monkeys are thought to be the loudest land animals. Their calls can be heard clearly for three miles! Scientists believe they howl to tell other groups where their territory is and to protect their space. They might also howl to protect their mates. Howlers often call when they are in areas with lots of food, like fruit trees. This tells other monkeys that the area is taken and they are ready to defend it. Black howler monkeys even use their calls to share information about how much food is available and where their neighbors are.

What Howler Monkeys Eat

An ursine howler

These large, slow-moving monkeys are the only New World monkeys that mainly eat leaves. Howlers mostly eat leaves from the tops of trees. They also eat fruits, buds, flowers, and nuts. They have to be careful not to eat too many leaves from certain plants at once, as some can be poisonous. Howler monkeys have also been known to sometimes raid bird nests and chicken coops to eat eggs.

When howler monkeys live in smaller groups and there is less rain, they eat more fruit. In larger groups and with more rain, they eat less fruit because there is more competition for it. When they digest fruit, over 90% of the seeds pass through them unharmed. This helps spread seeds and grow new plants in tropical forests.

Where Howler Monkeys Sleep

Howler monkeys usually sleep in the upper-middle parts of trees. They prefer large branches, which allows them to sleep together in groups. These large branches also offer protection from bad weather and reduce the risk of the branch breaking. They often choose sleeping spots that are close to where they plan to eat the next morning.

Howler Monkeys and Humans

Howler monkeys are not usually aggressive towards humans. However, brown howler monkeys do not do well when kept as pets and can be unfriendly. The black howler monkey (Alouatta caraya) is sometimes kept as a pet in Argentina because it is generally gentle. However, they are not as smart as some other monkeys, and their loud calls can be a problem.

Long ago, the ancient Maya people thought howler monkeys were special. They believed these monkeys were divine patrons of artists, especially scribes and sculptors. In some tribes, howler monkeys were seen as gods, and their long, sleek tails were admired for their beauty. The Maya ruins of Copán are famous for their carvings of howler monkey gods. Two howler monkey brothers are also important characters in the Maya myth of the Maya Hero Twins, which is told in the Popol Vuh.