Northern brown howler facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Northern brown howler |
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| Conservation status | |
Scientific classification  |
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| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Primates |
| Suborder: | Haplorhini |
| Infraorder: | Simiiformes |
| Family: | Atelidae |
| Genus: | Alouatta |
| Species: | |
| Subspecies: |
A. g. guariba
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| Trinomial name | |
| Alouatta guariba guariba (Humboldt, 1812)
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The northern brown howler (Alouatta guariba guariba) is a special type of brown howler monkey. It lives only in Brazil. Sadly, this monkey is in great danger. There are fewer than 250 of them left. They mostly live near the Jequitinhonha River.
These monkeys eat fruits, flowers, and young leaves. Young leaves are easier for them to digest. Finding food in hilly areas takes more energy than in flat valleys.
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Where Do Northern Brown Howlers Live?
The northern brown howler lives only in Brazil. You can find them in the Minas Gerais province. They also live in the southern part of Bahia state. Their home stretches from the Atlantic coast. It goes inland to the Rio Pardo and Águas Vermelhas areas. To the west and south, they live near the Jequitinhonha River. This area is part of Brazil's coastal rainforest.
These monkeys prefer living high in the trees of old forests. But they can also live in forests that have grown back. They can even adapt to places where humans have changed the habitat. Some might also live in the northern part of Espírito Santo province. It seems they used to live in a much wider area.
Protected Homes for Howlers
Northern brown howlers live in some protected places. One important place is the Mata Escura Biological Reserve. Other rare animals live there too. These include the northern muriqui and the golden-bellied capuchin.
However, this reserve is near towns and farms. It faces problems like illegal logging. People also hunt animals there. Wildfires happen more often, hurting the forest. It is not clear if these monkeys live in other protected areas. This is because we don't know their exact southern boundary.
What Are Northern Brown Howlers Like?
Brown howler monkeys are famous for their very loud roars. You can hear their calls from over a mile away! They live in small family groups. These groups stay high up in the forest canopy. Male howlers are usually bigger than the females.
Amazing Tails and Diet
These monkeys have long, strong tails. They can use their tails like an extra hand. The underside of their tail tip has no hair. This helps them grip branches. They can even hang from their tail while eating!
Northern brown howlers mostly eat leaves and fruit. They get food from many different trees and plants. They especially like Ficus, Zanthoxylum, and Eugenia plants. But they are flexible eaters. They also munch on stems, buds, flowers, seeds, and even moss.
Why Are Northern Brown Howlers Endangered?
The International Union for Conservation of Nature says this monkey is critically endangered. This means they are at very high risk of disappearing forever. There are several reasons why they are in such trouble.
Their home range is very small. Humans have also had a big impact on their forest homes. Forests are cut down to make room for cattle farms. This breaks the forest into many small pieces. People also hunt these monkeys for food. Fires further damage their habitat.
Scientists believe there are fewer than 250 northern brown howlers left. Even fewer are adult monkeys that can have babies. This makes it very hard for their population to grow.
