Yucatán black howler facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Yucatán black howler |
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| Cayo district, Belize | |
| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Alouatta
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| Species: |
pigra
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| Distribution of Alouatta pigra | |
| Synonyms | |
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The Yucatán black howler (Alouatta pigra) is a type of howler monkey found in Central America. You can find these monkeys in Belize, Guatemala, and Mexico, especially around the Yucatán Peninsula. They live in different kinds of forests, including evergreen and lowland rainforests. In Belize, people sometimes call them "baboons," but they are not related to the baboons found in Africa.
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What Does It Look Like?
The Yucatán black howler is the biggest howler monkey species. It's also one of the largest New World monkeys. Male Yucatán black howlers are bigger than any other monkey species in Central America.
On average, males weigh about 11.4 kilograms (25 pounds), and females weigh around 6.4 kilograms (14 pounds). Their bodies are between 52 and 64 centimeters (20 to 25 inches) long, not counting their tails. Their tails are quite long, measuring between 59 and 69 centimeters (23 to 27 inches). Both adult males and females have long, black fur. They also have a special tail called a prehensile tail, which they can use to grip branches like an extra hand. Baby howlers have brown fur. Male howlers over four months old have white scrotums.
Special Adaptations
Yucatán black howlers have special features that help them eat mostly leaves. Their molar teeth have sharp edges that are great for cutting up tough leaves.
Male howlers also have a large bone near their vocal cords called a hyoid bone. This bone makes their calls very loud. This helps them find other males without using too much energy. This is important because leaves don't give them a lot of energy. They usually howl at sunrise and sunset.
Daily Life and Habitat
The Yucatán black howler is active during the day (this is called diurnal) and lives in trees (this is called arboreal). They live in groups that usually have one or two adult males and a few more females. A typical group has between two and 10 members, including young monkeys. However, some groups can have as many as 16 members.
Each group has a home area that is usually between 3 and 25 hectares (about 7 to 62 acres). In some places, like the Community Baboon Sanctuary in Belize, you can find more than 250 monkeys in just one square kilometer!
What Do They Eat?
The Yucatán black howler's diet is mainly made up of leaves and fruit. They also eat a small amount of flowers. During certain times of the year, a tree called the breadnut tree can provide up to 86% of their food.
How They Spend Their Day
Like other howler monkeys, the Yucatán black howler spends most of its day resting. They spend about a quarter of their day eating and about 10% of their day moving around. The rest of their time is spent socializing and doing other activities.
Life Cycle
Female Yucatán black howlers are ready to have babies when they are about four years old. Males become ready to have babies between six and eight years old. When males become adults, they usually leave the group they were born into. Females, however, usually stay with their birth group. These monkeys can live for up to 20 years.
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A Yucatán black howler eating in Belize.
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Another howler monkey eating in Guatemala.
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A mother howler monkey with her baby in Guatemala.
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Why Are They Endangered?
The Yucatán black howler is part of the Atelidae family, which includes other monkeys like spider monkeys and woolly monkeys. It belongs to the howler monkey group, Alouatta.
This species is considered endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. This means their population is expected to drop by as much as 60% in the next 30 years. The main reasons for this decline are:
- Habitat loss: Their forest homes are being destroyed.
- Hunting: People sometimes hunt them.
- Capture as pets: Some are caught to be kept as pets.
In Belize, it is against the law to hunt these monkeys.
