Discover fun facts about howler monkeys, including their loud calls, unique diet, social behaviors, and more. Learn about these monekys.Howler monkeys are among the largest monkeys in the New World, and also one of the loudest animals in the world. They all belong to the genus Alouatta.
They are characterized by their dense fur, which varies from black to reddish brown, and they have a prehensile tail that is very useful both for hanging from trees and for moving from one to another, since they almost never come down to the ground. Their diet is mainly folivorous, but they can also eat fruits and flowers.
Howler Monkey Fun Facts.
| Habitat: | Cloud forests, tropical forests and tropical dry forests |
| Location: | Central and South America |
| Life expectancy: | 5-20 years |
| Size: | 56-92 cm in height (excluding their tails) |
| Weight: | 4-8 kg |
| Color: | Various shades of black, brown and grey |
| Diet: | Herbivores, so they eat leaves, fruits, nuts and flowers |
| Predators: | Big cats (jaguars, pumas, etc.), snakes and birds |
| Maximum Speed: | 18 miles per hour |
| Number of species: |
15 |
| Save status: |
Varies, some are endangered |
They are sociable, living in groups of up to 20 members. They move as a group in search of the best leaves and fruits to eat. They live under the forest canopy, high above the ground.
They are well known for their “howl”, which is a long, haunting call that can be clearly heard from a distance of 5 km.
Interesting Facts About the Howler Monkey
1. Their name comes from the howling sound they make.
This sound is low, guttural and quite frightening when heard in the rainforest.
2. They are widely considered to be one of the loudest land mammals.
Their call can be heard echoing throughout the forest from up to 5 km (3 miles) away.
3. They have a special bone in their throat that amplifies their calls.
This is called the hyoid bone, which helps them scream especially loudly.
4. Only male howler monkeys “howl”
Females never make such loud calls.
5. Their howl announces their territory.
Males most likely make this loud call to scare off potential competitors. Howler monkeys are very territorial, so they don’t want anyone else to enter their territory.
6. They have prehensile tails.
This means that their tail can essentially act as another arm. This can help them hang from branches or pick fruit from trees. The tail of a howler monkey can support its entire body weight.
7. Their tails have tactile pads.
This allows them to feel with their tails in the same way they do with their hands.
8. Their tails can be 5 times longer than their bodies.
Their strong, prehensile tails can be very long, in some cases up to 5 times the length of their bodies.
9. They can smell ripe fruit from 2 km away
They have very sensitive noses that are adapted to help them find ripe fruit.
10. They are the only monkeys in the New World that feed primarily on leaves.
They spend most of their time under the forest canopy, where they feed on leaves, fruits, flowers and nuts.
11. Guatemalan howler monkeys are among the largest in the New World.
Howler monkeys are among the largest monkeys in the New World, and the Guatemalan howler monkey is the largest of all.
12. 9 out of 15 species live in the Amazon basin
Howler monkeys are an iconic feature of the Amazon rainforest, where they live high in the tree canopies and their calls can be heard almost every morning.
13. The Mayan culture viewed them as gods
The Maya often depicted howler monkeys as gods in sculptures, and they figured in various myths.
Many species of howler monkeys are endangered.
This is primarily due to habitat loss, especially in tropical forest areas. However, they are also threatened by hunting.
Scientific Classification
| Kingdom: | Animals |
| Type: | Chordates |
| Class: | Mammals |
| Order: | Primates |
| Suborder: | Cetaceans |
| Infra-squad: | Eplorini |
| Family: | Atelids |
| Subfamily: |
Alouattinae |
| Genus: |
Alouatta |
| Types: |
Alouatta Belzeboul |