Origin
The howler monkey is one of the largest monkeys living on the planet.
It belongs to the genus Alouatta, family atelidae.
There are currently 15 recognized species. These may be native to the forests of Southern and Eastern America.
Feeding The Howler Monkey
Leaves are part of the main diet of the monkey. They are consumed in proportions of 50-75%.
Leaves are selected to taste, from green leaves to dry leaves. This selection of leaves is done to reduce toxins in them.
Young leaves have fewer toxins, are richer in nutrients and are easier to digest. When they are not feeding, they spend most of their time siesta.
Besides leaves, monkeys prefer fruits that, when they are enough, can reach 50% of the diet. During the dry season flowers, seeds and nuts also enter the diet of howler monkeys.
Howling Monkey Appearance
The Mexican howler monkey has a length of 54-64 cm, a tail of 59-69 cm and a weight of 6.5 – 11.5 cm.
It is found in Mexico and Central America.
This species has long been considered a subspecies of the cloak howler monkey (Alouatta palliata).
The fur of this species is black except for the male's scrotal sac which is white.
Howling Monkey Behavior
During periods of the day it feeds then rests. When he doesn't do that, he screams.
It is called the howler monkey for the sounds it makes for various reasons, when someone invades their territory, when they feel threatened by predators, etc.
Sounds are different depending on the situation, some are warning sounds.
Breeding Howler Monkey
Howler monkeys have a polygamous mating system in which one male mates with several females. In some groups, smaller males receive mating opportunities from dominant males.
An alpha male generally maintains his status for 2-3 years during which he may have up to 18 offspring. Both sexes participate in the mating ritual. Females give off an odor, and males smell their sex organs and taste urine.
The gestation period lasts around 180 days, and puppies can be born at any time of the year. The coat of the chicken is light silver or golden in color.
It gradually darkens in color, and in 3 months the cub has the color of the coat similar to the adult. The newborn clings to the mother's breast in the first 2-3 weeks of life, and after that it is worn on the back until 4-5 months.
Kids play with each other a lot of the time. At 18 months they are weaned, at which point they begin to fend for themselves. Females give birth to offspring every 19-23 months ensuring that each chick will be weaned.
Females become sexually mature around the age of 3 years, males around the age of 3-4 years. What is different in howler monkeys from other monkeys is that the testes do not form until the males reach maturity.
When they reach sexual maturity, young people are expelled from the group. However, many do not reach sexual maturity because they are either hunted by animals or killed by high-ranking adults sometimes for fear of taking their place.
Those who survive to adulthood have a life expectancy of 25 years.
