Howler Monkey Facts

The howler monkey species include the nine species of monkeys, native to the South and Central American forests, which are typically characterized by the loud howling sound they make. Amazingly enough, this sound can be heard over a distance of 2-3 miles with ease. No prizes in guessing that these creatures derive their name from this reason. Before we move on to the other interesting howler monkey facts, let's have a brief look at the general characteristic traits of this animal species.

Howler Monkeys
Howler monkey habitat spans across the biodiversity rich rainforests of South America. These species can grow on to attain a length of 56 to 92 cm, excluding the tail which can be as long as the body, and weigh anywhere between 10 to 20 lbs. Howler monkeys live in groups of 10 to 20 individuals, in which the number of females far exceeds the number of males. The male howlers in each of these groups use their howling sound to defend their territory against the other groups in the vicinity. Generally, the practice of howling is at its peak at the dawn and dusk. On an average, the howler monkeys have a lifespan of 15 to 20 years in the wild.

Facts about the Howler Monkeys
Other than the general facts mentioned above, there do exist some interesting facts about this species which are bound to take you by surprise. With a 'howl' that can be heard as far as 3 miles away, the howler monkey is the loudest land animal in the kingdom Animalia, according to the Guinness Book of World Records. More such interesting facts about the howler monkey species are given below.

• Other than being the loudest, this species is also one of the laziest in the animal kingdom. They spend 80 percent of their time resting, and seldom come down the trees.
• The red howler monkey is the largest among the nine species of the howler family, with a length of 20 to 25 inches and weight ranging between 15 to 20 lbs.
• Among the various New World Monkey species, the howler monkeys have the distinction of being the only folivores, i.e. a herbivore specialized in eating leaves.
• One of the most amazing mantled howler monkey facts is their tendency to use sticks as tools to drive away the intruders in their territory.
• Their prehensile tail. i.e. the tails adapted to facilitate grasping and/or holding objects, is as long as their body itself, and has the capacity to bear the entire weight of the animal.
• Among the several black howler monkey facts, an interesting fact is that only the male species are actually black in color, while the females are pale.
• Even though these species make a lot of noise, it is very difficult to see them in the wild. If you are lucky enough, you might come across a few howler monkeys on the dense tree tops of the rainforests.

These were some of the most interesting howler monkey facts which not many people are aware of. While most of the howler species, such as the Bolivian red howler, Venezuelan red howler and black howler, are found in abundance in the wild, species like the Maranhão Red-handed howler and the Guatemalan black howler have been included in the endangered monkeys list by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). In fact, the Mexican howler monkey, native to the southeastern Mexico and Guatemala and the Azuero Howler monkey, endemic to the Azuero Peninsula in Panama have been declared critically endangered with only a few species left in the wild.