The howler monkey is the noisiest monkey. Howler monkey. Howler monkey lifestyle and habitat Howler monkey animal

The red howler monkey belongs to the primates of South America. The red howler received its specific name for its deafening morning cry, which spreads at a speed of one to two kilometers per hour.

External signs of a red howler

Males of the red howler have a body length of 49-72 centimeters, weight - 5.2 - 7.0 kilograms, females are 46-57 cm long and weigh 4.1 - 5.0 kg. The tail is long - 51-73 cm, on the lower side one-third bare, it performs a grasping function.

Coat color is red-brown or reddish - Brown. The fur is long and soft like silk. The neck is thick. The muzzle is hairless, but has fur along the edges. The tip of the nose is raised. Lower jaw protrudes forward, adapted for grinding coarse plant foods.

Developed jaws, an enlarged larynx and hyoid apparatus contribute to the functioning of the resonator. Enlarged and highly specialized vocal cords allow the red howler to produce loud howls, grunts, growls and barks. The upper molars are sharp, necessary for thoroughly crushing branches and leaves.

The salivary glands are large and secrete saliva containing enzymes that break down the tannins of the leaves, facilitating digestion in the stomach and intestines. The intestine makes up about 1/3 of the body.

Distribution of the red howler monkey

The red howler is distributed in Bolivia, Brazil, and Colombia. Found in Peru, French Guiana. Inhabits Suriname, Venezuela, Ecuador.

Habitats of the red howler monkey

The red howler lives in tropical rain forests and dry deciduous forests, as well as in mountain forests. Inhabits forested areas near rivers, mangroves, wetlands, forested areas in the llanos.

Diet of the red howler monkey

The red howler feeds on leaves, unripe fruits, moss, bark, nuts, and flowers. The diet includes about 195 plant species from 47 families. Such food is not very high in calories, as it contains a lot of fiber, so the body receives little energy.

The red howler also feeds on insects and their larvae, and sometimes catches small mammals.

IN digestive system The primate is inhabited by bacteria, they help digest rough plant food consisting of cellulose.

Sometimes monkeys eat only leaves for a long time, but their body does not experience a deficiency of microelements and nutrients. Red Howler Spreads in the Ecosystem tropical forest seeds of 95% of plant species.

Peculiarities of behavior of the red howler

Red howler monkeys are sedentary inhabitants of the forest and most lives are spent in trees. They prefer to stay in the center of the top layer, although they can live at all levels of the rainforest, and can even climb down to cover short distances between trees on the ground.

Red howler monkeys sleep for 15 hours, 70% of the time they lie on tree trunks. At dawn, monkeys emit loud cries, thus they communicate with other flocks, determining the location of other relatives and their numbers.

The group usually contains up to 10 individuals, led by an experienced male.

At the same time, conflicts for leadership constantly arise in the pack. Therefore, young males leave the group to gather their own pack. Sometimes young howler monkeys try to take a dominant position in the pack, while they destroy their competitors - other young males. Of course, the females protect them, but only a quarter of the cubs survive.

Red howler monkeys are active in the morning and evening. They move along branches using their limbs and tail, using it for balance and pulling branches with fruits. During the rainy season, red howler monkeys sit motionless in the trees, waiting for the rain to end.

Reproduction of the red howler

Red howler monkeys breed throughout the year. Pairs are formed even before the breeding season. The female tries to attract the male with peculiar movements of the pelvis, the male, ready for mating, answers the call. She carries one cub for 7 months, after birth its weight is only 263 grams. After birth, he clings to the mother's fur and moves with her in a hanging position, then crawls onto his back.

Feeding with milk can last for 1.5 - 2 years. At the age of one year, a young howler monkey is able to cling to branches with its tail. The newborn is often also raised by other females without cubs. The interval between annual births is 16.6 months; if the cub dies, the female gives birth to a second one. Young females are able to give birth at the age of 5 years, males later, reaching 7 years. In nature, red howler monkeys live for about 15 years, in captivity longer - twenty-five years.

Conservation status of the red howler monkey

The red howler monkey is a fairly common species of primate. It is abundant in the forests of Brazil, but in other places the species is declining due to habitat destruction. In addition, animals are captured for sale and shot for meat. Conservation status The red howler is a species of least concern.

And if you hear a loud growling sound, do not rush to run away, perhaps it is a howler monkey. This is a small stocky animal, its body length ranges from 40 to 70 centimeters, and its body weight is only 6-8 kilograms. With such a small size, the roar of a monkey can be heard for many kilometers. The most known species howler monkeys are the red howler and the Central American howler, the latter having a black coat color.

With these cries, monkeys communicate with their relatives and lure females, thus they communicate their location. The monkey is active during the day, feeding on plant foods, tree leaves or fruits. The howler monkey rests for 75% of the time and searches for food the rest of the time. In the rich forests of South America you can find delicious fruits is not difficult.

Howler monkeys live in groups. They are tree monkeys, which means they rarely come down to the ground. They live in the upper layer of the forest. A long tail very well helps the animal move from branch to branch. They do not build nests; they prefer to spend the night directly on a “bare” tree.

During mating season the female lures the male by dancing and displays her swollen labia. After some time, a baby is born, weighing only 500 grams. The cub stays with its mother for up to six months, after which the mother tries to spend less time with it. By the age of one year, the howler monkey is already completely independent.

Recently, scientists made a discovery. They learned that the louder a howler scream, the smaller its testicles. This is due to the fact that the investment of resources in the development of a powerful roar and associated organs during the growth of the calf does not leave energy for the development of large genital organs. On the other hand, it may be that the powerful ligaments and pharynx are so effective at repelling other males and attracting females that their owners do not need to acquire large testicles.

A person who finds himself in the South American jungle for the first time seems to hear the roar of a lion or some huge and terrible animal very close by. And usually he is very surprised when he learns that these terrifying sounds are not made by a huge predator, but by a relatively small tropical monkey. She is called, in honor of her loud cry, a howler.

Howler monkeys are not dangerous animals at all. On the contrary, they are peaceful tree monkeys. Having seen this creature, one can only wonder why it makes such a booming growl.

Habitats, types of howler monkeys

Howler monkeys (Aloautta) are members of the family of prehensile-tailed monkeys (capuchins). They have the widest geographic distribution of any New World monkey. Found from southern Mexico to northern Argentina. inhabit Various types forests, mangroves, forest savannas. They rise to a height of 2500 meters above sea level. They prefer the lower and middle layers of the forest.

In their family, howler monkeys are the largest monkeys. Their body length, depending on the species, varies from 45 to 63 cm, weight can reach up to 9 kg. The fur of these primates is quite long, the color varies from light red to black.

Tail length longer bodies. In general, the tail plays very important role: the monkey uses it as an extra hand (holds onto a branch, grabs various items and so on.). It is so powerful and strong that a howler monkey can wrap the tip of its tail around a twig and hang upside down for a long time.

There are a total of 6 species in the genus Aloutta.

1) Central American howler monkey (Alouatta pigra)

Found on the Yucatan Peninsula (Mexico), Guatemala, Belize.

The most numerous species. The wool is coarse and black.

2) Colombian howler monkey (Alouatta coibensis)

Lives in Central America.

The coat is brown to black, with a golden tint on the back; yellow-brown fringe on the sides of the body

3) Red Howler (Alouatta seniculus)

Found from northern Colombia to central Bolivia.

The fur is orange-brown, the belly is lighter, and the beard is dark.

4) Red-handed Howler (Alouatta belzebul)

It lives in the southern Amazon from the Madeira River to the Atlantic coast.

The coat color ranges from black-brown to black, the paws and tip of the tail are reddish.

5) Brown howler monkey (Alouatta guariba)

Inhabits the Atlantic coast of Brazil.

The coat is black, brown or dark red; females are lighter than males.

6) Black Howler (Alouatta caraya)

Found in southern Brazil, Bolivia and Argentina.

Males are completely black, females are olive-brown.

Lifestyle

Howler monkeys are active during the day. They spend almost all their time in trees, and only extreme necessity forces them to move on the ground. Their daily route is very short - no more than 400 meters, and the area of ​​the herd's territory (they live in herds of 15-20 individuals) does not exceed 30 hectares.

Diet

The main component of howler monkeys' diet is leaves. Tropical trees They are covered with dense foliage all year round, so they do not have problems finding food.

With such an abundance of foliage, one can only wonder why other species of monkeys did not become leaf-eaters. After all, most tropical primates do not consume leaves in such quantities as howler monkeys, and some do not eat them at all.

But the leaves have a very significant drawback - they are low in calories. In order to increase their energy output, howler monkeys have to be very selective. They look only for young leaves, which are a more valuable source of energy.

Howler monkeys can survive on leaves alone for several weeks, but if possible, they will eat fruits and flowers.

Howler monkeys have to adhere to a strict regime of energy conservation, which is associated with their low-calorie diet. They do not waste their energy in vain: more than half of the daytime the animals sleep or simply rest, and the remaining time is devoted to eating.

Howler monkeys demonstrate the division of labor between the sexes. The duty of males is to protect the herd from predators and settle disputes between relatives. With their loud and warlike cries they declare their rights to fruit trees within the territory occupied by the herd. Females, meanwhile, devote themselves entirely to caring for their offspring.

Why are they roaring?

The screams of these monkeys are considered the loudest in the animal kingdom. They can be heard 1.6 km away. Charles Darwin hypothesized that in vertebrates, the male who screams the loudest demonstrates his strength and attracts attention. the largest number females This assumption has been confirmed for some species of frogs, but for howler monkeys there is not yet sufficient evidence to assert this.

According to another theory, a herd of howler monkeys claims rights to fruit trees with their cries. This assumption seems to be true, but the evolutionary background of growling requires further study. IN last years in Central and South America Studies have been conducted on the lifestyle of howler monkeys to answer these questions.

Howler monkeys produce their war cry by blowing air through a cavity in the enlarged hyoid in the throat. The laryngeal cartilage in males is much larger than in females. Sounds made by males different types, depend on the size of the cartilage. The male red howler monkey has larger laryngeal cartilage than the Colombian howler monkey. The cry of the first resembles a deep martyr's groan, while that of the second resembles a roar.

All males of the herd conduct a pre-dawn “choral singing”, which is responded to by males of other herds. The territories occupied by howler monkey herds partially overlap with the territories of other herds. When males call in the morning, and also every time the herd moves to a new feeding area, they thereby transmit information about their location to neighboring herds.

When two herds meet, an unimaginable uproar arises. All individuals, especially adult males, begin to roar, jump, run, and sometimes fight. Females from both herds scatter and sometimes get lost in the forest. Apparently, it is precisely in order to avoid unnecessary skirmishes between herds that the males roar.

Howler monkeys have a hierarchy between different herds. It is based on the fighting qualities and coordination of actions of adult males. By listening to the roar of the males of a strong herd, the weaker ones can avoid a collision with them and save their strength. But a strong herd also benefits, since its members do not have to protect fruit trees.

Thus, the purpose of the roar is to help the monkeys make the best use of their living space and not suffer from food shortages.

In contact with

Red or red howler (lat. Alouatta seniculus) is one of the most widespread primates in South America. It can be found in Brazil, Colombia, Bolivia, French Guiana, Peru, Venezuela, Suriname and Ecuador, where it prefers rainy tropical or dry deciduous forests, mangroves, wetlands and forests near rivers.

This is the biggest monkey among all American species. In size it can be compared to a large dog: body length without tail in females is 46-57 cm, in males - from 49 to 72 cm, with a weight of 4.5-6.4 kg and 6.5-8 kg, respectively.

The tail of red howler monkeys is longer than their body - its dimensions are usually in the range of 50-73 cm. This is a very convenient device: monkeys use it to stay on branches while sleeping, to bring twigs with food to themselves, and also as a balancer. Their fur is red-brown in color, their neck is quite thick, which, combined with a protruding jaw, gives the monkey a terrifying appearance.

Howler monkeys feed on leaves, peanuts, fruits, seeds and flowers. This diet is not very high in calories, so these monkeys don’t have much energy. To digest this amount of cellulose, you need a very long digestive tract with many special bacteria.

In red howler monkeys, the intestine consists of two sections and occupies one third of the entire body. But even this is not enough for the animals to gallop briskly through the trees and waste their energy in vain, so howler monkeys are extremely slow and leisurely - they can cover only about 400 meters in a day.

However, the most interesting feature red howler monkeys are known for their habit of singing in chorus at dawn. They will all gather together at the first rays of the sun and roar at the top of their lungs. The males always start, and the females gladly support them. The voices of the “singers” are sometimes heard 5 km from their gathering place.

They will shout, become quiet, listen to other groups sing, and then do their own thing again. However, the red howler monkeys themselves do not consider their morning activity a waste of time - with the help of their roar, they call out to their neighbors, find out how far they are from each other and what the size of other family groups is.

Red howler monkeys live small family packs 10 individuals each, each of which is led by an experienced old male. At the same time, his young sexually mature brothers have no respect for their elders at all and constantly run into conflict in order to overthrow the leader and take his place. When they feel that it is useless, they leave the group to create their own.

Sometimes young ones join existing flocks. If they manage to become leaders there, they immediately strive to kill all the cubs from other males. Of course, their mothers protect them, but still only a quarter of the babies survive.

Red howler monkeys do not adhere to a specific breeding season - females give birth at any time of the year. As a rule, after a 7-month pregnancy, only one baby is born; twins are extremely rare. The baby immediately grabs the mother's fur and hangs on her stomach. At the age of one month, the toddler moves onto his back. Lactation lasts one and a half to two years. Red howler monkeys live for about 15 years.

Howler monkey(Aloautta senikulus) is monkey with wide noses, belong to the family arachnids. This type of monkey has gained fame as a natural alarm clock; its roar can be heard early morning at the same time. The look of howler monkeys is too good-natured; it is impossible to look at them without smiling.

Penetrating, almost human eyes seem to penetrate into the depths of the soul. It seems that the animal understands the interlocutor without a single word. For home care they approach, but feel slighted and often just grieve. It's better if howler monkey will live a full life in a flock, and not in a cage.

Features and habitat of the howler monkey

Howler monkey- one of the most great monkeys Brazil. It got its name from the heart-rending scream, which can be heard for many kilometers around. Depending on the habitat, the coat can acquire a red, light or dark brown, black color.

There is no hair on the face, the jaw is quite wide, pushed slightly forward. The primate has impressive fangs that allow it to reach coconuts and drink milk or juice.

The lower part of the muzzle is framed by a neat beard. Each paw has five prehensile claws. The end of the tail is bald due to its frequent use, and there are combs and patterned patterns along the entire length.

Most of all they love to sit on a branch and play loud parts. Thus, shocking the listener, and giving a signal to relatives about their territory.

Most numerous specieshowler monkeys- This is Central American (lives in northern South America and Mexico) and red (Guiana and Venezuela). The body length ranges from 40 to 70 cm, the tail is 50-75 cm long, and weighs about 10 kg.

The entire body is covered with thick shiny fur. The color can be reddish, sometimes turning black. Males often have a beard, which they like to stroke as if thinking. Females are slightly smaller than males.

Special howler monkey cry due to the presence of throat pouches. Saliva and air collect in them; when you inhale, they mix, and when you exhale, you get a piercing roar. Somewhat similar to natural resonators.

Character and lifestyle of the howler monkey

Howler monkey a calm animal by nature, active in solar time days. Their daily chores include walking around the territory, and secretly they can eat something tasty. At night they sleep fully, but some males do not stop screaming at night. Primates live in family communities of 15 to 17 individuals.

Male howler monkeys have a beard

In a group there is always one dominant male and his deputy; they have several females at their disposal. The lady herself makes it known that she is ready for intercourse. If the main male is not ready, then she switches to the assistant.

It is the roar of the males howler monkeys make it clear that this is their territory. Still, there is no clear division; often battles arise between the heads of groups. In such unequal battles, many males die.

Sometimes contractions occur because the female has drawn attention to the male from the neighboring group. Fights can be very tough, and the winner always finishes off the victim.

Scientists have also traced a tempting connection between the amount of sound and the size of the primate genitals. If an animal bawles for a long time, then this only indicates that it is not very good. special abilities, like a male. And with a constant roar he once again invites the female.

Howler monkey feeding

Basic diet howler monkeys- these are deciduous greenery of trees, flowers, fruits, fruits, young buds and shoots. Sometimes you can see how the primate stuffs soil into its mouth.

By this he tries to neutralize poisonous property some plants. Ground minerals collect toxic substances and are eliminated from the body without causing harm. Since these are vegetarians, well plant food does not provide a lot of energy, they do not move long distances.

They save all their strength for everyday concerts. You can watch how micro holes are made in a tree trunk and juice rich in substances (nutrients), vitamins and microelements is sucked out.

Howler monkey reproduction and lifespan

After mating, the female leads a slightly solitary lifestyle; she tries to protect herself as much as possible. The fetus bears for 190 days; twins are rare.

Pictured is a baby howler monkey

Immediately after birth, the baby clings to the mother's fur and literally lives on it. The matured cub is still in no hurry to leave the parent and can accompany her for 18 to 24 months.

The female feeds the baby breast milk, she is an excellent mother - caring and attentive. If the baby is gone for a short time, the parent constantly calls out to him.

When the cub reaches puberty, the mother resorts to aggression to drive it away. The sight is not a pleasant one, since the monkey constantly strives to return, you can even see tears.

Often young males howler monkeys they are simply expelled from their own group to prevent incest. It is also not uncommon for young animals to die in violent fights.

The lifespan of the black howler monkey in natural conditions reaches from 15 to 20 years. In captivity, there have been cases where a primate lived to be three decades old. Each photo of howler monkey attracts with its magnetism. It is the intelligent look of almost human eyes. Facial expressions, movements, reactions to words and sounds - all this only once again proves that they are ours distant relatives.

Primates express their favorable attitude and love by stroking their long tail. They use it in courtship and as a babysitter for a naughty baby. A delightful sight - these are multi-colored sitting in a row howler monkeys, with open mouths, giving a morning concert.