Howler Monkeys Essay

Howler monkeys are one of the largest New World monkeys found in South and Central America, more specifically found in tropical forests of eastern Bolivia, northern Argentina, southern Brazil, and Paraguay. They live in large social groups that contains all of the family members such as parents, siblings, aunts and other relatives. They form a family of 8 or more members that stay and survive together. A unique fact about their group structure is that some of the male and female will leave the group they were born in and move on to join a total new group, with the majority of their lives growing up is spent in groups they weren’t born in or related to. Male and female howler monkeys are quite different in their appearance. In other words,

Vocal communication happens to form an important part of the Howler Monkey’s social behavior life. They usually howl during the mornings and evenings to assure their surrounding neighbors of their presence. They sound more like whooping bark or roar that could be heard over considerable distances. They also continue to howl when they feel like they are in danger. Based on their howl sound throughout the whole day, they are believed to be the loudest of all land animals. “Though they are territorial animals, howler monkeys do not tend to engage in overt conflict with nearby troops and in some cases may share an overlapping territory” (Shah). Most of their movement includes them moving from one branch to the other. The reason why they climb fast from one tree to another is by the help of their tails. Howler monkeys have prehensile tails, or tails that can grip onto anything. According to National Zoo, ”Males measure 24 to 26 inches (60 to 65 centimeters) long with a 24 to 26 inch tail (60 to 65 centimeters).” The Howler Monkeys use their tail to help them grip onto branches as one tries to eat and move around the same in treetops. The tail of a howler monkey acts as a fifth limb for them, which is very ideal for their movement through the