Mantled Howler Monkey
Alouatta palliata
Their booming roars are amplified by an enlarged, hollow hyoid bone in their throat, acting like a built-in megaphone.
- Scientific name
- Alouatta palliata
- Taxonomy
- Animalia › Chordata › Mammalia › Primates › Atelidae › Alouatta
- IUCN Red List status
- Vulnerable
- Population trend
- decreasing
- Biome
- forest
- Habitat
- Tropical rainforests, deciduous forests, and mangroves.
- Diet
- Folivorous, consuming young leaves, flowers, and seasonal fruits.
- Range
- Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama, Colombia, Ecuador
- Size
- Body length of 46-63 cm, tail length of 55-70 cm, and weight of 4.5-9.8 kg.
- Lifespan
- 15 to 20 years
- Active
- diurnal
- Threats
- Habitat loss and fragmentation from agriculture, logging, road construction, and capture for the pet trade.
- Safe to approach?
- Harmless from a distance, but defensive if cornered or climbed near. Maintain a safe distance of at least 15 meters to avoid stress; they may throw branches or feces if threatened. Do not feed or attempt to touch. In the rare event of a bite, wash the wound thoroughly with soap and water and seek immediate medical attention due to risk of rabies or other zoonotic infections.
The mantled howler ( Alouatta palliata ), or golden-mantled howling monkey , is a species of howler monkey, a type of New World monkey, from Central and South America. It is one of the monkey species most often seen and heard in the wild in Central America. It takes its "mantled" name from the long guard hairs on its sides.
Photo: Cephas, CC-BY-SA, via iNaturalist
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