Red howler monkey
| Red howler monkey | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Red Howler Monkey ( Alouatta seniculus ) |
||||||||||||
| Systematics | ||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||
| Scientific name | ||||||||||||
| Alouatta seniculus | ||||||||||||
| ( Linnaeus , 1766) |
The red howler monkey ( Alouatta seniculus ) is a species of primate from the genus of the howler monkey within the spider- tailed monkey (Atelidae). He lives in northwestern South America .
features
Red howler monkeys are stocky primates with long, powerful limbs and a long tail. This is designed as a grasping tail, at the rear end of the underside there is a hairless area. The length of the head rump varies between 46 and 57 centimeters, with the males becoming slightly larger than the females. The tail becomes around 65 centimeters long. Males are 6 to 7.6 kilograms heavier than females, which reach 4.5 to 6.3 kilograms. The coat color varies from red to orange and the sexes are colored the same. The face is hairless and black, where there is a beard on the chin.
distribution and habitat
Red howler monkeys live in northwestern South America, they are native to Colombia , northeastern Venezuela , the Amazon regions of Ecuador and Peru, and northwestern Brazil south and west of the Rio Negro . They are forest dwellers who can be found in different forest types, rain and dry forests .
Lifestyle and diet
These primates are diurnal and mostly stay in the trees. They live in groups that usually contain 6 to 10 animals. The group size is variable, in drier areas they consist of more animals than in rainforests. Groups are made up of one or more males, several females and the common offspring. Both genders develop a hierarchy within their group. The eponymous roar usually sounds early in the morning and is intended to point out individuals from outside the group of their own presence.
They are herbivores that feed on leaves, flowers and fruits depending on the season.
Reproduction
There is no fixed mating season, so reproduction can take place all year round. After a gestation period of around 190 days, the female usually gives birth to a single young. The child spends the first months of life with the mother. Infanticide is common in red howler monkeys , especially when a new male joins the group.
Young animals are suckled for about a year and when they reach sexual maturity, both sexes leave their birth group. The animals reproduce for the first time at around 5 (females) to 7 (males) years. In captivity, they can live to be over 20 years old.
Systematics
The red howler monkey is one of ten species in the genus of howler monkeys . Two closely related, similar species are now considered to be separate species. These are the Guyana howler monkey from northeastern South America and the Bolivian howler monkey from Bolivia and adjacent areas.
Three subspecies are distinguished within the red howler monkey: Alouatta seniculus seniculus , A. s. juara and A. s. puruensis .
The distribution areas of the three subspecies:
Alouatta s. seniculus
Alouatta s. juara
Alouatta s. puruensis
Danger
Although red howler monkeys are hunted in some places, like many other forest animals in America, they also suffer from the destruction of the forests. Overall, however, the species is not threatened and is listed by the IUCN as "not endangered" ( least concern ).
literature
- Thomas Geissmann : Comparative Primatology. Springer-Verlag, Berlin et al. 2003, ISBN 3-540-43645-6 .
- Don E. Wilson, DeeAnn M. Reeder (Eds.): Mammal Species of the World. A taxonomic and geographic Reference. Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore MD 2005, ISBN 0-8018-8221-4 .
supporting documents
- ^ AB Rylands & RA Mittermeier: Family Atelidae (Howlers, Spider and Woolly Monkeys and Muriquis). in Russell A. Mittermeier , Anthony B. Rylands & Don E. Wilson : Handbook of the Mammals of the World - Volume 3: Primates. Lynx Editions, 2013 ISBN 978-8496553897 . Page 525.
- ↑ Alouatta seniculus in the Red List of Threatened Species of the IUCN 2009. Posted by: J.-P. Boubli et al. a., 2008. Retrieved November 6, 2009.
