Red-handed Howler

• Common Name: Red-handed Howler
• Taxonomy Classification Year: 1766
• Monkey Size: 40.0 to 91.5 cm (15.75 to 36.02 in)
• Skin Color(s): Black to deep reddish or yellowish
• Habitat: Forest, rainforest
• Diet: Herbivorous
• Native Countries: Brazil

The red-handed howler monkey^[1] (Alouatta belzebul) is an endangered species of howler monkey, a New World species.

• It is native to Brazil, in the southeast of the Amazon, and is separated by the Atlantic Forest between Sergipe and Rio Grande do Norte.
• As their common name suggests, red-handed howler monkeys have reddish hands, although some may appear more yellowish.
• The coat varies from black to dark red or yellowish. Its fur is coarse, and its face and the distal part of its prehensile tail are bare and black (applies to all Alouatta species).
• These Red-handed Howler monkeys are generally the largest New World species.

In the wild, the Red-handed Howler feeds on Nightshade (Solanum), Boarwood (Symphonia globulifera) and Hogplum (Spondias mombin)^[¶].

• Red-handed howler monkeys are diurnal, although they spend most of the day (up to 80%) sleeping on tree branches with members of their squad.
• They are arboreal, and when awake, they move through the trees in search of food using four-legged locomotion.
• Although their tails are strong enough to support their entire body weight, they rarely use them for this. Usually, they retain at least two appendages when they move.
• Red-handed howler monkeys typically live in small social groups of 5-14 individuals. These groups consist of a harem with one (sometimes two) dominant males and 2-5 females, as well as adolescents or juveniles.
• Arguably, the best-known behavioral trait of red-handed howler monkeys (and howler monkeys in general) is their loud vocal calls or howling sessions.