Red Howler Monkey

• Common Name: Colombian Red Howler
• Taxonomy Classification Year: 1766
• Monkey Size: 46 to 72 cm (18.1 to 28.35 in)
• Skin Color(s): Dark red to brownish red
• Habitat: Forest, rainforest
• Diet: Herbivorous
• Native Countries: Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Brazil

The Colombian red howler^[1] or Venezuelan red howler is a South American species of howler monkey, a New World species of monkey found in the western Amazon basin.

• Alouatta seniculus have a slight sexual dimorphism.
• The females have a body length of 46 to 57 centimeters; the males, which are larger, have a body length of 49 to 72 cm.
• Both sexes have a long prehensile tail of about 49 to 75 centimeters.
• The coat color of this primate is dark reddish brown, although the hue slightly varies with age.
• Colombian red howlers have large necks with massive jaws and hyoid bones, giving them a menacing expression.

The Colombian Red Howler feeds on many plants and trees including^[¶]:

• Icecreambean (Inga edulis)
• Guiana Brosimum (Brosimum guianense).
• Caucho Rubber (Castilla ulei).
• Hogplum (Spondias mombin)
• Hinchahuevos (Sapium laurifolium)
• Amarillo (Guatteria punctata)
• Breadnut (Brosimum alicastrum)
• Chalahuite (Inga acrocephala)
• Maraximbé (Trichilia tuberculata)
• Rabo De Ranton (Casearia aculeata).
• Abiu (Pouteria caimito)
• Cuero De Rana (Laetia procera).
• Fig (Ficus)
• Sweetwood (Nectandra membranacea)
• American Muskwood (Guarea guidonia).
• Guamo (Inga acreana)
• Figueira-Acreana (Ficus sphenophylla)
• Trichilia (Trichilia)
• Pachiuba (Socratea exorrhiza)
• Pacae Colorado (Inga alba).

• Colombian red howler monkeys live in relatively large social groups composed of around 10 individuals, with just one or possibly two of the individuals being male.
• They are best known for their ‘morning chorus’, a deafening roar that can be heard up to 5 kilometers away! This resounding howl, made primarily by the men of a group, is answered by all other howler groups within earshot.
• Due to such an unbalanced male-to-female ratio, there is intense sexual competition between and within the Colombian red howler family groups.
• Males and females sometimes form consortships, an unusually close spatial relationship before any sexual exchange begins.
• Due to its relatively large size, Alouatta seniculus is hunted for food and other howler species and exported commercially.