Venezuelan Red Howler

Taxobox
name = Venezuelan Red HowlerMSW3 Groves|pages=150]
status = LC
status_system = iucn3.1
status_ref = IUCN2006|assessors=Heymann "et al"|year=2003|id=39958|title=Alouatta seniculus|downloaded=12 May 2006 Database entry includes a brief justification of why this species is of least concern]

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image_width = 240px
regnum = Animalia
phylum = Chordata
classis = Mammalia
ordo = Primates
familia = Atelidae
genus = "Alouatta"
species = "A. seniculus"
binomial = "Alouatta seniculus"
binomial_authority = (Linnaeus, 1766)

The Venezuelan Red Howler Monkey ("Alouatta seniculus") is a South American species of howler monkey, a type of New World monkey. It is found in the western Amazon Basin in Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia and Brazil. The population in the Santa Cruz Department in Bolivia was split off as a separate species, the Bolivian Red Howler, in 1985, and more recently it has been recommended splitting off the population in north-eastern South America and Trinidad as the Guyanan Red Howler.

Description

The males range from 49-72 cm and females from 46-57 cm long. The males weigh between 5.4-9 kg, while females are 4.2-7 kg. It has a long prehensile tail of approximately 49-75 cm. The tail is covered with fur except for the last third underside of the tail, which allows it to grab branches. The color of both males and females is a deep reddish-brown, and the color shade changes with age. Their faces are surrounded by fur and they have stubby noses.

ocial interactions

It lives in groups of 3 to 9 individuals (usually 5 to 7).cite book | title = Neotropical Rainforest Mammals | year = 1997 | author = Louise Emmons and Francois Feer] The groups are polygynous with only one or two males and the rest females and their offspring.cite web |url=http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information/Alouatta_seniculus.html |title=Alouatta seniculus information |author=Normile, R. V. |publisher=Animal Diversity Web |date=2001 |accessdate=2008-07-30] One male is the usually dominant monkey of the group, and he is responsible for leading them to new food sites and defending them. The females of the group are in charge of the offspring. Venezuelan Red Howlers are most active in the morning; this is when the group is on the move to find another feeding spot. The howlers are famous for their “dawn chorus”. These sounds are roaring and howling calls that are performed mostly by the males in the group. The roars can be heard up to 5 km away in the forest, and makes their presence known in the area. This is also used to prevent confrontations between groups, which will prevent energy loss by avoiding physical fighting. Because of their low-sugar diets, conservation of energy is key to their day. The calls also help in the scattering of the groups and lessens the competition over food.

Diet

Howler monkeys are herbivores and their diet mainly consists of plant leaves, but they also rely on nuts, small animals, fruits, seeds, and flowers for important sources of nutrition. These foods provide sugar necessary for growth for the monkeys. The most important part of their diet are leaves, which they can’t live without for more than a week. They eat both older and younger leaves; however, the older leaves provide more nutrition.The monkeys are able to digest these foods because of their deep jaw bones that enable easier chewing, and their hindgut and large intestine also help digestion. The hindgut contains bacteria that digest leaves and makes up a third of the Venezuelan Red Howler’s total body volume.

Reproduction

There is fierce sexual competition between males due to an unbalanced sex ratio. The females attract males by moving their tongue around in order to initiate mating. If the male does not respond, she moves on to another mate. The average gestation period is 190 days. The infant will stay with the mother for 18-24 months. After males reach sexual maturity they are expelled from their natal group. The male must then invade a foreign group. There, the male kills off the other leader and whatever offspring the first leader generated. By doing this, the male is killing any possible competition. Less than 25% of offspring survive male invasions.

ubspecies

There are three subspecies of this howler:
*Colombian Red Howler, "Alouatta seniculus seniculus"
*"Alouatta seniculus arctoidea"
*Juruá Red Howler, "Alouatta seniculus juara"

References

*Heatwole, Alan M.. Monkeys and Apes. 1st. New York: Gallery Books, 1990.

External links

* [http://pin.primate.wisc.edu/factsheets/entry/red_howler Primate Info Net "Alouatta seniculus" Factsheet]