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Red Howler Monkeys
Red Howler monkeys, scientifically named Alouatta seniculus, are primarily found in South America, ranging from Colombia and Venezuela to the Amazon. These unique creatures are primarily found in large groups under forest canopies where they live in each other’s company. Their unique appearance includes a long, protruding face covered with fur and [hyoid bones?]. Red Howlers are unique monkeys. The males range from 51-63 centimeters and females from 46-57 centimeters long. The males weigh between 5.4-9 kilograms, while females are 4.2-7 kilograms. Their long tails extend to about 57-68 centimeters for males and 52-68 centimeters for females. The color of both males and females is an intense reddish-brown, and the color shade changes with age. Their faces are surrounded by fur and they have stubby noses. One of their most important adaptations are their long tails which contains a lot of fur except for the last third underside of the tail, which allows it to grab branches.

The red howler monkeys live in large groups of around 5-40 individuals. One or two members of the group are males, and the rest of the group are made up of females and their offspring. One male is the 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. Red Howlers are most active in the morning; this is when the group is on the move to find another feeding spot. The rest of their day is spent eating and resting to conserve energy, and at night they sleep. The howlers are most 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 three kilometers 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.

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 hind gut and large intestine also help digestion. The hind gut contains bacteria that digest leaves and makes up a third of the Howler Monkey’s body.

Breeding is an important part of a red howler's life. Mating season is usually between May and July. Both male and females mate with a number of partners. The females tempt the males by moving their tongue around in order to initiate mating. If the male does not respond, she moves on to another mate. After they mate, the female is pregnant for 140 days. After the baby is born, he or she stays with the mother for 18-24 months. The baby must hold onto its mother because the mother tends to forget about the infant. Once a male is old enough, he leaves his mother and goes to find his own troop. There, he kills off the other leader and whatever offspring the first leader generated. By doing this, he is killing any possible competition. Only 25% or less of monkeys survive these attacks.