Red howler monkey
TAXONOMY
Suborder: Haplorrhini Infraorder: Simiiformes Family: Atelidae Subfamily: Alouattinae Genus: Alouatta Species: A. macconnelli, A. sara, A. seniculus Subspecies: A. seniculus arctoidea, A. seniculus juara, A. seniculus seniculus Other names: A. sara: Bolivian red howler monkey; A. seniculus: red howler monkey, red howling monkey; rode brulaap (Dutch); hurleur roux (French); aullador amazónico, coto rojo, guariba vermelha, mono araguato (Spanish); röd vrålapa (Swedish); A. macconnelli: A. s. insulanus, Guyanan red howler, Trinidad howling monkey; A. s. juara: juruá red howling monkey; guariba vermelha (Spanish); A. s. seniculus: Colombian red howling monkey; guariba vermelha (Spanish).MORPHOLOGY

Alouatta seniculus
RANGE
CURRENT RANGE MAPS (IUCN REDLIST): Alouatta macconnelli | Alouatta sara | Alouatta seniculus Red howlers are found only in neotropical South America. They live in a number of countries including Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, French Guiana, Guyana, Peru, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago, and Venezuela (http://www.cites.org). In general, the red howler range extends from northwest Colombia east and south to the river Amazon in eastern Brazil. In addition, they are found east of the Andes down the western coast of South America from Colombia through Peru and northern Bolivia and east into western Brazil as far as the rivers Purus and Juruá (Napier 1976; Wallace et al. 1998). Within their extensive range however, there are often many areas where they are not found, probably due to ecological factors (Iwanaga & Ferrari 2002). Subspecifically, A. s. seniculus is found in northern Colombia and northwestern Venezuela. A. s. arctoidea is found along the coast of Venezuela in the Rupununi savannah and Paramaraibo. A. s. juara is found mostly in Brazil and likely ranges into Ecuador, northern Peru, Colombia and Venezuela. A. macconnelli are found only in Trinidad and Guyana, and into Brazil north of the eastern parts of the Amazon river (Groves 2001). A. sara are found in the Bolivian Amazon (Cortés-Ortiz et al. 2003). Often there are not discrete demarcations between subspecies (see Crockett 1998a:553 for a map).HABITAT
Red howlers can be found in a large variety of habitats within its range. They are found in tropical rain, humid, and dry forests, high terra firma forest, southern forests, mora forests, premontane and lower montane forests, cloud forests (including oak forests), southeast seasonal forests, swamp forests, Igapo forests (seasonally flooded blackwater forest) as well as other seasonally inundated forests, Bajos (floodable lowlands), transition forest, low seasonal forests, semi-deciduous and deciduous seasonal forests, floodplain forests, river terraces, riparian forests, swamp woodlands, eastern Wallaba forests, marsh woodlands and swamps and cacao plantations (Hernández-Camacho & Cooper 1976; Rudran 1979; Braza et al. 1981; Gaulin & Gaulin 1982; Cordero & Boher 1988; Yoneda 1990; Wallace et al. 1998; Youlatos 1998; Palacios & Rodriguez 2001; Lehman 2004). An example of this widespread use of habitat is in Guyana, where they are found in every forest habitat type in the country (Lehman 2004). The widespread use of forest habitats is seen in Colombian red howlers as well where the species is found at high altitudes, absent only from forests near the alpine treeline (Gaulin & Gaulin 1982). While red howlers are capable of occupying a variety of forest types, in Amazonia, they do not live in habitats more than 1.6-1.8 km (1.0-1.1 mi) inland and they prefer lake and river edge habitat over terra firma forests (Peres 1993; Defler pers. comm. & Peres and Defler pers. comm. cited in Palacios 1998; Palacios 1998).
Alouatta seniculus
ECOLOGY
Due to its expansive range, the ecology of the red howler can vary significantly between study sites. Red howlers are, for the most part, herbivores and are predominantly frugivorous and folivorous, consuming mainly fruits and fruit pulp and leaves, supplemented by roots, flowers, epiphytes, seeds, berries, drupes, petioles, leaf buds, bark, wood, vine and liane parts and other plant material (Braza et al. 1983; Soini 1986; Neves & Rylands 1991; Julliot 1996a; de Thoisy & Richard-Hansen 1996; Palacios & Rodriguez 2001; Simmen et al. 2001). Common foods include plants from the genera Ficus, Clarisia, Xylopia, Cecropia, Ogcodeia, and Inga (Soini 1986). In general, red howlers prefer medium or large fruits with juicy pulp and that are bright in color (Julliot 1996a). Of the neotropical primates, they are likely the most folivorous as well, preferring young leaves as opposed to mature leaves (Gaulin & Gaulin 1982; Neves & Rylands 1991; Julliot 1992). The number of plant species eaten can be quite high, with as many as 195 species from 47 families being consumed although relative to usual exploitation; this number is exceptional and probably reflects high biodiversity and food availability at the study site (Julliot 1992; Julliot & Sabatier 1993). The species is also an important seed dispersal mechanism for the plants which it consumes (Andresen 2002). Fruit availability in red howler habitat is often very seasonal and as a result, its relative importance in the diet varies throughout the year and between study sites. Thus, at some times during the year, the species can be described as predominantly folivorous while at other times they are predominantly frugivorous (for an example see Simmen et al. 2001). In Colombia at Tinigua National Park, red howler diet varies with food availability, but the two main staples are fruits and leaves which range between 10-49% and 43-76% of the diet respectively throughout the year. In the fruit scarcity period at the end of the wet season at this location, between September and November, leaves form a greater percentage of the diet than fruits. Seeds (2-8%), flowers (3-6%) and other foods (1-2%) make up the rest of the diet over the course of the year. Also at Tinigua, fruit abundance goes up during the beginning of the wet season (March-May) and during the dry season (December-February) (Stevenson et al. 2000). In Peru at the Pacaya-Samiria National Reserve, fruit availability is similar to that at Tinigua except for a general scarcity in the dry season. At this study site, feeding time was divided into fruit (72%), leaves (25%) and flowers (3%) and leaves are eaten year-round (Soini 1986). Red howler monkeys do not need to drink water and thus can live in areas away from natural water (Crockett 1998b). Red howlers have also been known to eat soil at natural saltlicks and to eat termite nest material, doing so every two or three days (Izawa & Lozano 1990a). In addition, a solitary male howler was observed catching and consuming green iguanas in French Guiana; however this is the only recorded example of predatory behavior in the species and may be unique to this one individual (de Thoisy & Parc 1999).
Alouatta seniculus
Content last modified: November 26, 2007
Written by Kurt Gron. Reviewed by Carolyn Crockett.
Cite this page as: Gron KJ. 2007 November 26. Primate Factsheets: Red howler (Alouatta seniculus) Taxonomy, Morphology, & Ecology . <http://pin.primate.wisc.edu/factsheets/entry/red_howler>. Accessed 2020 July 14.
SOCIAL ORGANIZATION AND BEHAVIOR
Troop size is variable, but a general trend follows that groups are larger in semideciduous habitats and smaller in evergreen areas. Also, group size variation at a single site over extended periods of time is comparable to that between different habitats (Crockett & Eisenberg 1988). In one thirty-year study, troop size averaged annually between 6 and 10.5 individuals but could be as small as 4 individuals and as large as 18 (Rudran & Fernandez-Duque 2003). The group sizes reported by Rudran & Fernandez-Duque approximate the range of group sizes that are found in the wild between study sites (see Crockett & Eisenberg 1988 and Chapman & Balcomb 1998 for lit reviews).
Alouatta seniculus
REPRODUCTION
Red howlers are best described as having a single or multi-male polygynous breeding system in which in the multi-male troops, the dominant male has almost exclusive breeding access to troop females (Crockett & Rudran 1987b; Pope 1990; Kimura 1992). However, following infanticide and male status changes within a troop, females will mate with several males (Crockett 2003). In addition, extra-group copulations have been observed in which females mate with the dominant male of a neighboring group in addition to the dominant male of their group (Agoramoorthy & Hsu 1999). Often, females must emigrate from their natal groups because of competition between females for breeding position. In fact, only around 20% of females will breed in their natal groups and the others emigrate, either to found new troops, join existing troops, or simply disappear (Crockett 1998b). Females may emigrate because larger female group size may be attractive to infanticidal males (Crockett and Janson 2000). Solicitation and copulatory behavior can consist of tongue-flicking, genital-sniffing and inspection, and genital and body licking (Izawa & Lozano 1989; Agoramoorthy & Hsu 1999). Copulation is short in duration, and the male mounts the female from behind, as if covering her (Izawa & Lozano 1989). In one study, copulations within a group were common, and occurred on average once every three hours (Sekulic 1982a).
Alouatta seniculus
PARENTAL CARE
Births in red howlers occur at night and during the day and usually it takes only one or two minutes for the mother to give birth. Shortly after parturition, the mother will consume the placenta (Sekulic 1982b). The newborn infant is tiny, and is born with eyes closed and pale hair (Izawa 1997a). In general, group females both adult and immature spend a lot of time near infants, and dominant males spend more time than other group males near new mothers and their infants than other group males (Sekulic 1983b). Adoption is documented in the species with wild kin, group and non-group females having adopted abandoned infants or the infants of others, and in some cases nursing and raising them until weaning (Izawa 1989; Agoramoorthy & Rudran 1992). One of the most marked features of red howler ecology is the prevalence of infanticide by males which significantly raises infant mortality in the species. Infanticide occurs in two contexts in the red howler, during invasions of a group by external males and during breeding status changes among resident males (Crockett & Sekulic 1984; Agoramoorthy & Rudran 1995). Infanticide in this and other howler species is proposed to be the result of sexual selection and shortens the inter-birth interval of a female (Crockett 2003). According to Crockett (2003), there is less evidence supporting the hypothesis that infanticide is related to food competition within a group (Agoramoorthy & Rudran 1995). Often, females attempt to resist infanticide but are not usually successful. After the death of an infant, a female will usually conceive 1-3 months later and solicit copulations as soon as one week after the death of a previous infant (Crockett & Sekulic 1984; Agoramoorthhy & Rudran 1995). In one study, overall mortality was about 20% in the first year and more than 44% of infant mortality was attributable to infanticide (Crockett & Rudran 1987a). Red howler mothers overall give the impression of only vague or passive interest in their infants however they will groom them and actively defend them from threats (Neville 1972b). For the first month after birth, the infant is carried ventrally by the mother, after which, it will ride on the mother’s back (Mack 1979; Soini 1986). During both ventral and dorsal carrying, the infant will wrap its tail around the base of the mother’s tail (Mack 1979; Izawa & Lozano 1992). During group movement until the fourth month, ventral carrying occasionally is still used. Up to four months old, the infant remains within 2 meters (6.6 ft) of the mother but in the fifth and six months, more time is spent away from the mother. During the fifth and six months, the occurrence of carrying is limited to nursing and travel and by the seventh through ninth month; the infant is carried less than a quarter of the time (Mack 1979). In the second month, quadrupedal movement and use of the prehensile tail is first seen and by month four, adult locomotion is attained and the infants will move about on their own (Mack 1979; Soini 1986). Independence, but not weaning, occurs between seven or eight months of age (Izawa & Lozano 1992). Males either never or rarely carry infants (Mack 1979; Soini 1986). Play with adults is also rare and usually occurs between the infant and other infants or juveniles. However, in general, group members, especially females, are very interested in the infant and spend a lot of time near them (Mack 1979; Sekulic 1983b). Most weaning occurs between 10.5 and 14 months (Crockett & Pope 1993). Nursing can persist into the 17th or 18th month of age, especially while resting (Mack 1979).COMMUNICATION

Alouatta seniculus
Content last modified: November 26, 2007
Written by Kurt Gron. Reviewed by Carolyn Crockett.
Cite this page as: Gron KJ. 2007 November 26. Primate Factsheets: Red howler (Alouatta seniculus) Behavior . <http://pin.primate.wisc.edu/factsheets/entry/red_howler/behav>. Accessed 2020 July 14.
INTERNATIONAL STATUS
For individual primate species conservation status, please search the IUCN Red List. Also search the current scientific literature for primate conservation status (overall as well as for individual species), and visit CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora).
Alouatta seniculus
CONSERVATION THREATS
Threat: Human-Induced Habitat Loss and Degradation
The most pressing threat to the red howler, like other primates is habitat destruction (Defler 2004). Because seasonally flooded forests are inhabited by red howlers, they have the potential to be adversely affected by both the damming of rivers as well as logging along the edges of rivers (Ayres 1982). In Trinidad, where A. macconnelli populations are considered vulnerable by the IUCN Red List, the main threats to the habitats of the species are illegal logging, forest clearance for agriculture and destruction resulting from oil exploration (Hsu & Agoramoorthy 1996). The building of hydroelectric dams can also profoundly alter red howler habitat. In one case of a dam in Venezuela, howlers formerly inhabiting both sides of a river are now restricted to islands in a catchment lake for the dam resulting in their isolation from other populations and the disappearance of some groups (Norconk 1997).Threat: Harvesting (hunting/gathering)
Howler monkeys are one of the most widely hunted primate taxa in the neotropics and are choice prey items even in areas which are only marginally under hunting pressure (Peres 2000). However, the degree of hunting of red howlers is variable between locations (Hernández-Camacho & Cooper 1976; Defler 2004). In habitats in the western Brazilian Amazonian seasonally flooded forests, red howlers are a preferred subsistence prey during high water, because fishing is precluded by the floods (Peres 1997a). In Trinidad, hunting is a significant threat to red howlers even though it is illegal. In areas around wildlife sanctuaries on the island, up to 85% of individuals interviewed admitted to eating or hunting monkeys for meat (Hsu & Agoramoorthy 1996). In Colombia, red howlers are also sometimes killed and taken for their enlarged hyoid, which is used as a drinking vessel to treat goiters. A minor hunting threat to the red howler is killing for its skin, but this occurs only occasionally (Hernández-Camacho & Cooper 1976).Threat: Pollution
Oil pollution has the potential to threaten red howler populations on Trinidad, as pipelines and allocation wells leak into the local water supply. Large mammals drink from the water supply and thus red howlers might potentially affected by such leaks (Hsu & Agoramoorthy 1996).Threat: Intrinsic Factors
Red howlers are susceptible to a number of intestinal parasites, including those of the genera Strongyloides, Trichuris, Chilomastix, Blastocystis and Iodamoeba which have the potential to cause parasitic infections and potentially represent a threat to members of the species (Phillips et al. 2004). They are also susceptible to a number of other maladies in their natural habitat (de Thoisy et al. 2001).LINKS TO MORE ABOUT CONSERVATION
CONSERVATION INFORMATION
- No current links for Alouatta seniculus
- Links for all species
CONSERVATION NEWS
- Global warming cycles threaten endangered primate species (EurekAlert; October 27, 2009)
- Links for all species
Content last modified: November 26, 2007
Written by Kurt Gron. Reviewed by Carolyn Crockett.
Cite this page as: Gron KJ. 2007 November 26. Primate Factsheets: Red howler (Alouatta seniculus) Conservation . <http://pin.primate.wisc.edu/factsheets/entry/red_howler/cons>. Accessed 2020 July 14.
REFERENCES
Agoramoorthy G, Rudran R. 1992. Adoption in free-ranging red howler monkeys, Alouatta seniculus of Venezuela. Primates 33(4):551-5. Agoramoorthy G. 1997. Apparent feeding associations between Alouatta seniculus and Odocoileus virginianus in Venezuela. Mammalia 61(2):271-3. Agoramoorthy G, Hsu MJ. 1999. Extragroup copulation among wild red howler monkeys in Venezuela. Folia Primatol 71(3):147-51.
Alouatta seniculus
Content last modified: November 26, 2007
IMAGES
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Alouatta seniculus Photo: Luiz Claudio Marigo |
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Alouatta seniculus Photo: Luiz Claudio Marigo |
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Alouatta seniculus Photo: Luiz Claudio Marigo |
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Alouatta seniculus Photo: Primates in Art & Illustration Collection |
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Alouatta seniculus Photo: Roy Fontaine |
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Alouatta seniculus Photo: Roy Fontaine |
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Alouatta seniculus Photo: Roy Fontaine |
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Alouatta seniculus Photo: Roy Fontaine |
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Alouatta seniculus Photo: Roy Fontaine |
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Alouatta seniculus Photo: Roy Fontaine |
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Alouatta seniculus Photo: Roy Fontaine |
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