The Black Howler Monkey

The Black Howler Monkey is the largest primate in South America, large males can measure 70 cm, with a tail of the same length, and weigh almost 7 kg. Its habitat is extensive: areas of tropical or dry forests or savanna shrublands, which is why the survival of the species is currently not a cause for concern. Adult males have black fur, while females and youngsters have a beige-brown coat. The Black Howler Monkey is arboreal and exclusively vegetarian: it feeds on leaves, sometimes fruit and flowers, that it finds in the treetops. It only comes to the ground to drink in times of drought when leaves do not provide it with enough water. The Black Howler Monkey has a long prehensile tail which he uses as a 5th limb because its lower part is hairless, which improves the sensitivity of the tail and its adhesion to the tree branches. With its special vocal tract, the Black Howler Monkey is capable of producing, at dawn, very powerful cries, shrieks and barks that can be heard several kilometres away to mark its territory.