Named for their throaty howls that can be heard for up to three miles, howler monkeys are the loudest of all New World monkeys. There are nine species of howler monkey. Costa Rica is home to the common mantled howler (Alouatta palliata), which inhabit parts of southern Mexico, Central and South America. Howler monkeys usually vocalize at dawn and dusk by passing air through a specially-adapted hyoid bone in their large throats. The result is a deep, grunt-like call that resonates for miles. These vocalizations are used to mark territory and communicate with others within the troop.Mantled howlers, called “Mono Congo” in Costa Rica, can weigh up to 20 pounds and typically have black fur. They are also noted for a brown or golden-colored mantle that is formed by long hairs along their flanks and back. Their long, prehensile tails act as an extra arm, gripping branches while they move about the rainforest canopy in search of food.
A troop of howler monkeys usually consists of eight to twelve females, three or four dominant males and several young. In Costa Rica, howler monkey sightings are common as they inhabit many of the country’s national parks and reserves, including Corcovado National Park, the dry forests of Santa Rosa National Park, Arenal Volcano National Park and the Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve.Females breed once every two years and typically give birth to one offspring after a six-month gestation period. An infant howler will cling to its mother’s belly for about a month and then catch a ride on her back. Mothers nurse their young for up to a year and have been known to care for abandoned or injured howler babies on occasion.
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