Download Saraguato de Manto

Saraguato de Manto
(Spanish)
Alouatta palliata
Class:
Order:
Family:
Genus:
Mammalia
Primata
Atelidae
Alouatta
Distribution
Mantled howler monkeys
are native to Central and
South America.
Juvenile
These monkeys are found in southern Mexico, from Honduras
in Central America south through Panama. West of the Andes
they are in Columbia, Ecuador and northern Peru. In Costa Rica
it is the most commonly found monkey.
Habitat
Most forested areas that lie
between sea level and 2500
metres in altitude.
Mantled howler monkeys inhabit lowland and montane rain
forests, including primary and regenerated forest habitats. They
use all forest levels, but most frequently the upper canopy and
emergents. They are also found in mature and old secondary
evergreen, riverine, semi-deciduous and cloud forested areas.
Food
Primarily a folivore
They also eat fruit when
available during the wet
season as well as flowers
during the dry season.
Howlers eat mainly top canopy leaves. They are species
selective. Food choice is influenced not only by digestibility and
nutrient value, but also by secondary compounds such as
tannins that may be undesirable. They prefer young leaves with
higher protein to fibre ratio and lower tannin content.
Availability of other food items consumed varies seasonally.
Reproduction
Females undergo a regular
estrus cycle. The average
duration is 16 days. Her
genital area swells and
changes colour from
white to light pink. She
approaches a male and
begins rhythmic tongue
movements while facing
him. He responds with
similar motions. She turns
and elevates her rump.
There is no particular breeding season, it occurs year round.
Females initiate courtship with a male. She advertises her
breeding condition by the in and out movements of her tongue.
He willingly responds the same way and after a short period of
time mating takes place. She may copulate with several males.
The ovulation time is unknown, it may be predicted by the alpha
male’s behavior, as he copulates only at the midpoint of her
sexual skin swelling and remains uninterested at other times.
On average the gestation period is 186 days or about six months
or so. Mantled howler monkeys give birth to a single young.
The interbirth interval is about 22.5 months. This will shorten if
an infant dies within four months of birth. Infant mortality
appears to be lower when the timing of births is clustered.
Development
Newborn infants weigh on
average 409 g. They appear
silver to golden brown.
Infants spend the first
weeks of life clinging to
their mother and nursing.
They begin mouthing leaves
at three weeks of age. They
do not leave the mothers
side until five weeks old.
Characteristics
These are named for the
mantle of long gold-brown
hair along their sides. The
rest of the hair is black and
relatively short. Skin is
black; the face, palms,
bottoms of the feet, and
underside of the tail tip are
hairless. They have a short
snout, and wide-set, round
nostrils. Beards are more
pronounced in males.
Adaptations
They are diurnal. Days
begin with a “dawn chorus”
of howling roars. They
move quadrapedally. The
tail is long and prehensile.
It is strong enough to
support the monkey’s entire
body weight and is used as
a fifth limb. They live an
arboreal lifestyle, very rarely
leaving the trees. Seasonal
changes affect the amount
of time devoted to specific
activities.
Status/Threats
IUCN Red List: Least
Concern.
Cites: Appendix I
.
Sightings at Cano Palma
Daily morning choruses
Babies at first cling to the mother’s chest. They progress to
riding on her back using their tails to curl around the base of
hers. When they first start to explore their surroundings they
move no further away from mum than about 2 m. By week ten
to eleven they begin exploratory feeding and spend a significant
portion of time independent of their mother. By the age of four
months the infant no longer has an influence on the mother’s
reproduction. Other females will provide care for infants.
Juveniles remain within a group until they are ready to leave the
natal group. Both males and females disperse to new groups.
Females reach sexual maturity at approximately 36 months and
males at 42 months of age.
Of the New World monkeys these are the largest. They are
sexually dimorphic by size, the mean body weights of males and
females are 7.15kg and 5.35 kg, respectively. Adult head and
body length ranges from 38 to 63 cm with the tail being an
additional length of between 52 and 70 cm. old. When males
reach adulthood, their scrotum turns from black to a prominent
white. Group size varies a great deal. Generally it includes one to
three adult males and five to ten adult females. Neither adult
males nor adult females in a group are typically related. Males
may remain solitary for a period of time as long as four years.
Females spend much less time alone. They form the stable social
unit, rarely leaving once established within a group.
.
They have an enlarged hyoid bone which helps with their
“sound effects”. The hyoid bone is larger in males than females,
and is expanded into a large, hollow, resonating chamber. This
produces the roaring howls after which they are named. Calls
also include grunts, woofs and barks. Vocal communication is
an important part of their social behavior. Calls communicate
group location, distance and composition. They maintain linear
hierarchies and demonstrate complex interactions within social
groups. They usually hold on to a branch with at least two hands
or one hand and the tail during locomotion or feeding. They are
travel minimizers; the less time spent traveling, the more energy
is conserved, thereby increasing the efficiency of foraging. They
adapt to what food is available to them. Being canopy dwelling
folivores they have large salivary glands that help to break down
the tannins in leaves before they reach the gut.
Threats include being hunted for food and captivity as well as
forest fragmentation In Costa Rica regenerated forests are
becoming habitable to these monkeys. New social groups are
occurring.
These are very common around the station, seen at least once
daily. Babies often come close to people in the compound.
References: http://www.geocities.com/rainforest/canopy/3220/mantledhowler.html?200814 ext. Oct.23, 2008
http://www.theprimata.com/aloutta_palliata.html Ext. Oct. 23, 2008
http://animaldiversity.ummz.unmich.edo/site/accounts/information/Alouatta_palliata.html Ext. Oct 24, 2008
Canadian Organization for Tropical Education and Rainforest Conservation
www.coterc.org