WHAT’S THAT HOWLING SOUND?

Mantled howler monkeys (Alouatta palliata) are the largest of Costa Rica’s four species of monkeys and they typically have a life span of 15 to 20 years. Howlers are relatively common in Costa Rican forests, where they constitute 69% of primate biomass within the country.

Howlers or “Congos,” as they are called by Costa Ricans, are famous for the incredible vocalizations made by the adult males. Their howls can be heard more than 1 km away through the forest. Male Mantled Howlers have an enlarged hyoid bone, which is a hollow bone near the vocal cords. This enlarged bone amplifies the calls made by the male, which give the monkey its common name of "howler." Howling allows the monkeys to locate each other without expending energy on moving or risking physical confrontation. First-time visitors to Costa Rica are often awakened first thing in the morning by the mysterious howling, which can sound like a much larger animal.

CLICK ON THIS LINE OF TEXT TO SEE A VIDEO AND HEAR THEIR AMAZING HOWL!

Howlers spend the majority of each day resting and sleeping. The Mantled Howler lives in groups that can have over 40 members, although groups are usually smaller. Upon reaching sexual maturity, most Mantled Howlers of both sexes are evicted from the group they were born into, and so most adult group members are unrelated. The most dominant male, the alpha male, gets preference for food and resting places, and mates with most of the receptive females.

The Mantled Howler is important to the rainforest ecology as a seed disperser and germinator. Although these monkeys are impacted by deforestation and electrocution from power lines (when they confuse them with branches), the species is able to adapt better than most others, due to its ability to feed on abundant leaves and its ability to live in a limited amount of space.

Luckily, the community of Santa Teresa is working along with the Costa Rican Institute of Electricity to insulate power lines, and start the construction and installation of monkey bridges.

At Latitude 10 we get to see howler monkeys every single day!