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Guatemalan Howler Monkey
Alouatta pigra
16.7106, -93.1418
Field Notes
Description:
Alouatta pigra is one of the largest monkeys in the Americas. It averages 70 cm long, excluding the tail, which is slightly longer than its body length. It is the largest and most sexually dimorphic of the howler monkeys, with an average weight of 11.4 kg for males and 6.4 kg for females. They are characteristically covered by black hair, which is a bit longer near the throat, and they have white genitalia. Males have a pink scrotum, which distinguishes Alouatta pigra from Alouatta palliata (Horwich, 1983a). Young retain pale fur until 9 to 10 weeks of age. Like other members of Atelidae, A. pigra has a prehensile tail with gripping pads.
Habitat:
This species occurs in primary terra firma rain forest, riparian forest, seasonally flooded riparian areas, and swamps. However, it can be also found in primary and secondary forest. In areas where suitable habitat does not exist they in some cases be found in marginal habitat surrounded by pastures and urban areas. In Calakmul, Mexico and Tikal, Guatemala, they occur in semideciduous tropical forest, but in Yaxchilán in tall evergreen rain forest. This species is mainly found in areas below 900 m, but more commonly below 400 m. However, Baumgarten and Williamson (2007) found them in locations up to 3,350 m asl. Reid (1997) reported that it is found in evergreen and semideciduous forest, remnant forest along rivers and tall second growth.
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