Black Howler Monkey
They are a species of howler monkey and a large New World monkey, also known as the black and gold howler monkey. They exhibit a noticeably big neck and lower jaw with huge vocal cords. Only the adult male is black; adult females and juveniles of both genders are overall whitish to yellowish-buff. However, variations occur even among the adult males; some have patches of reddish-brown or buff fur.
Habitat
The natural range of this species covers central regions of South America, including eastern Bolivia, southern Brazil, Paraguay, and northern Argentina. Within this territory, the Black howler monkeys occur in a wide variety of habitats such as tropical semi-deciduous gallery forest as well as tropical deciduous forest with savanna-like areas. Due to their leaf-based diet, these primates prefer living in areas with diverse plant species, which they consume. In Argentina it is commonly kept as a pet due to its gentle nature.
Diet
As folivorous creatures, these primates mainly consume leaves. They are also known to favour fruits, buds and flowers.
Breeding
Black howler monkeys are polygynandrous (promiscuous), which means that both males and females breed with multiple mates. Breeding occurs year-round. The gestation period lasts for 180 - 194 days, yielding one infant, rarely - twins. The newborn baby is very small and weighs only 3.5 pounds. During the first month of its life, the infant will cling to the belly of its mother. After a while, it begins riding on her back. The mother will care for the baby until it's about 1 year old. After reaching independence, females continue living with their natal group. The age of reproductive maturity is 5 years old in males and 3 - 4 years old in females.
Population
According to IUCN, Black howler monkeys are widely distributed across their range but no overall population estimate is available. Currently, this species is classified as Least Concern (LC), although its numbers are decreasing.
Threats
The Black howler monkeys heavily suffer from hunting for their coat and meat. These animals are primarily threatened by loss and fragmentation of their natural habitat, as a result of cattle ranching as well as agricultural development for soy.
Conservation
All the areas they are protected in:
Argentina
Iguazú National Park (55,000 ha)
Pilcomayo National Park (60,000 ha)
Chaco National Park (14,000 ha)
Bolivia
Kaa-Iya Gran Chaco National Park (3,441,115 ha)
Otuquis Pantanal National Park (903,350 ha)
Otuquis Natural Area of Integrated Management (102,600 ha)
San Matías Natural Area of Integrated Management (2,918,500 ha)
Noel Kempff Mercado National Park (1,500,000 ha)
Ríos Blanco y Negro National Reserve (1,423,900 ha)
Brazil
Araguaia National Park (557,726 ha) (in range)
Brasília National Park (31,891 ha)
Chapada dos Veadeiros National Park 965,034 ha) (in range)
Grande Sertão Veredas National Park (241,000 ha) (in range)
Chapada Diamantina National Park (152,105 ha) (in range)
Pantanal Matogrossense National Park (136,046 ha)
Taiamá Ecological Station (914,300 ha)
Ibirapuitã State Biological Reserve (351 ha)
Ibirapuitã Environmental Protection Area (318,000 ha)
Ilha Grande National Park (108,166 ha)
Ilhas e Várzeas do Rio Paraná Environmental Protection Area (1,003,059 ha)
Paraguay
Cerro Cora National Park (5,500 ha) (probably extinct)
Ybicui National Park (5,000 ha) (Stallings 1985)
Tinfunque National Park (280,000 ha) (the most important protected area in Paraguay for this species)
Defensores del Chaco National Park (780,000 ha)
Caaguazu National Park (6,000 ha)
Kuri y National Reserve (2,000 ha)
Yakui Protected Forest (1,000 ha)
Nacunday Protected Forest (1,000 ha).