Fun Venezuelan Red Howler Facts For Kids

Anamika Balouria
Jan 11, 2023 By Anamika Balouria
Originally Published on Mar 25, 2022
Edited by Luca Demetriou
Fact-checked by Pradhanya Rao
Read Venezuelan red howler facts to learn more about the species of the howler monkey.
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Age: 3-18
Read time: 6.6 Min

The Venezuelan red howler monkey is a New World monkey species found in South America's deep, thick rainforests and adjacent areas. The species was described by Carl Linnaeus for the first time in 1766. Colombian red howler monkey is another name for the Venezuelan red howler monkey. Alouatta seniculus is the scientific name for this species. The order to which the species belongs is Primates and the class of Mammalia. Red howlers in Venezuela are polygynous. They use their prehensile tails, hands, and feet to move around, but the exact moving speed of these species is unknown. The sexual dimorphism of Venezuelan red howler monkeys is less prominent. Males and females, as well as their infants, eat leaves, nuts, and flowers, and tiny insects are quite rare. These howler monkeys have small, flat noses, and their faces are covered with fur. The Venezuelan red howlers have been recorded to live for up to 15-20 years. The species is of Least Concern as per the IUCN listing. 

Venezuelan Red Howler Interesting Facts

What type of animal is a Venezuelan red howler?

The Venezuelan red howler monkey is a New World monkey species that is found in the deep, dense rainforests of South America and nearby places. The Venezuelan red howler monkey is also known by another name, the Colombian red howler monkey. 

What class of animal does a Venezuelan red howler belong to?

The Venezuelan red howler monkey belongs to the family of Atelidae and the genus of Alouatta. The scientific name of the species is Alouatta seniculus. Primates is the order and Mammalia is the class to which the species belongs. The phylum they belong to is Chordata. The species was described by Carl Linnaeus for the first time in 1766.

How many Venezuelan red howlers are there in the world?

The exact number of these species is unknown and not estimated at a global level.

Where does a Venezuelan red howler live?

The Venezuelan red howler monkey is a native species of South America. They are also found in Peru, Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, and Brazil. They are more confined to the northeastern region of the country. 

What is a Venezuelan red howler's habitat?

The Venezuelan red howler monkey is found in rainforests and dense green vegetation forest areas. They are mostly seen sitting on the upper canopy of the tree and only come down to the ground in exceptional cases. They are arboreal primate species. 

Who do Venezuelan red howlers live with?

The Venezuelan red howler monkey is known to live in groups of three to seven, which includes males, females, and their offspring. 

How long does a Venezuelan red howler live?

The Venezuelan red howlers are known to survive up to the age of 15-20 years. 

How do they reproduce?

The Venezuelan red howlers are polygynous. During their breeding season, males of the species are known to attract females of the group by making certain sounds and mating with multiple partners. The mode of reproduction is external, and the female gives birth to one offspring after a gestation period of 190 days. Prior to mating, the female advances toward the male and if the male does not respond, she moves on to the other male. 

What is their conservation status?

The conservation status of the Venezuelan red howler monkey species, Alouatta seniculus, belonging to the New World howler monkeys, is listed by the IUCN as Least Concern. Hence, they are not Endangered.

Venezuelan Red Howler Fun Facts

What do Venezuelan red howlers look like?

Venezuelan red howler monkeys are less sexually dimorphic. The female of the species length is about 18-22.5 in (46-57 cm) long while the male of the species length is around 19-28 in (49-72 cm). The weight of the males and females of the species also varies; the female is 9-15 lb (4-7 kg) and the male is 12-20 lb (5.4-9 kg). Venezuelan red howler monkey has a prehensile tail which is 19-29.5 in (49–75 cm). The prehensile tail has fur on it, except for the underside. This part is bald so that the tail can grab onto branches.

Venezuelan red howler monkey is deep red-brown while it changes as they grow. These howler monkeys have a small-flat nose and the faces are covered around with fur. The Venezuelan red howler monkey's jawbone is large, especially the lower jaw of the mouth. The foramen magnum is situated considerably posterior to make room for the wider jaw and expanded hyoid bone. The middle ear of the Venezuelan red howler monkey is also encased in a bony enclosure, known as an inflated bulla.

Venezuelan red howler monkeys are native to South America and have a prehensile tail.

 

How cute are they?

Venezuelan red howler monkeys, like any other monkey primates, are undeniably adorable. When these primate species of howler monkeys, Alouatta seniculus, are seen sitting in the upper canopy of the rainforest, it looks very calm and docile. 

How do they communicate?

In the morning, when a group of Venezuelan red howler monkeys is on the move in search of another food source, they are most active. The 'dawn call' is well-known among these howler monkeys. The male Venezuelan red howler monkeys in the group make a wide range of howling and roaring sounds. This way of communicating with each other also preserves their energy by avoiding physical fights with others as they have low-sugar diet food. 

How big is a Venezuelan red howler?

The female of the species measures around 18-22.5 in (46-57 cm) in length, while the male measures approximately 19-28 in (49-72 cm). So, the average length of these primates' living forests is 18–28 in (46-72 cm). 

How fast can a Venezuelan red howler move?

The Venezuelan red howler monkeys, which belong to the New World monkeys, are mostly seen in their sedentary position in the upper canopy of the deep forests. They use their prehensile tail, hands, and feet to move around, but the exact moving speed of these species is unknown. 

How much does a Venezuelan red howler weigh?

The weight of the males and females of the species also varies. The female is 9-15 lb (4-7 kg) and the male is 12-20 lb (5.4-9 kg). So, the average weight of this rainforest group of animals is 9–19.8 lb (4.2–9 kg).

What are the male and female names of the species?

Males and females of the species of howler monkey do not have any specific names and are known by the common names of female Venezuelan red howler monkeys and male Venezuelan red howler monkeys.

What would you call a baby Venezuelan red howler?

The offspring or baby of the Venezuelan red howler monkeys is called an infant. 

What do they eat?

The Venezuelan red howler monkeys, which are from the New World, are folivores and herbivores on the basis of their food diet. The diet of males and females, including the offspring, has leaves, nuts, flowers, and it is very rare that they will have small insects. Generally, they have low-sugar diet food due to how these animals preserve theirs by sitting in the canopy of the forest. 

How active are they?

The Venezuelan red howler monkey is not that active in comparison to the Old World monkey species. They are mostly seen sitting in the forest areas because they conserve energy by eating low-sugar diet food.

Would they make a good pet?

No, it would not be ideal to keep these animals as pets because of their size as well as their habitat requirements. 

Did You Know...

This makes these howler monkey species especially unique among other New World monkeys. The Alouatta seniculus are arboreal primate species that spend a large amount of their time in the upper canopies of trees. They are quadrupedal primate species while leaping on trees is less evident in them. Their prehensile tail helps them to take the hold of things such as branches of trees. The feet and hands of the Venezuelan red howler monkey also have a unique pattern that allows them to move on the trees easily. Wild animals like jaguars prey on red howler monkeys.

How many babies do Venezuelan red howlers have?

The females and males of the species are polygynous. The females have one offspring at a time on average after mating with the males of the species.

What do you call a group of howler monkeys?

A group of howler monkeys is called a troupe.

 

*We've been unable to source an image of a Venezuelan red howlerand have used an image of a howler monkey instead. If you are able to provide us with a royalty-free image of a Venezuelan red howler, we would be happy to credit you. Please contact us at hello@kidadl.com.

Venezuelan Red Howler Facts

What Did They Prey On?

Leaves, nuts, seeds, flowers

What Type of Animal were they?

Folivore and herbivore

Average Litter Size?

1

How Much Did They Weigh?

9–19.8 lb (4.2–9 kg)

What habitat Do they Live In?

rainforests, upper canopy

Where Do They Live?

peru, venezuela, colombia, Ecuador, brazil, South America

How Long Were They?

18–28 in (46-72 cm)

How Tall Were They?

N/A

Class

Mammals

Genus

Alouatta

Family

Atelidae

Scientific Name

Alouatta seniculus

What Do They Look Like?

Red, brown, black, dark gray

Skin Type

Fur

What Are Their Main Threats?

habitat loss and humans

What is their Conservation Status?

Least Concern
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Sources

https://www.perunature.com/the_wildlife/red-howler-monkey-alouatta-seniculus/

http://www.belfastzoo.co.uk/animals/venezuelan-red-howler-monkey.aspx

https://animalia.bio/red-howler-monkey

https://www.primatespark.com/venezuelan-red-howler/

https://japari-library.com/wiki/Venezuelan_Red_Howler

https://animals-are-cool.fandom.com/wiki/Venezuelan_Red_Howler

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Written by Anamika Balouria

Bachelor of Arts specializing in English, Bachelor of Education specializing in Secondary Education and Teaching, Master of Arts specializing in English

Anamika Balouria picture

Anamika BalouriaBachelor of Arts specializing in English, Bachelor of Education specializing in Secondary Education and Teaching, Master of Arts specializing in English

A dedicated and enthusiastic learner, Anamika is committed to the growth and development of her team and organization. She holds undergraduate and postgraduate degrees in English from Daulat Ram University and Indira Gandhi Institute for Open Learning respectively, as well as a Bachelor of Education from Amity University, Noida. Anamika is a skilled writer and editor with a passion for continual learning and development.
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