Cyber Flashcards

10 OF THE MOST ENDANGERED PRIMATE SPECIES

#3

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Photo credit: Sinara Conessa/Creative Commons
what is thIS PRIMATE'S common name?
NORTHERN BROWN HOWLER MONKEY
What is the scientific name?
Alouatta guariba guariba
​WHAT KIND OF PRIMATE IS THIS?
MONKEY
Where do they live?
Native to Brazil, northern brown howler monkeys are restricted to an area north of the Jequitinhonha River in the Jequitinhonha Valley. Small populations follow the flow of the river along the country’s central east Atlantic coast, occupying widely separated submontane, montane, and lowland forests in the states of Bahia, Espirito Santo, and Minas Gerais. (The species had previously been reported in Rio de Janeiro.)
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Latin America
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Map of the northern brown howler's general region. Their distribution area has not been mapped.
New world or old world?
NEW WORLD
fascinating facts
  • As few as 100 individuals remain
  • Northern brown howler monkeys are one of the world's 25 most endangered primate species
  • Large, docile, and slow, they are hunted for bushmeat
  • Along with the southern brown howler monkey (Alouatta guariba clamitans), the northern brown howler is a subspecies of the brown howler monkey (Alouatta guariba) and separated from the southern brown howler by the Jequitinhonha River basin
  • Howlers are among the largest of New World monkeys
  • Howler monkeys are one of nature's loudest animals
What threatens their future?
Locals have long-hunted these docile and slow-moving monkeys for their flesh, resulting in a devastating toll on populations. The monkeys are thought to be nearly wiped out from the cacao-growing region of southern Bahia.

Habitat loss has further fragmented northern brown howler monkey populations. Lush forest has been lost to logging, agriculture, and cattle grazing . . . nudging the species toward extinction.

​Yellow fever poses a serious threat to all howler populations residing in Brazil’s Atlantic forests. Because of their already dramatically reduced populations, northern brown howler monkeys are especially vulnerable to this potentially deadly disease.
​WHAT IS their CONSERVATION STATUS?
CRITICALLY ENDANGERED
What Does this Conservation Status mean?
Critically Endangered (CR) – Extremely high risk of extinction in the wild
Any species categorized as Critically Endangered, Endangered, or Vulnerable is considered by conservation scientists to be a threatened species
​HERE'S A SNAPSHOT AND THE SPECIES' PROFILE
Click or tap on the graphic to enlarge it
​LEARN MORE ABOUT Northern brown howler monkeys
Go to the northern brown howler Primate Species Profiles page
are northern brown howlers good pets?
NO
  1. Howler monkeys are LOUD! Their calls are meant to be heard for up to 3 miles (4.8 km).
  2. Northen brown holwer monkeys are wild animals. Their dietary and environmental needs cannot be adequately met or replicated in human living conditions. 
  3. To become pets, baby primates are stolen from their mothers. As a result, they do not develop normally emotionally.
  4. When taken from the wild, their mothers are killed to capture the baby.
  5. Primates are never domesticated. They always remain wild. 
  6. Caged primates are very unhappy and frustrated. They are likely to resist confinement. They are quick and cause damaging bites and scratches. Some die as a result of their captivity.
  7. Many locations have strict regulations that prohibit trading in or keeping primates and endangered species are pets.
  8. Northern brown howlers belong with other howler monkeys in the rainforests of Brazil. They and their habitats must be protected, not exploited.
#PrimatesAreNotPets
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​Common names are not officially defined. They are based on everyday conversational language and may differ by country, region, profession, community, or other factors. As a result, it is not unusual for a species to have multiple common names.

Scientific names, on the other hand, are standardized and constant. They are Latinized and rule-bound by a formal naming system called binominal nomenclature. Scientific names prevent misidentification. They typically only change if a species is officially redesignated.
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The biological order of Primates is divided into these classifications:​
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​​New World monkeys are native to Central and South America.

Old World monkeys are native to Africa and Asia.
Learn about the differences between New World monkeys and Old World monkeys
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  • ​Extinct (EX) – No known individuals remaining.
  • Extinct in the Wild (EW) – Known only to survive in captivity.
  • Critically Endangered (CR) – Extremely high risk of extinction in the wild.
  • Endangered (EN) – High risk of extinction in the wild.
  • Vulnerable (VU) – High risk of endangerment in the wild.
  • Near Threatened (NT) – Likely to become endangered in the near future.
  • Least Concern (LC) – Widespread and abundant.
  • Data Deficient (DD) – Not enough data to assess the species' risk of extinction.
  • Not Evaluated (NE) – Has not yet been evaluated.
Learn more about ​Conservation Statuses
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