The Social Structure of Howler

Monkeys

Matt Levesley
 Overview

● Largest of the new world monkeys.

● Main threat is hunting for food + captivity.
● 9 currently recognised species.
● The only folivores among the new world
monkeys.
● The mantled howler monkey variety is found in
Honduras.
 Use of vocal communication
● Used within the group and out of it as warning,
announcement, or simply a show of presence.
● They are aptly named due to their incredibly
loud cries.
● Howling sessions usually occur in the morning
and involve the entire social group.
● Males often howl in order to assess their
opponent.
 Mantled howler social structure
● Reside in groups of between 10 and 20, with 1-3 adult
males and 5-10 adult females.
● Males outrank females and younger animals of each
gender generally have higher status than older animals.
● Animals in the group are generally not related as they
leave the natal group before sexual maturity.
● Aggressive interactions between group members do not
occur often.
● The sex ratio seems to find a critical minimum of four
females to every male.
● Immigration seems to play a more important role than
reproduction in increasing group population size.
 Mantled howler social structure
● They maintain a linear hierarchy, with complex interactions within the social
group.
● For example, grooming behaviour, although infrequent, reflects social status.
● Within a social hierarchy, ranking determines a large extent of behaviour and
energy expenditure.
● Clara Jones’ study (1996) demonstrated that increasing age or size in
females eventually results in a decrease in reproductive value and an
increase in social behaviour (in particular foraging for food).
● Younger females foraged significantly less than expected by their total
numbers and left the discovery of ephemeral foods to older females of the
social group, suggesting a selfish method of conserving reproductive or
competitive energy by younger, higher-ranking females.
 Emigration
● Both males and females emigrate from the natal group.
● Males may remain solitary for as long as four years, not entering a group
until the alpha male is successfully challenged.
● The tenure as alpha male is generally around 46 months.
● Females generally don’t spend more than a year in a solitary position and
join a group, with the help of a male.
● It is suggested that competition with close relatives over limited food sources
may be what results in the high levels of natal emigration.
● As the dominance hierarchy is most apparent during feeding, competition
with distant relatives would be preferred, supported by the fact that surviving
extra-group individuals join groups not containing their own kin.
 Interaction between groups
● Mantled Howler groups that have been studied have
occupied home ranges of between 10 and 60
hectares.
● If two groups meet each group will aggressively
attempt to evict the other.
● The Mantled Howler has little interaction with other
monkey species but interactions with the White-
headed Capuchin sometimes occur.
● However, affiliative associations between the
capuchins and howlers do sometimes occur, mostly
involving juveniles playing together, and at times the
capuchins and howlers may feed in the same tree,
apparently ignoring each other.