Red-handed howler
Red-handed howler[1] | |
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Red-handed howler in Amazon, Brazil. | |
Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Mammalia |
Order: | Primates |
Suborder: | Haplorhini |
Infraorder: | Simiiformes |
Family: | Atelidae |
Genus: | Alouatta |
Species: | A. belzebul
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Binomial name | |
Alouatta belzebul | |
Red-handed howler range | |
Synonyms | |
Simia belzebul Linnaeus, 1766 |
The red-handed howler (Alouatta belzebul) is a vulnerable species of howler monkey, a type of New World monkey. It is endemic to Brazil, found in the southeastern Amazon and disjunctly in the Atlantic Forest between Rio Grande do Norte and Sergipe.[2]
Taxonomy
Considerable
Distribution and life history
It lives in the biomes of Amazonian and Atlantic forests which consist of dense forest separated by drier areas. These animals can live up to 20 years,
Behavior and diet
This section needs expansion with: nothing about diet or behavior. You can help by adding to it. (February 2019) |
When not foraging, red-handed howlers rest in the canopy of mature trees 20 m (66 ft) from the forest floor.[8] They also live in social groups of seven to 12 members, with one or two mature males, females, juveniles, and infants.[9]
Threats
Threats to this species are numerous. First, they are a large-bodied mammal hunted for food. Females with young are especially good targets for hunting because the babies can be sold as pets and the mothers can be used for their meat. Slower reproduction of these mammals also prevents them from replenishing the population in response to this pressure. The red-handed howler monkey has one of the smallest ranges of their genus, which makes them even more susceptible to threats. Second, the
Conservation steps
A variety of options can be put into place to help the red-handed howler monkey recover. First, landowners can be encouraged to make sanctuaries or protect vital habitats. Since this species relies so heavily on fruit, certain habitats with a variety of fruit-producing tree stands should be focused on for protection. Second, if slash-and-burn methods are needed, farmers could use smaller portions of forest and rotate often to allow for forest regeneration and repopulation by howlers. Corridors could also be maintained between properties, crop areas, and developed areas. Success has also been documented on the use of ladder bridges across roads to allow red-handed howlers to cross roads safely. Third, translocation is could be used to repopulate suitable habitat the animals may not be able to reach because of fragmentation. Translocation could also be a useful tool in allowing gene flow between populations that would generally not mix.[7] Lastly, the genetics of the populations should be monitored to make sure adequate genetic variability is present to sustain the populations. Some of these studies are already being done using microsatellite loci to determine diversity.[10][11]
References
- OCLC 62265494.
- ^ . Retrieved 19 November 2021.
- ^ ISBN 1-56098-872-X
- ^ da Cruz Lima, E. (1945). Mammals of Amazônia. Vol. 1. Contribuições do Museu Paraense Emílio Goeldi de História Natural e Etnografia.
- ^ a b c Gregorin, R. (2006). (in Portuguese) Taxonomia e variação geográfica das espécies do gênero Alouatta Lacépède (Primates, Atelidae) no Brasil. Rev. Bras. Zool. 23(1).
- ^ Nascimento F. F., Bonvicino C. R., De Oliverira M. M., Schneider M. P. C. (2008). Population Genetic Studies of Alouatta Belzebul from the Amazonian and Atlantic Forests. American Journal of Primatology 70, 423-431.
- ^ a b c Horwich R. H. (1998). Effective Solutions for Howler Conservation. International Journal of Primatology 19,3.
- ^ a b Camargo C. C., Ferrari S. F. (2007). "Observations of Daytime Births in Two Groups of Red-Handed Howlers (Alouatta belzebul) on an Island in the Tucurui Reservoir in Eastern Brazilian Amazonia". American Journal of Primatology 69, 1075-1079.
- ^ a b Camargo C.C., Ferrari S.F. (2007). Interactions between tayras (Eira barbara) and red-handed howlers (A. belzebul) in eastern Amazonia. Primates 48(2):147-50
- ^ Goncalves E. C., Silva A., Barbosa M. S. R., Schneider M. P. C. (2004). Isolation and characterization of microsatellite loci in Amazonian red-handed howlers Alouatta belzebul (Primates, Plathyrrini). Molecular Ecology Notes 4, 406-408.
- PMID 21637590.