Animals of Laguna de Apoyo Nature Reserve
Estación Biológica Laguna de Apoyo
Order Primates
Golden-Mantled Howler Monkey Alouatta palliata
As recently as 1996, howler monkeys were only locally distributed in the forests of Laguna de Apoyo
Nature Reserve. The crater interior along the entire northern shore of Lake Apoyo did not sustain a permanent population, excepting a small
troop which remained along the entrance road about one kilometer after entering the crater. Today, however, is much different.
Howlers can be found all through the northern sector of the crater interior today, excepting in the yards of some of the houses along the
shore.
Mom and baby howler Alouatta palliata on the move in a Cecropia peltata tree in
the garden of Estación Biológica Laguna de Apoyo. Photo by Mark de Graaf.
Howler monkeys eat leaves and fruit. They leave the trees and set foot on ground only under duress.
These animals live in trees without ever touching the ground during their entire life, making their population entirely dependent on a
continuous tree canopy. The marked seasonality of tropical dry
forest, the ecosystem of the forests of Laguna de Apoyo Nature Reserve, also places an important bottleneck in howler monkey populations.
How these monkeys find appropriate food year-round is not well-understood, which is likely the reason for declines or disappearances of
howler monkeys in many areas near people throughout the region. The species found here, Alouatta palliata is now abundant in
much of the forest of Laguna de Apoyo Nature Reserve, although its population in other peri-urban areas in Nicaragua is severely
fragmented.
Laguna de Apoyo has a large and growing howler monkey population. Photo by Don Mackler.
This howler monkey can hang by the tail easily because of a pad of hairless skin on the underside
of the tail near the tip. Photo by Jeffrey McCrary.
Howler monkeys become shy when they notice they are being observed. Photo by Tessa Janga.
A patch of long, golden hair on the flanks gives this species its name. Photo by Tessa Janga.
Animals of Laguna de Apoyo Nature Reserve
Our blog entry 1 on variegated squirrels in Laguna de Apoyo Nature Reserve
Our blog entry 2 on variegated squirrels in Laguna de Apoyo Nature Reserve
Our blog entry 1 on golden-mantled howler monkeys in Laguna de Apoyo Nature Reserve
Our blog entry 2 on golden-mantled howler monkeys in Laguna de Apoyo Nature Reserve
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