Mantled Howler Monkey Habitats

The mantled howler monkey (Alouatta palliata) is a New World Monkey, one of the five families of primates residing in South and Central America as well as Mexico. 

It has characteristics that make it seem more threatening than it is. The species is marked by a large, stocky body and a roar so loud, it has been compared to that of a lion! But they don’t pose a risk to humans. 

Though they play an important role in the ecosystem, their numbers are quickly dwindling.

In this article, Paso Pacifico describes the threats they face and what we can do to save mantled howler monkey habitats.

Mantled Howler Monkeys and Their Habitats

Mantled howlers are native to the southern tip of Mexico as well as Central and South America. 

You can find these primates in Campeche, Chiapas, Colombia, Costa Rica, Honduras, Oaxaca, Panama, Tabasco, Veracruz, and western Ecuador. Their homes are primary and secondary forests, coastal lowland and montane rainforests, gallery forests, mangrove forests, cloud forests, and dry deciduous forests.

They prefer the canopy layer of forests where most of their food can be found.

Fascinating Facts About the Mantled Howler Monkey

Here are some memorable characteristics of the mantled howler monkey:

They Are Arboreal 

Mantled howlers live in trees and are seldom seen walking on the ground.

Their movements (walking, running, and galloping), which often display their quadrupedalism (moving on four feet), are driven by canopy structure, resource location, and topography. They also exhibit bridging (stretching to cross gaps) and suspend themselves by their arms.

Mantled Howlers Are Herbivores

Mantled howler monkeys are the most folivorous of New World primates. Beyond munching on fruits, nuts, buds, and flowers, they also get their nutrients from living leaves and petioles. 

Their diet can vary seasonally with fluctuating availability. Generally, these monkeys prefer food with the lowest tannins and highest protein.

They Are Large and Stocky 

Mantled monkeys are large, stocky, and mostly covered in black, save for the two long, yellow, or brown cloak-like patches on their flanks where they get their name from. 

Their faces are mostly bright and bare, with a dark beard-like growth that is typically longer in males than females. They’re also sexually dimorphic, so there are other morphological differences.

Mantled Howlers Are One of the Largest Monkeys in Central America 

Male mantled howlers are between 20 and 27 inches long and weigh as much as 30 pounds. Their female counterparts have body lengths from 18 to 25 inches and weigh as much as 16 pounds.

These Monkeys Are Polygynous 

Mantled howlers have a polygamous mating system. One male breeds with multiple females. Each female gives birth to a single offspring after a gestation period of 186 days or about 6 months.

Mantled Howler Monkeys Don’t Drink Groundwater 

Mantled howler monkeys get most of their water from their food. 

During the dry seasons, when the leaves they consume contain significantly less water, they rely on arboreal water cisterns for hydration. However, since cisterns are only available during monsoons, these monkeys climb down occasionally or alter their schedules to compensate for the difference.

They Have a Complex Hierarchy 

Communities of mantled howlers are led by male members of the species. Young male adults have the highest ranking followed by middle-aged male monkeys while the oldest male members are at the bottom of the chain.

These Primates Have an Incredibly Loud Cry

Hyoid bones in male mantled howlers are larger than those found in females, allowing them to make loud, guttural calls. Their cries are used to locate fellow howlers and communicate from a distance.

The fearful sound is almost as powerful as a lion’s roar and can be heard up to 3 miles away.

Mantled Howler Monkeys Have Long Lifespans 

Mantled howlers can live 20 to 25 years in the wild. Unfortunately, not many members of the species live this long. Eighty-eight percent of males and 65% of females die before age five. Some hypothesize that their premature mortality may be due to food scarcity. 

They Have Prehensile Tails 

Mantled howler monkeys have a thick, furry prehensile tail that’s hairless on the underside. It provides them with a solid grip as they move between branches and trees in search of food, functioning like a fifth limb.

Mantled Howlers Live in Groups 

They exhibit social behavior and live in mixed-sex groups that can have as many as 40 members! They have a high female-to-male ratio, with nearly 4 females for every male. If the number of females in the group drops, older males become aggressive towards infants to drive them off.

These New World Monkeys Sleep Most of the Day Away

Leaves have hard-to-digest cellulose and are low in sugar, providing less energy than most food. Mantled howlers spend the majority of the day saving their energy for more important tasks like foraging.

Are Mantled Howler Monkeys as Aggressive as They Seem?

The mantled howler monkey’s chasing behavior, female-to-female agonistic interactions, and male-to-male fights are well documented. There have also been shocking reports of infant-killing following a male takeover.

Combined with their loud calls, it’s easy to see why people are intimidated. But that doesn’t mean that they’re extremely dangerous.

Mantled howler monkeys exhibit rare aggressive behaviors. They have some of the lowest levels of conspecific aggression reported for any social primate! However, they will defend themselves if cornered.

Threats They Face

Mantled howler monkeys are experiencing a sharp population decline because of predators. They’re also hunted for pet trade and bushmeat, and face competition from spider monkeys, wooly monkeys, and leaf-cutting ants.

Their greatest threat, however, comes from habitat loss and fragmentation. These occur as agriculture, livestock farming, and economic development lead to deforestation. Studies suggest that if the current rate of deforestation continues, the species will lose 73% to 84% of its suitable range in the next three decades.

While they can survive in disturbed anthropogenic ecosystems, which include forest fragments as small as a few hectares, research suggests that they may not thrive in these conditions in the long term. As viable habitats become smaller and scarcer, mantled howler monkeys become more susceptible to epidemics, nutritional stress, genetic stochasticity, poor reproductive performance, and environmental catastrophes. 

How You Can Help Mantled Howlers Thrive

Mantled howler monkeys are listed by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) as “vulnerable.”

We need to preserve their populations, especially in light of the role they play in the ecosystem. Mantled howlers disperse seeds from various fruits and veggies through their excrement, which increases species diversity in their habitats. Conserving their homes can also improve the survival rate of other species that rely on plant diets.

Given the wide geographical spread of their habitats, efforts can be challenging to coordinate and execute. 

However, you can still help preserve the areas where they live by:

• Spreading awareness about the important ecological role they play
• Creating wildlife crossing roads (rope bridges) to prevent or minimize road accidents and injuries from power lines

You can also help Paso Pacifico.

How Paso Pacifico is Preserving Mantled Howler Monkey Habitats

From drought to deforestation, many factors threaten the habitats of mantled howler monkeys. Paso Pacifico is doing its best to address them by protecting habitats in the Pacific Slope ecosystems of Mesoamerica. 

We work with governments, agencies, and institutions to highlight the plight of mantled howler monkeys and the issues behind their dwindling numbers. 

In 2016, we began working with UC Davis primate specialists to identify risks to their population. We also set up water and fruit stations across dry tropical forests and spearheaded a reforestation campaign in San Juan Del Sur.

Mantled howler monkeys deserve homes too. Donate to our programs.

Possum vs. opossum? Aren’t they different spellings of the same word? Understanding the difference between possum and opossum is essential, as they are not the same animal

Many non-native English speakers struggle with telling the 2 species apart. This is mainly because the word “possum” is often used in American colloquial conversation as an abbreviation for “opossum.”

Despite the confusion, they’re very different animals.

Paso Pacifico will take you through the finer details between these two distinct species. We’ll also help you understand their behavioral and morphological differences, including their preferred habitats, so you’ll always know which animal you’re referring to.

Possum vs. Opossum: Why the Confusion?

Both belong to the marsupial family. They give birth to underdeveloped babies that they nourish in pouches containing teats until newborns can fend for themselves. 

Being active night creatures, they’re mostly nocturnal. However, they can be seen during the day if they experience food scarcity.

Additionally, both species are mainly tree-dwelling (arboreal) and even look alike to some extent. This explains why the two are often used interchangeably.

Possum vs. Opossum: Distinguishing Features 

While possums and opossums are not closely related, telling these fascinating creatures apart can seem challenging. But it doesn’t have to be as long as you understand their:

Taxonomic Order 

Opossums are from the order Didelphimorphia, which translates to “double-wombed” in Greek. They belong to the largest extant marsupials in the Western hemisphere, with over 17 genera and 87 species. 

The most common is the Virginia opossum (Didelphis virginiana)—a cat-sized creature that is terrestrial and will eat just about anything.

In contrast, possums belong to Diprotodontia or “two forward teeth” in Greek. It is the most diverse order with approximately 155 species! Common varieties include the brushtail possum and ringtail possum.

Geographic Origins 

The opossum is primarily native to North America, particularly in the continental United States and south-eastern Canada. In Mesoamerica, opossums can be found in Mexico, Belize, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Costa Rica.

Conversely, the possum is native to Australia. But you can also find them in China, New Guinea, New Zealand, Tasmania, Sulawesi, and other islands of Indonesia.

Spot the Difference

Here are 6 ways you can distinguish one marsupial from the other:

Fur

Possums have thick, fluffy reddish brown, dark brown, and warm grey hues. They can also sport golden colors thanks to a genetic mutation. In contrast, opossums have coarse fur that is usually grey.

Sizes 

Possums can weigh less than an ounce to over 20 pounds depending on the species. Their total lengths are between 23 and 47 inches. 

Opossums, on the other hand, weigh anywhere between 8.8 to 13.2 pounds. They measure about 29 inches from nose to tail. That’s almost the size of a raccoon, so you can stop associating them with rats.

Diets 

Possums are mostly herbivorous, enjoying a diet of leaves, herbs, sweet fruits, and even veggies. But some species (brushtail possums) don’t shy away from attacking bird eggs and small lizards. 

Meanwhile, opossums are omnivores. From fruits and plants to carrion (dead animals), insects, and small mammals like rats, they eat just about anything in their surroundings. This loner has also been known to hunt and feast on venomous snakes. Their impressive immune systems can neutralize the toxins.

Faces

Opossums have pointed faces with long, narrow snouts and sharp teeth while possums have rounded faces and shorter, less-pointed snouts.

Tails 

Possums have thick and furry tails resembling those of squirrels.

Opossums’ tails have no fur. They are so long that they account for almost one-third of their body length! They are versatile and practical appendages that can grasp, hold, and manipulate objects. They also anchor opossums to trees as they dangle from branches in search of food.

Habitats

Possums live in wooded areas. They create dens and nests in tree trunks, hollow branches and logs, and rock cavities and crevices. You can also find them in urban parks, gardens, tree-lined rivers, and creeks.

Opossums are more or less the same. They prefer brushy habitats in dry forests but willingly settle down anywhere as long as the place offers easy access to food and water. This includes everything from rainforests, prairies, and mangrove swamps to urban and suburban areas.

A Look at Their Behaviors

How many times have we heard the phrase “playing possum”? The term refers to “pretending to be dead, ignorant, asleep, etc, to deceive an opponent.” 

Because of the phrase’s popularity, you no doubt already have an idea of how possums protect themselves. When they feel threatened or are caught unaware, they involuntarily enter a catatonic state as a response to fear. This deceptive and life-saving behavior can last up to 4 hours! 

This gives the predator time to lose interest and move on to more accessible prey. If they’re desperate enough, they’ll attack the opossum, even if it emits a decaying smell. Though these animals rarely show aggression, they will bite when cornered.

In contrast, possums are docile and friendly towards humans. However, they will bare their teeth, hiss, and growl in the face of danger. 

Major Threats to Possums and Opossums

Possums are widely hunted and killed for meat and smooth fur.

While opossums keep to themselves and avoid human contact, they face certain threats. They’re considered furbearers in most states, with more than one million pelts harvested annually. The industry is valued at $2.5 million. 

When they fake death, they’re also at risk of being eaten by predators like coyotes and foxes. Combined with their small size, the behavior makes them susceptible to getting hit by cars.

This might explain why opossums only live up to 2 years in the wild, but in captivity, Virginia opossums can live as long as 10 years.

What To Do if You See a Possum or Opossum

The key thing to remember is to avoid handling possums and opossums with your bare hands.

While opossums are generally known to be all bark and no bite, 1 in 800 are affected by the rabies virus, which can be transmitted through bites and be fatal if symptoms manifest. 

They can also carry infectious diseases, including:

• Chagas disease
• Coccidiosis 
• Leptospirosis
• Relapsing fever
• Salmonellosis
• Spotted fever 
• Toxoplasmosis 
• Tuberculosis
• Tularemia 

Opossums may also host parasites like fleas, mites, ticks, and lice.

When it comes to possums, these land-dwelling animals are free from rabies but that doesn’t mean you can touch them. They, too, carry diseases that can be spread through physical contact.

So, if you see an opossum or a possum, try to scare it away by making loud noises. If it’s inside your house, encourage it to leave by keeping your doors open. If it doesn’t budge, don’t take matters into your own hands because it may act defensively. Contact a licensed wildlife rehabilitator instead.

The Good News: Possums and Opossums Are Important to Ecosystems

Flightless mammals like opossums are key dispersers of many species, including late-successional large-seeded plants. They’ve also proven their value against ticks by limiting their populations. They protect us from diseases like Anaplasmosis, Babesiosis, Ehrlichiosis, Lyme disease, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, and the Southern Tick-Associated Rash Illness.

Possums and opossums also serve as prey for larger animals, and thus help maintain the natural order of things.

Help Paso Pacifico Preserve Their Habitats

The homes of animals are facing major threats. As deforestation leads to forest loss, all types of species are being forced out of their homes. Paso Pacifico’s mission is to ensure that creatures like possums and opossums have safe places to live. Because when their habitats disappear, so will the animals. 

Help us restore and protect the Pacific Slope ecosystems of Mesoamerica. Donate or help us raise funds.

When you think about parrots, you’re probably picturing the scarlet macaw with its brilliant red plumage, bright blue and yellow feathers, and creamy white face. Intelligent, sociable, and stunningly beautiful, it is the world’s most famous parrot species.

Aside from being frequently featured in TV shows and films, the scarlet macaw plays an important role in our ecosystem. For one, this neotropical parrot distributes seeds throughout its vast Central and South American range. 

Join Paso Pacifico as we explore more fascinating facts about this extraordinary bird.

9 Quick Facts About the Scarlet Macaw

Get to know this gorgeous bird with these 9 quick facts:

1. Scarlet Macaws Are the Largest Parrots 

These birds are the largest parrots in the world! Its subspecies, the cyanoptera macaw, can be as long as 36 inches from beak to tail.  

2.  They’re  Visually Impressive

Scarlet macaws are fondly known as the rainbows of the rainforest. They have a striking plumage, which is predominantly red, with yellow and light blue feathers on the rump and tail. Around the eyes is a large patch of creamy white skin, which is mostly featherless. 

Its subspecies, the cyanoptera macaw, is distinguished by its median and secondary wing coverts, which are tipped in blue. Additionally, it lacks the green band that separates the brilliant yellow from the blue hue. 

3. They Have a Diverse Diet 

These South American birds are omnivores that enjoy plants and meat, feasting heavily on bugs, snails, nectar, leaves, seeds, insects, nuts, and flowers. 

Interestingly, they can digest toxic fruits that are lethal to other animals. This immunity is attributed to their habit of eating clay by the riverbanks, which neutralizes chemicals like tannins.

4. Ara Macaws Have a Powerful Curved Beaks 

Scarlet macaws’ powerful curved beaks are used to crack open the husks of fruits and crush hard nuts and seeds for easy digestion. 

But did you know that it has other uses? Their hooked and strong appendage—which packs enough force to split open coconut shells—helps them climb branches and defend themselves against predators.

5. Most Are Left-Footed

Scarlet macaws, including Ara macao cyanoptera, are left-footed. This preferential bias is because the right sides of their brains are more developed than the left. This is why they use their left feet to grasp, grab, and manipulate food while the right supports their bodies.

6. They’re Monogamous 

Scarlet macaws are monogamous and remain dedicated to their mates for life. They show affection by touching their partners’ feet, licking each other’s faces, “kissing,” preening, and talking to each other.

In certain situations (like when the pair fails to reproduce or a mate gets lost in the wild), the other partner will mate with another macaw. 

7. Scarlet Macaws Breed Every 1 to 2 Years 

These parrots breed once every one to two years, though some pairs also mate year-round. Females typically produce 2 to 4 white and rounded eggs.

8. They Help Plant Trees

These neotropical birds are seed predators and seed dispersers. They can transport and disperse large fruits and seeds over long distances.

9. Scarlet Macaws Have Long Lifespans 

Ara macaws have the longest lifespan among parrots. They can live up to 40 to 50 years in the wild. Researchers believe that their large brains may be the reason why they outlive most species in the animal kingdom.

Threats To the Scarlet Macaw 

Though the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s (IUCN) red list classifies the Ara Macao’s numbers as Least Concern (LC), its numbers continue to decrease. Globally, there are only 20,000 to 50,000 left. 

However . . .

When we consider its Mesoamerican subspecies, the Ara macao cyanoptera, the situation turns dire. Paso Pacifico estimates that there are fewer than 20 of them left in western Central America. 

Here are the most common threats faced by the Ara macao cyanoptera:

Predation

Clay enables these parrots to enjoy immunity from the toxic fruits that are part of their diets. To ingest it, however, they have to fly to the riverside where they become easy prey for raptors like eagles, hawks, and falcons. 

Quite often, these animals also take fledglings from their nests. Baby birds are generally well-camouflaged in the thick, dense foliage of the rainforests. However, they are threatened by arboreal predators like snakes, toucans, forest falcons, monkeys, and other small carnivorous animals. Sometimes, they are also hunted by large cats like jaguars.

Pet Trading 

The scarlet macaw is listed in Appendix I of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES). Hence, their trade is prohibited or tightly controlled, except in rare cases like scientific research.

Though illegal, poaching remains the largest threat to the species based on information from the US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS). The demand is driven by people who insist on keeping them as pets. They’re also hunted for food and their colorful feathers. 

A single ara macao cyanoptera can fetch as much as $1,000 on the black market. 

Habitat Loss

Their numbers are dwindling due to habitat loss, the result of agricultural encroachment, climate change, industrial development, the harvesting of timber, road network expansion, etc. 

Poachers sometimes cut down trees to get to the eggs or hatchlings, which exacerbates the problem.

What Can We Do To Save the Scarlet Macaw Bird?

There’s a lot we can do to help preserve the species and their vital place in our ecosystems. 

Create Awareness About Scarlet Macaws

While people are often aware of the scarlet macaw’s existence, not enough know about its diminishing population. The first and crucial step to protecting them is spreading the word. 

Tell people about their precarious situation, their important roles as seed dispersers, and how they help maintain forest biodiversity. This will encourage discussion and inspire action. 

Don’t Keep Them as Pets

Earlier in this post, we mentioned that keeping these birds as pets fuels poaching activities. One of the easiest ways to protect them is not to buy them. 

In addition, keeping birds as pets is cruel. Away from their natural environments, their wings are often clipped and they are more likely to engage in destructive behavior that can lead to poor health and death.

Save Their Natural Habitats

Scarlet macaws, like the Ara macao cyanoptera, typically live in large trees that are found in undisturbed tropical forests. It’s thus important to conserve and restore their habitats through targeted activities.

• Localized efforts are more effective than initiatives controlled by outside organizations.
• We must call on decision-makers to enact policies and other measures that safeguard the species.
• Forest restoration creates more habitats and absorbs more carbon.
• Ecotourism spreads awareness while generating funds that can be used to preserve them.

Donating to organizations that are dedicated to saving the habitats of scarlet macaws is also an immense help.

Conduct Breeding and Reintroduction Programs

Captive breeding and reintroduction programs ensure the survival of scarlet macaw species that are nearing extinction. It entails keeping the birds in captivity so they can reproduce with human assistance.

Once grown, they are released into the wild so they can thrive and continue multiplying. The overall goal is for scarlet macaws to eventually have self-sustaining populations.

Monitor Populations in Their Natural Habitats

Tracking scarlet macaw populations in their natural environments is one of Paso Pacifico’s main conservation activities. From the January to April nesting season, we monitor and protect their nests as well as conduct health checkups. 

Through our efforts in the Cosigüina peninsula in Nicaragua, one of the last places where wild cyanoptera scarlet macaws can be found, we’ve been able to grow its local numbers by 20%.

Save the Ara Macao Cyanoptera With Paso Pacifico

Paso Pacifico employs a three-pronged approach to conserving cyanoptera scarlet macaws: protecting their nests, educating young children, and offering the local community economic benefits. It’s a promising framework but we need your help to continue the progress we’ve made.

Consider making a one-time or monthly donation to Paso Pacifico’s Saving Cyanoptera Macaws Program. With your help, we can help these endangered birds thrive in the wild again.

The sea turtle is one of North America’s most treasured species. People often pay huge amounts on excursions to witness these creatures in their natural habitat, swimming among coral reefs in the middle of stark blue seas. 

There are currently seven sea or marine turtle species in existence: Hawksbill, Loggerhead, Leatherback, Olive ridley, Green, Flatback, and Kemp’s ridley. Most of them can live up to 100 years. 

However, it is estimated that only one in 1,000 sea turtles survive to see adulthood and mate to expand their species. There are many reasons for their decline in survival—some natural and some man-made. This is why saving sea turtles is a critical need all over the world.

Fortunately, Paso Pacifico is one of the biggest proponents for conservation on the Pacific Coast. Read on for all you need to know about sea turtles and how you can help them. 

Sea Turtles: A Marine Maricle 

Sea turtles can be found all around the world. These majestic creatures can grow as large as 1,500 pounds and up to 63 inches. Their diet predominantly consists of jellyfish, seaweed, squid, barnacles, and sponges; however, green turtles only consume sea grass and algae.

Sea turtles swim thousands of miles throughout their lifetimes, visiting different oceans and coral reefs as they explore. They mainly do so to forage for food and find beaches that will make for safe nests to lay their eggs.

Today, almost all seven species of sea turtles are classified as endangered. For many years, these marine animals have been exploited for their eggs, meat, skin, and shells. Climate change has also contributed to disruptions in their nesting habits, causing this beloved species to dwindle to alarming numbers. 

Why Are Sea Turtles Endangered?

Sea turtles are integral to marine ecology, as they feed on jellyfish and protect the coral reefs. For example, leatherback turtles control populations of jellyfish and various fish stocks. Adult hawksbill sea turtles can eat up to 1,200 pounds of sponges a year, thus maintaining balance in the ecosystem.

Sea turtle conservationists in El Salvador and all over the world have been working diligently to educate people about this issue and save these precious animals. Here are some reasons for the significant decline in their numbers: 

Feeding

In many cultures and regions, turtle meat and eggs are a significant source of protein. Even if hunting has been prohibited in some areas, illegal practices like poaching eggs and selling them are still very common. 

Local governments and sea turtle conservation centers are trying to spread awareness about their depletion in numbers and the repercussions of overconsuming turtle eggs and meat. 

Poaching 

Studies estimate that in the last three decades, more than 1 million sea turtles have been poached for their skin and shells. Their skin is used for leather products, while turtle shells are polished to create jewelry, combs, and various decorative accessories.

Fishing 

Fishermen are venturing further into the ocean to keep up with consumer demand and get a decent catch. Sea turtles accidentally get caught in their nets, leading to severe injuries and even death. 

Survival of the Fittest

Sea turtles lay eggs near the shore, bury them in sand, and then swim away, never to see their hatchlings again. The life of a baby sea turtle begins without its mother, and its first few hours of survival ultimately depend on its strength and resilience. 

Each year, thousands of freshly hatched baby turtles must fend for themselves, leaving only the fittest—sadly an extremely small number—to crawl into the ocean and thrive in its vastness. 

Climate Change 

Millions of coral reefs have been destroyed or are under threat due to climate change. According to the WWF, 50% of the world’s shallow coral reefs have been lost, and the rest could disappear by 2050. 

Increasing sea levels have led to more storms, leading to lower survival rates for coral reefs. 

The temperature of the sand determines the sex of sea turtle hatchlings. Higher temperatures produce more females, while lower temperatures produce males. Climate change has caused temperatures to rise, creating a disparity in sex ratios that has led to population issues. 

Pollution

It has been estimated that a sea turtle has a 22% chance of dying from consuming just one piece of plastic. Sadly, about 1,000 sea turtles die each year because of the proliferation of plastic waste in the ocean and on miles of shorelines. 

Furthermore, polluted shores block the path of sea turtle hatchlings trying to crawl into the ocean.  

Conservation Goals for Sea Turtle Populations

Sea turtle conservation in El Salvador has faced many hurdles, mainly due to poachers fighting against local authorities and using lesser-known routes to smuggle poached eggs. 

Paso Pacífico has a unique and innovative approach toward conservation. Their mission is to protect biodiversity by collaborating with local communities, landowners, and partner organizations to restore and protect habitats. 

One of its biggest projects has been the development of the InvestEGGator, a GPS-GSM tracking device that looks like real sea turtle eggs. These indistinguishable objects are planted into real sea turtle nests, so when poachers smuggle the eggs, the InvestEGGators can chart real-time maps of their routes. Successfully identifying these routes will significantly reduce turtle egg trafficking domestically and even internationally.

The ultimate goal is to employ about 50 award-winning InvestEGGators across Central America to take down smugglers and save as many sea turtles as possible.

How Can We Help the Sea Turtles?

Here are some ways you can contribute toward the conservation of sea turtles:

Avoid Overconsumption of Plastic

Avoiding single-use plastic items like straws, cups, water bottles, bags, and other containers can significantly reduce waste in the long run.

Participate in Beach-Cleaning Drives

Many local conservation bodies regularly organize beach cleaning drives. Cleaning up after yourself and others can help the marine environment in general, including sea turtles. More hatchlings can find their way to the ocean and reduce their chances of consuming plastic. 

Learn About Sea Turtle Nesting Areas

Studying where sea turtles nest can also help people take more responsibility for hatchlings’ survival. Initiatives like cleaning up the beach, quarantining nesting areas during the season, and prohibiting flashlights at night can aid conservation.

Donate Toward Sea Turtle Conservation

Consider donating to organizations that work toward the conservation of sea turtles. Your donations provide them with much-needed resources to save sea turtles in more ways than you can imagine. In Paso Pacifico we have been working for years helping different conservation centers in El Salvador.

Conclusion

Sea turtles are beautiful, important animals that need help to keep their species alive. Despite stringent rules and regulations in place for conservation, sea turtles are still on the brink of extinction. Places like Australia, the Caribbean, and Central and South America still see significant poaching for eggs and turtles, tipping the scales in the wrong direction. 

Those who stand by the cause must educate themselves about sea turtle conservation in El Salvador and the rest of the world. Supporting organizations like Paso Pacifico will go a long way in conserving marine ecology and saving its many creatures.

Central America has a diverse array of dazzling landscapes and biospheres. Its lush rainforests and montane forests are home to a charismatic primate that has become an icon of Central American wildlife, the black-handed spider monkey.

The black-handed spider monkey is one of the seven species of spider monkeys found in Central and South America. These curious and charismatic primates can be seen swinging through the treetops, congregating noisily, and performing the extremely important function of seed dispersal throughout the forest. 

All spider monkeys, including the black-handed spider monkey, play a vital role in the forest’s ecosystem. Unfortunately, every one of the seven spider monkey species is currently endangered according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List. This article will help you better understand these fascinating but threatened creatures by sharing black-handed spider monkey facts that you may not have known.

Meet the Black-Handed Spider Monkey

As New World primates, black-handed spider monkeys are distant evolutionary cousins to humans. Like us, they are smart and social, using a combination of their unique physical traits, intelligence, and group behavior to thrive in the forested habitats of Central America. Let’s learn a little more about what makes black-handed spider monkeys so special.

Appearance

Black-handed spider monkeys have expressive faces marked by light pigmentation around the eyes, nose, and muzzle. They get their name from their coloration, with lighter-colored fur on their bodies and dark, black fur covering their limbs. Babies are born with dark fur covering their entire bodies, and their adult coloration starts to show as they reach five months of age.

Their long tails, which grow even longer than their bodies, are prehensile with a fleshy pad under the tail’s tip. This tail is used as a fifth limb, allowing black-handed spider monkeys to grip branches as they navigate their arboreal environment.

Among the seven spider monkey species, black-handed spider monkeys are the largest. Fully mature individuals are between 12 to 25 inches long and weigh between 13 to 20 pounds. The males are slightly larger than females, but black-handed spider monkeys do not display as much sexual dimorphism as other primate species like baboons and gorillas. 

Behavior

Black-handed spider monkeys are playful and social primates that form tight bonds within their troops. They have a fission-fusion social structure, where a large troop is made up of several smaller groups that roam the territory independently and congregate at full force in intervals. The subgroups within a troop usually consist of closely related individuals, most often a mother and her adolescent offsprings.

These monkeys are polygamous, with males and females taking multiple partners in short-lived mating unions known as consortships. There is no fixed mating season for black-handed spider monkeys. Instead, females take partners when they are ready to mate according to their estrous cycle. Most pregnancies result in a single birth, and females are ready to mate at intervals of two to four years.

Diet

Like most monkeys, black-handed spider monkeys are primarily herbivores. They prefer a fructivorous diet, seeking out ripe, fleshy fruits as their preferred meal. This preference makes them prolific seed dispersers in the forest ecosystem, spreading fruit seeds across their habitat through their droppings.

While black-handed spider monkeys subsist on a fruit-based diet, they will occasionally supplement it with flowers, nuts, insects, arachnids, and small reptiles. So, even though they are generally considered herbivores, it’s also fair to say that black-handed spider monkeys are opportunistic omnivores.

Threats Facing Black-Handed Spider Monkeys

When it comes to life in the trees, it’s literally a jungle out there for black-handed spider monkeys. Being the largest spider monkey species isn’t much protection against Central America’s apex predators which consist of jaguars, large snakes, and harpy eagles. The jungle’s insects also carry diseases that afflict spider monkeys, such as malaria. These natural threats mean that a wild black-handed spider monkey’s life expectancy is usually between 20 and 30 years. However, in captivity, these mammals have been known to reach 45 years of age.

Black-handed spider monkeys are well-adapted to cope with these natural threats. However, they are still on the endangered list because of human activity more than any other factor. The many ways humans put black-handed spider monkeys at risk include:

Habitat Loss

Logging in Central America has led to a significantly smaller forest cover, magnifying the threat to black-handed spider monkeys’ habitats. As treetop specialists, they rely on forests for food and places to sleep. 

Illegal Wildlife Trade

The size and gregarious nature of black-handed spider monkeys make some people think they would make the perfect exotic pets. However, these monkeys don’t do well when taken out of their natural environments, and the illegal trafficking of these animals as pets is among the biggest threats to their population.

Poaching

In some Central American cultures, spider monkeys are considered fair game for hunting. The way they gather in large groups and their loud, distinctive vocalizations make them easy to track even in dense forests. Unfortunately, this means their populations are at constant risk of over-hunting.

These threats are omnipresent across their range and contribute to their endangered status. According to the IUCN Red List, there is no information on how many of these monkeys are left in the wild. However, it is helpful to know how small the populations of other spider monkey species are. The Azuero spider monkey has no more than 116 individuals while the black-browed spider monkey has at most 160 members. Meanwhile, there are around 648 Yucatan spider monkeys.

Where To See Black-Handed Spider Monkeys in Central America

Black-handed spider monkeys have a range covering the entirety of the isthmus connecting North and South America. Forests in Panama, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, and Belize can contain black-handed spider monkeys. However, these monkeys are usually scarce and very shy, and they have been wiped out of some areas entirely. If you are in Central America and want to see a wild spider monkey, ask a local if there are any nearby.

The black-handed spider monkey’s close relative, the black-headed spider monkey, can be found in the northwestern forests of Colombia. Some primatologists claim that black-handed and black-headed spider monkeys belong to the same species, with only superficial differences in appearance and size.

Interacting With Black-Handed Spider Monkeys

If you encounter a black-handed spider monkey in the wild, consider yourself very lucky! But remember, despite their sweet appearance, these monkeys are still wild animals. They are naturally wary of humans and will indulge in displays of aggression when approached. These include breaking tree branches, making loud barks, and baring their fangs. While not life-threatening, a bite from a spider monkey can be quite painful! It’s best to appreciate these charming primates from a distance.

Lesser Known Black-Handed Spider Monkey Facts

Among Central America’s wild denizens, black-handed spider monkeys are one of the most charismatic. Here are some more interesting facts that make black-handed spider monkeys such fascinating primates:

• Unlike most primates, black-handed spider monkeys live in matriarchal societies.
• The fleshy pad on their tails bears a unique pattern. It is like an individual monkey’s fingerprint.
• The famous Mexican artist, Frida Kahlo, kept black-handed spider monkeys as pets, even including them in one of her most famous self-portraits.
• Sexually mature females sport an enlarged clitoris, which could be mistaken as a penis by an untrained observer.
• Black-handed spider monkeys lack opposable thumbs, evolving elongated, hook-like fingers while reducing the size of their thumbs to better swing through the trees.

All these traits make black-handed spider monkeys one of the most unique species in Central America.

How You Can Help Protect Black-Handed Spider Monkeys

Conservation organizations like Paso Pacifico are hard at work to guarantee a bright future for black-handed spider monkeys. Since 2005, Paso Pacifico has worked to create safe habitats for these monkeys. If you’d like to help protect these beautiful creatures, consider donating to our wildlife conservation fund.

In May of 2023, a Taiwanese man was arrested at Miami International Airport after officers heard a chirping sound coming from his hand luggage. Inside were 28 parrot eggs, some already hatched! All were endangered species—yellow-naped and red-lored Amazon parrots. The man had been paid to fly from Central America to another country in a transit route that would take the birds around the world and to buyers in China. Europe, North America, and China are the biggest consumers of endangered and exotic species, with much of the demand driven by the pet trade.

More than 70% of smuggled wild animals die in transit, killed by extreme temperatures, lack of food and water, or the trauma of the journey. In the Miami case, 23 of the hatchlings survived, only because they were quickly discovered and then were hand-raised by a wildlife rescue organization. The birds will eventually be returned to Central America, where the hope is to introduce them to the wild, but most birds in the pet trade are not so lucky.

More than 90% of all Amazonian parrot eggs are poached, and their species are declining rapidly. Where bird species are eradicated, the seeds which they carry do not spread and vegetation changes, causing food supply problems and environmental degradation to areas already damaged by deforestation and harmful agricultural practices.

Poaching penalties are often light and poorly enforced, so it is no surprise that animal trafficking is now the 4^th most common organized crime, after drug, weapon and human trafficking. To make matters worse, foreign countries involved in Central America’s numerous infrastructural and commercial projects often bring resident workers who, in addition to laboring on construction, sometimes participate in the wildlife crime networks. Paso Pacífico strives to counter the trade in parrot trafficking by protecting habitat, providing financial incentives to community members who protect nests, and raising awareness about the value in preserving their natural environment. Please support this important work today.