Howlers are about three feet long, not counting their even longer tails, and weigh up to twenty pounds. Their main claim to fame is their ability to produce a deep roar, which can be heard up to three miles away. The first time I heard a howler was just before dawn when I was awakened by what sounded like the roaring of lions. The startling sound is produced and amplified by a bony sound box in the howler s throat. You can hear them just after sundown, before sunrise, and at the approach of rain.
Howlers live in family groups of from five to twenty.
In the early morning and evening they roam slowly through the tree tops, eating twigs and fruit. During the heat of the afternoon they nap. Howlers breed throughout the year, and the female may have relations with several males, who don t seem to mind sharing her.