Dung beetles use the howler excrement for both food and oviposition sites, and so dung beetle abundance is closely correlated with howler monkey abundance. It has been suggested that dung beetles are good biodiversity indicators, but they are also intrinsically important in their role as secondary seed dispersers and nutrient cyclers. A population analysis conducted by Cortes-Ortiz et al. Possible threats include habitat fragmentation and natural disasters. Cortes-Ortiz et al.
Some evidence suggests that mantled howler monkey populations are becoming robust once again.
Collias, N.E. and C.H. Southwick. A field study of the population density and social organization in howling monkeys. Estrada, A. and R. Coates-Estrada. 1986. Estrada, A., A. Anzures and R. Coates-Estrada. Gebo, D.L. 1992.