Mayan Riviera Travel Stories

"Screams of the Mayan God"
By: Kylie Robinson

Black Howler Monkey

In the pitch black night, deep in the verdant rainforest of the Yucatan Peninsula, a furry creature swings swiftly from branch to branch, calling so loud, you can hear it from five kilometers away through deep jungle growth. The question is though, what is it coming from? Wait, it sounds like a jaguar. No, it can’t be, it’s a….monkey?

With the head and body length from 22 to 36 inches, the tail length from 23 to 36 inches, and adults weigh from 9 to 22 lbs., the six species of howling monkeys are among the largest America or New World monkeys. Their hair is course and their faces are naked and males are visibly larger than females. Males are black and females are brown in color. Known as the “baboon” in Belize, Black Howler Monkeys live and travel in small groups and are reported to eat more leaves than any other New World monkey in the world. Their average life span is about 16 to 20 years in the wild and their scientific name is Alouatta Pigra or Alouatta Caraya.

The Black Howler Monkey rarely comes down to earth from his high perch. Why? He was once pronounced as the God of writing to the Mayan. The Mayan, who lived in the Yucatan Peninsula, developed one of the most sophisticated written language native to the Americas. As weird and unusual as it is, no one really knows much about the appearance of the Mayan, either.

Screams of the Black Howler Monkey are often mistaken by visitors for those of a jaguar. It screams so loud that you can hear it from 5 kilometers away through vast jungles. But as rare as these screams and other features of this monkey are, throughout most its range, this furry animal is now endangered as the rainforest habitats shrink and as the monkeys are hunted down by many people. These poor inhabitants need our help in saving their lives from the fatal disasters. What will you do to save these remarkable creatures?

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