How loud is the Howler Monkey?
Howler monkeys are named and known for the loud, guttural howls that they routinely use at the beginning and end of the day. They are the loudest animal in the New World and while their howl is not a piercing sound, it can travel for three miles through dense forest. Black howler monkeys are inhabitants of Latin American rainforests, ranging through eastern Bolivia, southern Brazil and Paraguay, and northern Argentina. They are the largest monkey in Latin American rainforests; they grow to be about two to four feet tall and weigh from eight to twenty-two pounds. They have big necks and lower jaws, where their super-sized vocal cords are housed. Male howler monkeys use their big voices to defend their turf. Howls by one troop are answered by other males within earshot. Every-one starts and ends the day by checking out where their nearest competitors are. In this way, they protect the food in their territory. It’s an important job because their diet is made up mostly of leaves—not a part
I once saw a tour guide attempt to give a lecture about howler monkeys, only to be almost completely drowned out by the monkey’s howls. Given that the average human conversation is about 70db, I’d put the monkey’s howls at about 75-80db (although I suspect that a monkey in an emergency situation can easily howl well above that- but I wouldn’t want to be near it when it does that.
