Howlers

Just about every morning you can hear the Howler monkeys.  They live in groups of six to fifteen and the males make loud, deep guttural growls or "howls" that can be heard from as much as three miles away. 

 

They range in size from 56 to 92 cm (22 to 36 in), excluding their tails, which can easily be five feet long.

 The Howler monkey can smell out its food (primarily fruit and nuts) up to 2km away.  Their noses are usually roundish snout-type, and the nostrils have many sensory hairs growing from the interior. 

 Howlers eat mainly top canopy leaves together with fruit, buds, flowers, and nuts. They need to be careful not to eat too many leaves of certain species in one sitting, as some contain toxins that can poison them.  Howler monkeys are also known to occasionally raid birds' nests and chicken coops and consume the eggs.

  They can use their tails as well as their feet to pick their food.  They very seldom come to the ground except for water during the very dry season.  Otherwise they get all the water they need from the leaves in the trees.  The people here in Tamarindo have even built bridges so they can cross the roads without coming to the ground.

They are interesting and cute to watch.