Name Nonfiction Reading Comprehension

The Howler Monkey

Howler monkeys are the loudest animal in the New World. They are named for their habit of howling
loudly to other troops to signal ownership of territory, for which they are in constant competition. The large
throats and specialized vocal chambers of the males allow them to project their calls at a much higher than
normal volume.
Howler monkeys often begin and end the day with these cries, which can be heard from as much as three miles away,
and which serve to let them keep tabs on where their nearest competitors are. When a male Howler monkey howls, his
cry is answered by all other males within earshot. But the fewer Howler monkeys there are in an area, the less frequently
they howl. For example, where only a few specimen are living in a wildlife sanctuary, they are more likely to howl only a
few times a week, rather than a few times a day.
Howler monkeys are New World monkeys. The term “New World monkeys” refers to the families of primates that are
found in Central and South America and portions of Mexico. They are small to mid‐sized, and are unique from Old World
Monkeys in several respects. New World monkeys have flatter noses than Old World monkeys, and their nostrils face to
the side. New World monkeys are also the only monkeys with prehensile tails, and unlike most Old World monkeys, they
have opposable thumbs; both attributes that contribute to the fact that most New World monkeys are almost exclusively
arboreal. New World Monkeys also differ from Old World monkeys in that they form monogamous pairs to mate, and are
very attentive to their young. Finally, most New World monkeys are not trichromats, meaning that they don’t have three
independent channels (three different cone types) for conveying color information to the brain, however, the Howler
monkey is the only New World Monkey that is a trichromat.
Howler Monkeys live in “troops” of up to eighteen individuals, with each troop maintaining a territory between three
and twenty‐five acres. Troops are led by a dominant male who typically kills all the infant monkeys present when he takes
over a troop so that the females with mate with him and produce his offspring instead. Males are able to reproduce at five
years old, females can reproduce between the ages of three and four. After a six‐month gestation, females give birth a
single, live baby that clings to its mother until it is weaned about eighteen months old. Females in the troop share
responsibility for caring for the young of the troop.

CCSS.RI.7.10 |© www.EnglishWorksheetsLand.com
Name Nonfiction Reading Comprehension

Howler Monkeys are fairly inactive, and spend up to 80% of their time resting in high tree branches. They eat leaves
and fruit, and drink water by licking it off of their hands. In their natural habitat, Howler monkeys can live to be 15 years
old.

1. Why does the Howler monkey howl? 4. Fill out the graphic organizer below:

A. To signal ownership of territory. New World Monkeys

B. To attract a mate.
C. To keep tabs on where rival troops are.
D. Both A and C.

2. In what way is the Howler monkey different from other

New World monkeys?

A. It has a prehensile tail.

B. It is not monogamous.
C. It is a trichromat.
D. It is arboreal. CHARACTERISTICS OF:

3. The Howler monkey has the distinction of being the

____ animal in the New World: Old World Monkeys

A. loudest
B. laziest
C. longest‐living
D. fastest

CCSS.RI.7.10 |© www.EnglishWorksheetsLand.com