Anthropogenic Habitat Modification, Tourist Interactions and Crop-Raiding in Howler Monkeys

Abstract

In this chapter, we review how anthropogenic disturbance specifi cally impacts members of the genus Alouatta , one of the most geographically expansive and ecologically fl exible of platyrrhine groups. This report initiates with a brief discussion of the use of matrix landscapes, the effects of ecotourism, and the potential for crop-raiding by howler monkeys. We then present three case studies of howler monkey responses to these challenges. We found that tourism in Suriname leads to greater travel and foraging time and poorer health for A. macconnelli. A. palliata in Costa Rica living in an agricultural matrix respond to habitat modification through active crop-raiding, and A. pigra in Mexico provide an illustration of how to evaluate remnant monkey populations for potential ecotourism. The chapter concludes with recommendations for encouraging shared landscapes with howler monkeys, including ways to minimize crop damage by monkeys and ways to encourage sustainable, conservation-based ecotourism.Resumen En este capítulo, revisamos cómo los disturbios antropogénicos impactan de manera directa a los miembros del género Alouatta , los cuales son platirrinos con una amplia distribución geográfi ca y notable plasticidad ecológica para adaptarse a su entorno. Iniciamos con una breve discusión sobre el uso de la matriz del paisaje, un análisis de los efectos del ecoturismo y el papel de los monos aulladores en el uso de los recursos que contienen los agrosistemas. Presentamos tres casos de estudio en los que se muestra la respuesta de los monos aulladores a estos desafíos. Encontramos que el turismo en Surinam promueve un mayor tiempo de viaje y

Supplemented howler monkeys eat less wild fruits, but do not change their activity budgets

“…Despite these short‐term potential energy‐ and metabolism‐related benefits, long‐term food supplementation can bring disadvantages. It can habituate free‐ranging animals to the presence of humans (McKinney, Westin, & Serio‐Silva, ; Newsome & Rodger, ; Orams, ), making them dependent on anthropic resources (Boug et al, ; Newsome & Rodger, ; Sha & Hanya, ), and more susceptible to injuries and parasite infections (Becker, Streicker, & Altizer, ; Blanco et al, ; Longa, ; Newsome & Rodger, ; Semeniuk & Rothley, ; but see Becker, Streicker, & Altizer, ). Furthermore, animals feeding on sugar‐ and fat‐rich foods can accumulate body fat and develop higher cholesterol levels (Maréchal, MacLarnon, Majolo, & Semple, ; Pragatheesh, ).…”

Know Your Monkey: Identifying Primate Conservation Challenges in an Indigenous Kichwa Community Using an Ethnoprimatological Approach

“…In the Neotropics, primates are under pressure from forest clearance and fragmentation [Cristóbal-Azkarate et al, 2005;Benchimol and Peres, 2013], hunting [Peres, 1990[Peres, , 1999aParry et al, 2009], and tourism [de la Torre et al, 2000;Grossberg et al, 2003;Treves and Brandon, 2005;de la Torre, 2014;McKinney et al, 2015]. Studies which attempt to understand these relationships from the perspective of those exploiting and living in tropical forests currently exist for a number of indigenous Amazonian groups [Cormier, 2002;Lizarralde, 2002;Cormier, 2003;da Silva et al, 2005;Parathian and Maldonado, 2010;Papworth et al, 2013] though so far there have been no studies published on the ethnoprimatology of Kichwa communities, despite them accounting for a significant percentage of Amazonia's indigenous population (for example, just over 71% of Ecuador's indigenous population in the 2010 census [INEC, 2012]).…”

The human-alloprimate interface in Gandoca, Costa Rica: an ethnoprimatological approach to assess conflict between residents and three Neotropical primates

“…However, other primates, Pan troglodytes (Reynolds 2005;Hockings 2009), Pan paniscus (Hockings and Humle 2009), Gorilla beringei (Goldsmith et al 2006), and Pongo abelii (Campbell-Smith et al 2010), also raid crops. American primates are thought to be less probable to raid crops in part because of their increased arboreality (McKinney et al, 2015). Nonetheless, a number of Neotropical primates have been reported to raid crops across Central and South America (Table 1), with most reports coming from Costa Rica.…”

“…Mantled howler monkeys, while considered part of the most folivorous primate taxon in the New World (Milton 1980), they have an incredibly flexible diet ( Chapman 1987; Arroyo-Rodríguez and Dias 2010), can have small home ranges and possess energy saving strategies that are key for their ability to persist in spite of extreme anthropogenic disturbance to their habitats (Katharine Milton 1998;Korstjens et al 2010). These characteristics are known to allow howler monkeys to survive in matrix habitats better than other New World monkeys and maintain a widespread distribution (McKinney et al 2015). Due to their prevalent distribution, adaptability to disturbed habitats, and more conspicuous behaviors, I expected howler monkeys to be described as the most problematic species among the three species of monkeys in Gandoca, even though the other species are considered more frugivorous.…”

“…The fact that people are giving such an explanation demonstrates how observant they are of the animals or how close they are to monkeys. As previously mentioned, Alouatta is known for its flexible behavioral and ecological traits, making it easier to adapt to anthropogenic habitats (McKinney et al 2015).…”