Suborder: Platyrrhini | Superfamily: Ceboidea | Family: Cebidae | Subfamily: Alouatinae

Members of the Alouatinae subfamily are known as howler monkeys because of their loud territorial vocalizations. The hyoid bone of howler monkeys (in their throat) is large and hollow so that it resonates to produce the vocalizations. Howler monkeys are folivores? and are the only New World monkeys who feed on mature leaves. Since leaves are abundant for the howler monkeys but are a poor energy source, howler monkeys spend much of their time resting. Though not missing as they often are in spider monkeys, the thumbs of howler monkeys are diminutive so they grasp branches between their second and third fingers. Their tail is very powerful and their fore limbs and hind limbs are about equal length.

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