Mantled howler monkeys (Alouatta palliata) in a fragmented habitat on the Isle de Ometepe, Nicaragua

Habitat fragmentation has frequently been cited as a primary factor in the degradation of primate populations. In this study the behavior of a group of mantled howler monkeys, Alouatta palliata, was examined to determine how it has adapted to living in a 1-ha forest fragment on the Isle de Ometepe, Nicaragua. The group's activity budget, feeding ecology, ranging behavior and social interactions were compared with those of another howler group living in a non-fragmented forest elsewhere on the island. Although significant differences in behavior were found, all behaviors fell within the parameters of A. palliata behavior previously described in the literature. Habitat characteristics and pressures on the habitats from human activity were also examined as factors that may determine the group's long-term survival. The survival of the howler population on Ometepe may be more dependent on the goals of the Nicaraguan tourism industry than on their adaptive abilities.