lifestyle, small home ranges and ability to exploit widely available food sources. The mantled howler is important to its ecosystems for a number of reasons, but especially in its capacity as a seed disperser and germinator, since passing through the monkey's digestive tract appears to aid the germination of certain seeds. Dung beetles, which are also seed dispersers as well as nutrient recyclers, also appear to be dependent on the presence of the mantled howler. The mantled howler is protected from international trade under Appendix I of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES). References External links ARKive—images and movies of the mantled howler monkey (Alouatta palliata) Animal Diversity Web Howler monkeys Mammals of Colombia Mammals of Ecuador Mammals of Mexico Least concern biota of North America Mammals described in 1849 Taxa named by John Edward Gray