I was browsing Mr. Gillenwater’s new books on South American animals this weekend and was completely captivated by the howler monkeys. I’ve always had a weakness for these adorable creatures, so I knew I was in for a treat. I had also found another MUSE!
Did you know that howler monkeys are one of the loudest animals on Earth? In fact, the only animal that is louder is the blue whale.
Due to a large throat chamber and a special bone that acts as an amplifier, these monkeys can be heard up to three miles away. But why would an animal want to be so LOUD?
Howler monkeys are very territorial, and they travel in groups called troops. The males howl in the morning and in the evening to let other troops know where they are. In other words, these howls are essentially saying, “Stay away!”
And guess what they eat? Leaves, fruits, shoots, flowers, and don’t forget about the occasional bug. YUM! (Not chocolate covered, sadly)
Howler monkeys also sleep a lot – up to fifteen hours a day. Humans are lucky to catch eight hours of zzz’s.
One of the most interesting features of the howler monkey is its prehensile tail. Howlers use their tails like a hand to grip and hang from branches. They also use it to anchor themselves to a limb while sleeping.
Howler monkeys weigh up to twenty-five pounds and grow up to thirty-six inches long (head and body). They have black, brown, or red fur. Howlers live up to twenty years in the wild.
With this new knowledge, what kind of story could you write? Maybe these what if questions will help you get started.
WHAT IF your main character was a howler monkey with a sore throat?
WHAT IF your main character lived in Brazil and became friends with a troop of howler monkeys?
WHAT IF your main character was a howler monkey made from metal?
The possibilities are endless, and please leave your own what if questions in the comment section below. I’d love to see what you come up with.
So, grab a cup of hot cocoa, a pencil and a piece of paper, and let’s begin. With your imagination, we can go anywhere. I look forward to seeing where you take us.
With Imagination,
Professor Watermelon
The word of the day is “prehensile”. Here is the definition: adapted for seizing, Grasping, or taking hold of something.
By Kristin Lacy:
ReplyDelete1. What if Howler Monkeys took over the world.
2. what if howler monkeys could understand people
3. What if howler monkeys ate pizza
4. What if howler monkeys played soccer
5. What if howler monkeys could turn into gummy bears
6. what if u were a HOWLER MONKEY
7. WHAT IF U CONTROLLED ALL HOWLER MONKEYS
8. WHAT IF A HOWLER MONKEY WAS A RACE CAR DRIVER
9. WHAT IF A HOWLER MONKEY WAS A POP STAR
10. WHAT IF U COULD SPEAK TO HOWLER MONKEYS
11.WHAT IF A HOWLER MONKEY WENT ON VACATION W/ U
THANKS FOR READING
What if Kristin and Jenna
ReplyDeleteWhat if the world was shaped like a howler monkey
What if u lived inside a howler monkey
What if everyone was a howler monkey
What if u had a pet howler monkey
What if u were a pet of a howler monkey
Kristin
ReplyDelete1. What if howler monkeys took over
2. What if howler monkeys were your pets
3. What if you were a howler monkeys pet
4. What if you were a howler monkeys best friend
5. What if howler monkeys could talk to you
6. what if howler monkeys could sing
7 what if howler monkeys could only eat pies
8 what if howler monkeys ate humans
9. what if a howler monkey could turn into anything
10. what if you are a howler monkey
what if a howler munkeys had way too big mouths that were as big as the sun.what if howler monkeys could fly. what if howler monkeys wade 9000000000000000000000000000000 pounds beacuase they ate too many bananas. What if howler monkeys ate chocolate? What if howler monkeys swam in the water every day/ What if hower monkeys had pest, read Harry Potter, went to school houses, ate bees, could think better than humans, could read your mind, had a dog named taloula, or ate clovers? What if howler monkeys had otters that could show them underwater, secret castles?
ReplyDelete1. what if a howler monkey took over the world? Jada
ReplyDelete2. what if a howler monkey fainted?
3. what if a howler monkey bit a police officer?
4. what if a howler monkey vanished out of thin air?
5. what if howler monkeys could turn into aliens?
6. what if a howler monkey ate peanut butter?
7. what if a howler monkey could understand our language?
8. what if you wrote music to go with the monkey's howling?
9. what if you lived with a family of howler monkey's would you need earplugs?
10. what if you brought a howler monkey to school for show and tell?
11. what if a deaf howler monkey howled in sign language?
12. what if howler monkey's could talk to us?
13. what if howler monkey's went to the same school as us to learn things?
14. what if a howler monkey howled and your dog howled with it?
15. what if a howler monkey wore a space suite?
16. what if a howler monkey took some of your books and said I want to keep reading these books so you'll have to wait until I finish?
17. what if a howler monkey screeched so loud that your ears felt like falling off?
18. what if you brought a howler monkey home for a pet how would you keep it a secret from your parents?
19. what if a howler monkey ate your tennis shoes?
20. what if a howler monkey kissed you and fell in love with you? Jada
1. What if some time the howler monkeys become mute?
ReplyDelete2. What if where the howler monkey's living area becomes polluted and they have to move to Indianapolis?
3. What if you make a house in a howler monkeys territory and it attacks you?
4. What if when ever a howler monkeys is howling it changes into a different form?
5. What if when it is sleeping it dreams of being a super villain and when it wakes up it starts making plans to take over the world?
6. What if a howler monkeys gets a mega, mega phone and he can be heard all around he earth?
7. What if they are not really monkeys but aliens from mars that can change form?
8. What if they get a voice changer and talk humans into becoming their slaves?
9. What if they steal a money maker and give money to bandits and form an army of bad guys?
10. What if howler monkeys were really wear-monkeys and when they were humans tell them bad things to make them world about the future?
11. What if howler monkeys became the world loudest animal because the blue whale became extinct?
12. What if howler monkeys liked to sing (howl) to us because they wanted to be our friends?
Rachel
What if people could howl like howler monkeys?
DeleteWhat if a howler monkey couldn't use its tail?
What if a howler monkey wasn't territorial?
What if howler monkeys lived in the ocean?
What if the reason howler monkeys can howl so loud is because they swallowed blue whales?
What if howler monkeys could speak many languages?
What if jaguars attacked a troop of Howler Monkeys?
What if howler monkeys could glide like a flying Squirrel?
What if howler monkeys slowly will evolve into creatures similar to humans?
What if howler monkeys were really ghosts of people?
What if howler monkeys were ordinary sights in cities?
What if you had a pet howler monkey?
What if a howler monkey got in a fight with your cat?
What if the government replaced tornado sirens and fire alarms with howler monkeys?
What if you made a statue of a howler monkey that came to life?
What if the zoo had howler monkeys and they howled so much that they needed to be put in a soundproof cage?
What if you woke up and you were a howler monkey?
What if a howler monkey slept through a whole year?
What if a howler monkey wanted to eat cake?
What if a howler monkey could be heard all the way around the world?
What if i made a Frankenstein howler monkey?
What if...A howler drank out of a glass?
ReplyDeleteWhat if...A howler monkey had a phone?
What if...A howler monkey played soccer?
What if...A howler monkey had a house?
What if...A howler monkey wrote a book?
What if...A howler monkey wore clothes?
What if...A howler monkey fed their babys with a bottle?
What if...A howler monkey washed their hands before they ate?
What if...A howler monkey used medicine?
What if...A howler monkey used electronics?