Howler monkeys drop dead in Mexico amid heatwave

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STORY: :: Graphic warning

:: Cobius AC

:: Howler monkeys have been dropping dead

amid heatwaves and drought in Mexico

:: Tabasco, Mexico

:: Gilberto Pozos, Biologist

"There has been a lot of habitat degradation, so there is more light penetration, higher temperatures, and water scarcity. Above all, there has been an increase in the number of fires that damage the few habitats or refuges for these species."

:: More than 80 of the threatened species

have been reported dead thus far, Pozos said

In the state of Tabasco, where temperatures are forecast this week to surpass 113 degrees Fahrenheit (45 degrees Celsius) local media have reported up to 85 deaths, while local authorities have confirmed the trend without providing a death toll.

In a statement over the weekend, Tabasco's Civil Protection agency attributed the deaths to dehydration.

The mantled howler monkey is classified as vulnerable on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List.

Mexico is also home to the Yucatan howler monkey, which because of deforestation is classified as endangered on the IUCN Red List.