The Maranhão red-handed howler lives in open, dry vegetation in northeastern Brazil. Museum specimens have been described as showing sex-related coat differences, but the original study called for further research to confirm them.
In the described specimens, adult males had a black beard and reddish-brown back, while females were usually pale gray-brown to olive. The study noted its limited sample and localities and called for further confirmation.
It is herbivorous and eats leaves, flowers, buds, and fruits. A field study in Piauí recorded foods through feeding observations and fecal samples.
An extinction-risk assessment has not been added yet.