This species is nocturnal and almost entirely arboreal; it occurs in primary and secondary rainforests; and is a specialized herbivore (Voss 2015). This species prefers patches of native forest with high vertical complexity (Barthelmess 2016). It is found most commonly along forest edge, they prefer complex habitats, and avoid man-made habitats (Giné et al. 2015). Their home range was found to be 0.005-0.095 km, with males having a home range at least three times that of females (Giné et al. 2015). There is a striking transition of their known extent of occurrence from primary forest to cacao plantations and early studies have determined that the species is found much more commonly in the Restingas and only consumes leaves from forest.

This species occurs in fragments of Atlantic coastal lowlands and mountains of southeastern Brazil, formerly from Sergipe to Rio de Janeiro, but many populations are extinct due to deforestation (Voss 2015). Their range is relatively restricted.

This species occurs in some state and federal parks and reserves. Deborah Faria is developing management plan for this species.