Baboon
Baboons is are primates living in Africa and Arabia in habitats ranging from savanna to rain forests. Baboons do not have prehensile tails and spend most of their lives on the ground.1
Fast Facts
- Habitat: Savanna; rain forest1
- Diet: Ominvorous1
- Size: 20 to 34 inches (head and body), 16 to 23 inches (tail)1
- Weight: 33 to 82 pounds1
- Lifespan: 30 years1
- Endangered: yes
- Predators: Humans, leopards, cheetahs2
- Gestation: 6 months2
Species
There are five species of baboons: hamadryas, guinea, olive, yellow and chacma.3
The smallest, the yellow, lives in Kenya and Somalia. Olive baboon males have large manes.4 Hamadryas baboons live in Ethiopia, Saudi Arabia, Somalia and Yemen, and like most primates, exhibit sexual dimorphism.5 The West African male guinea baboon have manes in the shape of a cape.6 The chacma baboon, or "dog-faced monkey," is found in South Africa, Angola, Botswana, Mozambique, Namibia, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.78
Social Life
Baboons live in close proximity to family, friends and enemies. Female baboons are particularly close to their maternal relatives. Male baboons live in specific groups called troops their entire lives. The size of the groups range from 10 to 200 animals, depending on the number of fertile females in a group.
Baboons are hierarchical. High ranking females have more access to food and water sources and more freedom to do what they want within their group. High ranking males have an advantage finding a mate, although low ranking males sometimes form groups in attempts to overtake higher ranking males.9
Related Pages on Mahalo
Endangered Species | Gorillas | Monkey | Chimpanzee | Tamarin | Warthog | Bronx Zoo | Cheetah | Rhesus Monkey
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