Baboons are the type of monkey found in Africa and the Middle East. There are five species of baboon — The two most seen are olive and yellow, the other three are chacma, Guinea, and hamadryas — scattered across various habitats in Africa and Arab. Common features of baboons include tufts of the hair on either side of the face and large, hairless bottom that can turn red.
Scientific name | Papio hamadryas (Hamadryas baboon) Papio papio (Guinea baboon) Papio Anubis (Olive baboon) Papio cynocephalus (Yellow baboon) Papio ursinus (Chacma baboon) |
Weight | 10-30 kgs |
Height | Olive baboon Male 70 cm, female 60 cm |
Length | Average head to body length is 85 cm but can reach 120 in big males |
Life expectancy | 20-40 years |
IUCN Status | Least Concern |
The Olive and yellow baboon are common in East Africa. Apart from the Hamadryas baboon that is found in the Red Sea and Arabia, all the other baboons are Savanna baboons.
Interesting facts about baboons
- Male baboons are significantly bigger than female baboons, twice bigger to be definite. Baboons reach a height of 14 to 30 inches when estimated at the shoulder, and a weight of 50 to 100 pounds.
- Unlike other monkeys, baboons lack the prehensile tail. This means that they are incapable of using their tails as their hands.
- The body of the baboon is shielded with fur that can be black, olive, or yellow. Males and females look like the other the same, and again, females don’t have lengthy hair round their necks.
- Baboons have long, dog-like muzzle and strong jaw furnished with sharp canines.
- They take any kind of food that is available at the moment (pioneering feeders). Most of their eating habit embrace fruits, seed, berries, roots, tree covering, tree sap and different creepy crawlies, shellfish, fish, birds, and small mammals.
- They have a sign of communication that includes vocalizations, facial expressions, posturing, and gesturing.
- Baboons have a similar number of teeth and the same dental pattern as a human being.
- A female baboon will stay pregnant for a half year, and birth usually ends up with one offspring. The mother will convey her family near her stomach while she moves.
- It can survive for 30 years in the wild until 45 years in captivity, because of an absence of predators.
- Baboons and leopards are ancient enemies. At night, leopards often stalk and pick sleeping baboon from a troop. There are reports of baboons troops that attack and kill leopards during the day.
- The baboons are social and live in groups called troops that average with about 50 baboons. Females and juveniles are the core members of troops, as the males could move in and out.
Although they are listed as ‘Least Concern’ by IUCN, baboon conservation faces challenges. Humans consider baboons a pest species because they raid their farms. As a result, they are often poisoned and killed. Moreover, baboons are also hunted for their skin and are used as test animals in the laboratory.
