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More About Baboons ...
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The Baboon is the largest non-Hominid member of the primate order. Their family is Cercopithecidae, subfamily Cercopithecinae (or Cynopithecinae). In modern scientific use, only members of the genus Papio are called baboons, but previously the closely related mandrills and geladas (now classified in genera Mandrillus and Theropithecus) were grouped in the same genus, and these monkeys are still often referred to as baboons in everyday speech.
All baboons have long dog-like muzzles (cynocephalus = dog-head), close-set eyes, heavy powerful jaws, thick fur except on their muzzle, short tail and often brightly coloured ischial callosities. Baboons are terrestrial (ground dwelling) and are found in savanna, open woodland and hills across Africa. Their diet is omnivorous, but usually vegetarian - they are foragers and are active at irregular times throughout the day and night. They can raid human dwellings and in South Africa they have been known to prey on sheep and goats.
Baboons live in hierarchical troops of 5 to 250 animals (50 or so is common), depending on species and time of year. They can live as long as thirty years.
Their principal predators are man and the leopard, although they are tough prey for a leopard and large males will often confront them.
There are five recognised races of Papio, but whether they should be regarded as full species, or as subspecies, is debatable. They are ursinus (Chacma baboon, found in southern Africa), papio (Guinea or Western baboon, found in Senegal, The Gambia, Guinea), hamadryas (Hamadryas baboon, found in north-east Africa and into south-western Arabia), anubis (Olive baboon, found in central African savanna) and cynocephalus (Yellow baboon, found in Angola, Zambia, Malawi, Tanzania, Kenya, Somalia). Many authors distinguish P. hamadryas as a full species, but regard all the others as subspecies of P. papio and refer to them collectively as "savanna baboons"; even between hamadryas and the neighbouring savanna populations there is a stable zone of hybridisation. There is considerable variation in size and weigh depending on species, the Chacma baboon can be 120 cm and weigh 40 kg while the biggest Guinea baboon is 50 cm and weighs only 14 kg, in all baboon species there is pronounced sexual dimorphism usually in size but also maybe in colour or canine development.
Species list
Genus Papio
Hamadryas Baboon, Papio hamadryas
Guinea Baboon, Papio papio
Olive Baboon, Papio anubis
Yellow Baboon, Papio cynocephalus
Chacma Baboon, Papio ursinus
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Taxonmony
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Phylum: Chordata
Class: mammalia
Order: Primates
Family: Cercopithecidae
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Source: Wikipedia Read more about Baboons
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INFO LINKS
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Photo Gallery
Spook's Photography Page
Baboon gallery - inlcudes pictures of baboon with different expressions Read More
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Baboon
The Canadian Museum of Nature
Brief description Read More
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Chacma Baboon
Primate Info Net
Information on range, diet, morphology etc on Chacma Baboon Read More
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Olive Baboon
Primate Info Net
Includes information on range, morphology, social behavior, vocal communication etc. "The olive baboon has a wide spread distribution from Middle Eastern to Middle Western Africa". Read More
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Olive Baboon
Kenya Beasts
Pictures of Olive Baboon Read More
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Yellow Baboon
Kenya Beasts
Pictures of Yellow Baboon Read More
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Chacma baboon
BBC Nature: Wildfacts
categorized information on life span, statistics, habitat, diet, reproduction, and conservation status. "They live in multi-male and multi-female groups or multi-female groups with one male". Read More
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Guinea baboon
BBC Nature: Wildfacts
Guinea baboon: Facts and Pictures Read More
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Hamadryas baboon
BBC Nature: Wildfacts
Hamadryas baboon: Facts and Pictures Read More
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Olive baboon
BBC Nature: Wildfacts
Olive baboon: Facts and Pictures Read More
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Yellow baboon
BBC Nature: Wildfacts
"This species has yellow-brown to yellow-grey fur". Information on distribution, habitat, diet, behavior, reproduction, conservation status, etc. Read More
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Baboon
National Geographic
Baboon fact sheet and pictures; video clip; audio clip Read More
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Hamadryas Baboon
Sedgwick County Zoo
inclues informaion on characterestics, diet, behavior etc."These monkeys have long, dense, silky fur which is gray in males and brownish in females". Read More
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Hamadryas Baboon
Primate Info Net
Information on social behavior, communication, range, ecology etc. "The hamadryas baboon is found in the countries of Ethiopia, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, and Yemen". Read More
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Yellow Baboon
Primate Info Net
Information on range, diet, social behavior, locomotion etc. "The yellow baboon is a frugivorous species, but leaves also constitute a major part of the diet". Read More
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Chacma Baboon
SafariCamLive.com - African Wildlife to the World
"They occur everywhere in Southern Africa except in the dry areas of Namibia". Categorized information on diet, habitat, distribution, breeding, predators, etc. Read More
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Gelada baboon
BBC Nature: Wildfacts
Categorized information on life span, statistics, physical description, distribution, habitat, diet, behaviour, reproduction, conservation status, etc. "Adult male gelada baboons have a long, heavy dark cape. Both genders have an hourglass-shaped area of bright pink skin on the neck and chest, which is indicative of fertility". Read More
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Hamadryas Baboon
theBigZoo.com
About Hamadryas Baboon. "The Hamadryas baboon has a complex social structure. A male will dominate up to 10 females at a time". Read More
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Baboon
Africana.com
Narrative about Baboon."Baboons can distinguish colors and have a keen sense of smell. Read More
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Baboon
African Wildlife Foundation
Detailed fact sheet Read More
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Chacma Baboon
Blue Planet Biomes
Brief narrative of Chacma Baboon with additional references Read More
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Olive Baboon
Animals Of The Rainforest
Brief description, taxonomic information, pictures, and links. "Olive baboons are very social and live in troops (usually 50 - over 100 and more animals)". Read More
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