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Papio papio Region: Arid zones of extreme West Africa |
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Maximum monkeys My, what big teeth you have Baboons and their close relatives are the largest monkeys in the world. Males weigh between 50 and 60 pounds and females about half that. Males are aggressive defenders of the troop. They have huge canine teeth, which they will display to scare off animals (including other baboons) that threaten them. Baboons take threats very seriously, and will gang up in groups against enemies. Seven or eight large male baboons are an effective defense against even large and dangerous predators, such as leopards. Baboons are well grounded Most of us think of primates as living in forests, nimbly jumping from limb to limb and tree to tree. But baboons are primates that break the "tree" rule, living mostly on the ground. Their heavy body and short fingers are better suited for a terrestrial way of life. Baboons are built for foraging on grasslands and savannahs, where there are few trees. Their arms are positioned under their shoulders for support, so they can pick grass with one hand and stand on the other. They eat almost all the edible plants they can find, and just about any kind of animal they can overpower. Grasshoppers, spiders, scorpions, small fish, rodents, frogs, lizards, turtles, birds, bird eggs, and the occasional antelope are all on baboons' potential menu. Though they find most of their food on the ground, they often wander far and wide to find it. Guinea baboons in particular Guinea baboons have a reddish-brown coat of hair. Males have a mane around their shoulders, almost like they’re wearing a cape. Females have a pink rump. Guinea baboons live in the dry savannah areas of west Africa, but they require permanent sources of water nearby. At night, guinea baboons sleep in secure places, such as trees and cliffs. Order in the troop Guinea baboons live in troops of about 30 or 40. Very occasionally they will live in troops of up to 200. Each troop includes several subgroups made up of one male and a few females. Eventually, males leave their birth troop to find a new troop, but females stay in the same troop and help form its core. Female baboons have a strict rank order in the troop and the ranking determines social relationships, such as who grooms whom. Daughters inherit their mother’s social rank. This hierarchy helps keep the troop stable over time. The bonds of the troop are strengthened by grooming. Mixed messages Guinea baboons communicate through vocalizations, facial expressions, touching, and body postures. Their range of vocalizations includes everything from a soft chirp to a sharp roar. Vocal signals carry a variety of messages in the baboon world. But when a baboon changes facial expressions it usually means they’re sending a threat or receiving one. On the other hand, social grooming is a friendly gesture. Picking through a troop-mate’s fur strengthens bonds within the group and rids the skin and fur of fleas and ticks. Changing their body posture can mean almost anything---from being afraid to preparing to go on the attack. Often, all these ways of communicating work together at once. A real yawner When baboons yawn, it's not because they are tired or bored. The yawning display is a very important kind of communication between baboons. Males, in particular, are great yawners. They try to intimidate each other by displaying their canine teeth, and the best way to do it to yawn widely and in the direction of a rival. A yawn accompanied by raised eyebrows and flattened ears is the most serious of this kind of threats. Just the facts Body length: 20 to 32 inches (tail of equal length) Weight: Males 50 to 90 pounds, Females 28 to 50 pounds Distribution: Extreme western Africa, including Senegal, Mauritania, Guinea, and Sierra Leone. Although they are not endangered at this time, they may be soon because their habitat is disappearing Habitat: Arid savannah, wherever water and trees or cliffs occur Wild diet: Plants, insects and other invertebrates, and occasionally small to large vertebrates Brookfield Zoo diet: Vegetables, fruit, monkey chow, leafy greens, sweet potatoes, seeds, peanuts, and cracked corn Guinea baboons at Brookfield Zoo Baboon Island is the home to a troop of about 40 guinea baboons.  Links |