Hi! We are the most widespread baboons in the world. We are Olive Baboons. We are species found in Africa and have very interesting things about us, have a look:
- We are also called as Anubis Baboon. This name comes from the Egyptian god Anubis who has a dog-like face. We got this name as we too have a dog-like face.
- We are one of the largest species of monkeys after Chacma baboons and mandrills.
- We have large canine teeth and some of us have them larger than that of a lion. We also have cheek pouches that help us store food in our mouths.
- In the local Tirgrinya language, we are called as Hibey.
- Do you know? Humans and we have 91% similar DNA according to the Amboseli Baboon Research Project.
- If you are well informed in current culture, there is a term called “friend-zone”. And yes, the females in our group friendzone some males too! Few females and males in our group form a non-sexual relationship which benefits both the male and the female. Males benefit by getting more interactions in the group while female benefits from the male baby-sitting the female’s offspring while a female is out feeding.
- We are very intelligent primates and have a highly developed communication. We are also seen using tools like sticks.
SOME QUICK FACTS ABOUT US:
Our Scientific Name: Papio anubis.
Identification: Olive (green-grey) colored monkey with the dog-like muzzle (nose and mouth).
Our Habitat: Savannahs, various kinds of forests and steppes.
Our Range:
Our Food Habits: Omnivorous; feed on variety of plants, leaves, grass, roots, fruits, tubers, mushrooms, rhizomes, flowers, bark, lichens, corms, insects, scorpions, spiders, small rodents, hares, small foxes, other small primates, sheep, goat and chicken.
Our Breeding Period: All around the year.
Number of offspring: 1
Our Gestation period: about 180 days.
Sexual Maturity: Males: 10 years; Females: 7-8 years.
Our Lifespan: About 30 years in wild, more in captivity.
IUCN red list status: Least Concern.
CITES: Appendix II.
Indian Wildlife Protection Act: Not listed.
SCIENTIFIC CLASSIFICATION:
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Primates
Suborder: Haplorhini
Infraorder: Simiformes
Family: Cercopithecidae
Genus: Papio
Species: P. anubis
COMPLETE DETAILS FOR ANIMAL ENTHUSIASTS:
Let us tell you more about our species.
We are the Olive Baboons. We are the members of the Old-world Monkey family. We are also called as Anubis Baboons.Olive Baboons are scientifically called as Papio Anubis.
HOW WE LOOK:
We are, as our name suggests, olive (green-grey) in color. But if you observe closely our coat is multi-colored with rings of yellow-brown and black. We are big monkeys with a body length of 50cm-114cm, height of 60-70cm, and weighing 10kg-37kg.
We have hair all over our body including our face. We have a dog-like muzzle (nose and mouth) which is hairless. Our limbs are long like any other monkeys and have a good grip. Our tail looks like its broken with first quarter erect but remaining part dropping down. We have a bare patch on our rump like any other baboon but smaller. We have hairless pink colored butt.
Males and females look similar to each other with small differences like males being larger than females and males having a mane that is absent in females. Young ones when born are black with bright pink skin, they look like adults after few weeks of being born.
WE ARE FOUND IN:
We prefer habitats like Savannahs, various kinds of forests and steppes. We are most wide- ranging baboons out of all the baboon species. Our range lies in about 25 countries in Africa. Our range extends from Mali to Ethiopia and Tanzania.
WHAT WE EAT:
We are omnivorous monkeys and feed on variety of food. We are hunters as well. Our diet includes variety of plants, leaves, grass, roots, fruits, tubers, mushrooms, rhizomes, flowers, bark, lichens, corms, insects, scorpions, spiders, small rodents, hares, small foxes, other small primates, sheep, goat and chicken.
OUR REPRODUCTION:
We are, like every monkey species, very social animals. We live in groups from 15 to 150 individuals. We are polygamous animals meaning we have multiple mates in a lifetime. We have both male and female hierarchy in the group.
The dominant male often fights with other males to show dominance and preserve mating rights. Males in general establish their dominance forcefully on females. The dominant female is the female that produces most young. Generally, the daughter of the dominant female becomes next dominant.
Other baboons in the group often be as a subordinate for the dominant males and females and maintain social relationship by grooming.
Our breeding season is throughout the year. The female gives birth to one offspring at a time and the gestation period is 180 days. The young ones are taken care of and fed by the female parent as well as other females in the group. Male usually defend the female and offspring. Young males reach sexual maturity at about 10 years of age while young females reach sexual maturity at 7-8 years of age. Our average lifespan is 30 years in wild and more in captivity.
MORE ABOUT US:
We are highly social animals with grooming each other being a prominent part of our social behaviour.
We are very good communicators with various vocalizations and facial expressions. Our most common facial expression is “Lipsmacking”.
Our primary predators include Lion, Leopards, Hyenas, Crocodiles, Chimpanzees and Wild dogs.
OUR CONSERVATION:
We are one of the most widespread and very common baboons found in our range. We are not under any major threats and our population is stable. We are listed as “Least Concern” in the red list of IUCN. We are also listed in CITES Appendix II.
