BABOON

Anubis, or olive, baboon (Papio anubis). (Papio hamadryas) large, robust monkey belonging to the family Cercopithecidae, found in Arabia and in Africa south of the Sahara. . Baboons are quadrupedal monkeys with large heads, large cheek pouches, and long, naked, doglike muzzles bearing the nostrils at the tip. Depending on species, they weigh about 1440 kilograms (3088 pounds) and are about 50115 centimetres (2045 inches) long without the 4570-cm tail, which is carried in a characteristic arch. Male baboons are about twice the size of females. Mainly found in drier savanna and rocky districts, baboons move about both on the ground and in the trees. They feed on a variety of plants and animals, including occasional small mammals, birds, and birds' eggs. They are very destructive to crops and, because of their enormous canines and powerful limbs, are dangerous adversaries, especially since they generally associate in large troops. Members of a troop form a cohesive society and are led and guarded by one or more dominant males. Females as well as males rank within social hierarchies. Baboons are noisy animals and have a number of calls with definite meanings. Alarm is given by a doglike bark. Individuals also communicate by posturing and tail signalling. Baboons are considered highly intelligent and educable. Coat colour varies, but the texture of the fur is always harsh. Adult males tend to have capes of long hair over the shoulder. The underparts, hands, feet, face, and buttocks (often vividly coloured) are naked. Normally one young is born at a time; gestation lasts seven months. Baboons were formerly classified as five separate Papio species, and are still commomly referred to as such. The largest baboon is the blackish gray common or chacma (P. ursinus or P. comatus); the smallest is the reddish Guinea baboon (P. papio). The most spectacular is the hamadryas (q.v.), or sacred baboon (P. hamadryas). The name baboon in a wider sense includes the related drill and mandrill (qq.v.) and has been applied to the Celebes black ape (q.v.), certain species of macaque (q.v.), and to the gelada (q.v.). In the Guianas it is colloquially given to the red howler (see howler monkey).