CLASSIFICATION Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Mamallia Order:
Primates Family: Genus species: Papio anubis
GENERAL
INFO Olive baboons are the largest of the baboon family.
Males weigh-in at about 25 kilograms, as females are about 14
kilograms. Usually, these baboons are dark olive-grey in
color. And no, the primate from The Lion King is not an olive
baboon, he's a Mandrill.
Their life expectancy is about 30-45 years.
These pictures are of mandrills, NOT Olive
Baboons!
A "troop" of olive baboons has a system of hierarchy.
If a new male tries to join another group of baboons, the others always
give him a tough time. The new guy baboons to the group usually end
up doing things like "chores" such as grooming and caring for
the infants when the mothers leave.
HABITAT The majority of
olive baboons are found in the savannahs, forests, and steppes in Africa,
some zoos, and on the still popular Zoo TycoonŽ game. The
creatures tend to adapt in Africa better than in any other country.
They live in troops from about 20-50, but the size depends on the amount
of food available in the area.
DIET Olive baboons are
omnivores, meaning that they eat both meat and plants to obtain their
energy. They enjoy noshing on fruits, grasses, vegetables, leaves,
invertebrates, small mammals, birds, and other delectable, young animals.
REPRODUCTION Baboon mating behavior
varies on their location and social structure in their troop. Fights
between males for females do occur, but not always. It usually
depends on their "social rank" in their troop. Although,
males try to earn friendship with females by grooming her, getting her
food, and caring for her children.
Females usually give birth once a year after a six month-gestation, but
only to one infant. They tend to weigh about one kilogram, and
normally are black.
BODY SYSTEMS Baboons have the typical mammal body system, quite like a
human's. They excrete their nitrogen waste as urea. A baboon's
hearing and their eyesight are very acute. A baboon's canines grow
to be two inches long; lion's canines are about the sam length.
Although, the teeth in males tend to be sharper than in females. In
other words, don't mess with baboons!
When these baboons live nearby humans, they tend to provide for their
well-being. Baboons enjoy eating sheep and goats on farms, but
that's mostly in South Africa.
People driving is always a threat to most small mammals, but also
baboons. Be watchful on the road, you never know when a baboon will
pop-up!
WEIRD FACTS
Baboons have over thirty vocalizations, which is far more than your
dog or cat living at home. They can grunt, bark, scream,
etc. Other ways of communication between baboons include
yawning, shoulder shrugging, and lip smacking.
Preadators of the Olive Baboon include leopards, lions, African wild
dogs, chimpanzees, crocodiles, and hyenas.
