OLIVE BABOON     by Liz                            

CLASSIFICATION

GENERAL INFO

SPECIAL FEATURES

HABITAT

DIET

REPRODUCTION


BODY SYSTEMS


HUMAN IMPACT

SOURCES

 Olive Baboon

CLASSIFICATION
Kingdom: AnimaliaPapio anubis
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!

 

SPECIAL FEATURES

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!

 

HUMAN IMPACT

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

bulletBaboons 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.
bulletPreadators of the Olive Baboon include leopards, lions, African wild dogs, chimpanzees, crocodiles, and hyenas.


 

 

 

SOURCES

http://animal.discovery.com/mammals/baboon/

http://pin.primate.wisc.edu/factsheets/entry/olive_baboon

http://www.theanimalfiles.com/mammals/primates/baboon_olive.html

http://www.theprimata.com/papio_anubis.html

http://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Baboon

http://www.outtoafrica.nl/animals/engbaboon.html

http://www.buzzle.com/articles/baboon-facts.html