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Introduction

Baboons are large monkeys that move around both on the ground and in trees. They are very smart, noisy, and often ferocious.

Where Baboons Live

Baboons are found in Africa south of the Sahara and in Arabia. They are able to live in a variety of places, including open woodlands, grasslands, and rocky hills. They spend most of their time on the ground, but they sleep in high places, including in trees and on cliffs.

Physical Features

The head and face of a baboon are similar to those of a dog. Baboons have large cheek pouches and a long muzzle, or snout. Their front teeth are huge, and their limbs are powerful. They walk on all four legs.

Depending on the species, or type, a baboon can weigh from 30 to 88 pounds (14 to 40 kilograms) and measure from 20 to 45 inches (51 to 114 centimeters) long, not including the tail. A baboon’s tail is usually about 16 to 28 inches (41 to 71 centimeters) long. Adult males are about twice the size of adult females.

Baboons can be different colors, including ash gray, reddish brown, olive brown, and yellow green. No matter what the color is, however, a baboon’s fur is always rough. Adult males often have capes of long hair over their shoulders. The underparts, hands, feet, face, and buttocks of a baboon do not have fur.

Behavior

Baboons eat many different plants and animals, including grass, fruit, roots, birds, and small mammals such as rodents, hares, and gazelle fawns. Their diet varies from region to region depending on what food is available. Baboons can be very destructive to farmland.

Baboons live and travel in large groups called troops. Each troop is a very close society. Troops are led and guarded by one or more males. Baboons communicate with each other and have a number of calls that mean different things. For example, they announce alarm with a doglike bark. Baboons are thought to be very smart creatures that can be trained.

Life Cycle

Male and female baboons do not stay together after mating. Instead they mate with other members of the opposite sex. Female baboons typically give birth to a single young. Although females remain with their mothers as they grow older, males leave at about age 7 to join other troops. Baboons may live 20 to 30 years in the wild and considerably longer in zoos.

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Did You Know?

Female baboons, unlike male baboons, rarely fight.

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