Baboon

=Baboon=



**Scientific Name**
Simia Hamadryas

**Morphology**
Babbons are African and Asian Old World monkeys belonging to the genus Papio. For males, head and body length: 30 in (75.0 cm); tail length: 22 in (55.0 cm). Body mass: 46 lb 5 oz (21.0 kg) for males and 25 lb 2 oz (11.4 kg) for females. All baboons have dog like snouts, a strong torso, sharp canine teeth, powerful jaws, a ground-walking habit, and thick fur. The eyes of the baboon are dark and close together, set back high on the upper portion of the baboon's head. They have excellent hearing and eyesight to keep a look out for danger. The tail of the baboon is short and held in an arched position. Male baboons are almost twice the size of the females. They also have thicker manes around their necks. Most baboons are different shades of brown, but the males of the hamadryas baboon have a silver-gray color.

**Habitats**
Baboons can be found in central Africa and Arabian Peninsula. They live in varied habitats and they are very adaptable. They are most common in savannahs They usually live close to water and on tall trees or cliff faces. Baboons usually have more than one tree to live in, but they are all around the same area. They live in groups of 40 or 50 and never stray to far from the area they live in. They also invade human areas, but that is because of the habitat loss that humans are causing.

**Adaptations**
The baboon has thick fur so that it may keep warm in the cooler African weather. They have cheek pouches to help them store food. Baboons also have long claws to help them get food, groom, and protect themselves. When water sources aren't available baboons can lick night dew from their fur. Due to habitat loss they have learned to get food from farmers crops.

**Food Chain**
The baboon is omnivorous, but their diet is mostly vegetarian. Grass makes up a large part of their diet along with berries, seeds, pods, blossoms, leaves, roots, bark and sap from a variety of plants. Yet baboons also eat insects, and small quantities of meat, such as fish, shellfish, hares, birds, vervet monkeys, baby leopards, and young, small antelopes.

The baboons main predators are man, the lion, both the spotted and striped hyenas and the leopard.

**Human Use**
Humans don't use baboons for clothing or furniture. They do sometimes hunt them because baboons are a nuisance to the people of Africa. There has been a case however where a baboon to human liver transplant has happened. Baboons can not be infected with hepatitis B so people are now looking at them as organ donor solutions.

**Fun Facts**

 * Baboons groom each other to bond and keep clean.
 * The ancient Egyptians thought that baboons were sacred, they mummified them, and also carved their images into temples.
 * Baboons use at least ten different and unique vocalizations to communicate with other members of their troop.