Baboons

• Genus Baboons ( Papio )
  • Baboon Anubis , Papio anubis
  • Hamadryl , Papio hamadryas
  • Guinean baboon , papio papio
  • Baboon , Papio cynocephalus
    • Papio cynocephalus cynocephalus
    • Papio cynocephalus ibeanus
    • Papio cynocephalus kindae
  • Bear Baboon , Papio ursinus
    • Papio ursinus ursinus
    • Papio ursinus griseipes
    • Papio ursinus raucana

Baboons are common throughout Africa . They are the only genus of primates that are also found in the northeast of the continent, in Egypt and Sudan . They are absent only in northwestern Africa and Madagascar . Hamadryl is also found on the Arabian Peninsula , although it is possible that this population was introduced by man.

Females and males of baboons differ to a large extent by their size and physique. Males are almost twice as large as females and have much larger fangs , as well as in some species a lush mane . The tail of the baboons is shorter than the body and has a curved shape. The first third is directed up, and the rest of the tail hangs down. The length of the baboons ranges from 40 to 110 cm with a tail length of up to 80 cm. For the largest species, the bear baboon , the weight can reach 30 kg.

Both sexes are characterized by a sharp dog-like muzzle, close to each other's eyes, powerful jaws and thick, stiff hair . The color of the coat varies from silvery to brownish depending on the species. The muzzle is not covered with hair and painted black or pink. Hairless is also a butt. In females, during the breeding season, it swells and takes on a bright red color.

Baboons are active in the daytime and are found both in semi-deserts , savannas and steppes , as well as in forest areas and even in rocky regions. Although they spend most of their time on earth, they can climb well. For sleep, they choose elevated places on trees or on rocks. On the ground they move on four legs and with a bent tail. In search of food, they cover distances of up to 60 km daily.

Baboons are rather slow and live in savannahs , where there are no natural shelters from predators. Under these conditions, they created a complex structure of the flock, which makes collective defense possible. Baboons live in large packs and use up to 30 sound signals, facial expressions and gestures in communication. In the pack - a lot of eyes watching the terrain. If a dangerous predator is discovered on time, then it is met by the vanguard of young males, lined with a concave crescent moon and cutting off the predator from the rest of the herd. Young baboons fight desperately and mercilessly, act together. The predator finds himself in the situation “you will clutch at one of them, and they all will be at you” ^[1] and, as a rule, stops the hunt.

An important role in the social life of baboons is played by grooming. Many family problems are solved by them through sexual behavior ^[2] .

For people, baboons pose a certain danger, especially adult males that can cause serious injuries with their fangs. Most often, conflicts with a person arise because of a threat to the cubs.

Hamadryl , attributed to the baboons, was revered in Egypt as the deity of the Babi .

• Fred is a bear baboon who lived in Cape Town, South Africa, and has attracted international attention as the leader of the “gang” of monkeys involved in car spoilage, assaulting tourists and locals, and food theft. The scale of his activities attracted the attention of the city authorities to Fred.

• Wilson DE & Reeder DM (eds). Mammal Species of the World . - 3rd ed. - , 2005. - Vol. 1. - P. 743. - ISBN 0-8018-8221-4 . OCLC 62265494 .
• Sapolsky, Robert . Notes of primacy: The extraordinary life of a scientist among baboons. - Translation from English. - M., Alpina non-fiction, 2018 .-- 424 p. - ISBN 978-5-91671-795-2 (Original ed. Robert M. Sapolsky. A Primate's Memoir. A Touchstone Book. Published by Simon and Schuster. 2001.)
• Baboons // Brockhaus and Efron Encyclopedic Dictionary : in 86 volumes (82 volumes and 4 additional). - SPb. , 1890-1907.
• Baboons // Small Encyclopedic Dictionary of Brockhaus and Efron : in 4 volumes - St. Petersburg. 1907-1909.