Interesting facts about baboons

Animals

Interesting facts about baboons

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Baboons are Old World monkeys that belong to the genus Papio.
There are five species of baboon — olive, yellow, chacma, Guinea, and hamadryas — scattered
across various habitats in Africa and Arabia.
Baboons largely inhabit areas of open woodlands and savannah, with some found in tropical
forests.
The lifespan is about 30 years in the wild and up to 45 years in captivity.
Baboons are some of the largest monkeys in the world.

They range in size and weight depending on species.

The Guinea baboon is 50 cm (20 in) and weighs only 14 kg (31 lb), while the largest can be 120
cm (47 in) and weigh 40 kg (88 lb).

Female baboons are considerably smaller than males.

All baboons have long, dog-like muzzles, heavy, powerful jaws with sharp canine teeth, close-set
eyes, thick fur except on their muzzles, short tails, and rough spots on their protruding buttocks,
called ischial callosities. These calluses are nerveless, hairless pads of skin that provide for the
sitting comfort of the baboon.
Their color varies from olive-green to yellow, silver and brown depending on the species.
Baboons are diurnal animals, meaning that they are active during the day.
Unlike most monkeys baboons are terrestrial (ground dwelling). They spend most of their
daylight hours on the ground, but they forage both in the trees and on the ground and they sleep
in trees or on cliffs where they are safe from predators.
These ground-living primates are quadrupeds, walking on all four legs.
Like other Old World monkeys, baboons do not have prehensile (gripping) tails.

Baboons are classified as omnivores, which means they eat both plants and animals. Grass is
an important part of their diet, but baboons also eat pods, roots, blossoms, fruits, sap and bark
from a variety of trees and plants. Baboons eat meat in small quantities, and their meat-based
meals include small antelopes, fish, birds, rabbits and shellfish.
Baboons are among the most social and affiliative animals and strong social bonds are
fundamental to their lives. Their social behavior is usualy matrilineal, in which a network of
social relationships are sustained over three generations from the female members of the species.
A troop of baboons can range in number from 10 to over 200 members, depending upon
the availability of food. The baboon troop consists of related bands composed of several clans,
where each clan may have a number of smaller harem families made up of mothers, their
children, and a male. Female baboons remain with the group into which they are born for the
duration of their lives, while the males leave to join other troops as they become mature.

References:

http://justfunfacts.com/interesting-facts-about-baboons/