Baboon

Papio

Last updated: January 9, 2023
Verified by: AZ Animals Staff
© Thomas Netsch / Public domain, from Wikimedia Commons, the free media repository – License / Original

Can travel more than four miles a day!


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Baboon Scientific Classification

Kingdom
Animalia
Phylum
Chordata
Class
Mammalia
Order
Primates
Family
Cercopithecidae
Genus
Papio
Scientific Name
Papio

Read our Complete Guide to Classification of Animals.

Baboon Conservation Status

Baboon Locations

Baboon Locations

Baboon Facts

Prey
Fruits, Seeds, Insects
Name Of Young
Infant
Group Behavior
  • Troop
Fun Fact
Can travel more than four miles a day!
Estimated Population Size
Decreasing
Biggest Threat
Hunting and habitat loss
Most Distinctive Feature
Dog-like muzzle and long, bent tail
Other Name(s)
Olive Baboon, Yellow Baboon, Guinea Baboon, Chacma Baboon, Hamadryas Baboon
Gestation Period
170 days
Habitat
Grassland, rocky desert and rainforest
Predators
Lion, Leopard, African Wild Dog
Diet
Omnivore
Average Litter Size
1
Lifestyle
  • Diurnal
Common Name
Baboon
Number Of Species
5
Location
Africa and Western Arabia
Slogan
Can travel more than four miles a day!
Group
Mammal

Baboon Physical Characteristics

Color
  • Brown
  • Grey
  • Yellow
  • Black
  • Silver
  • Olive
Skin Type
Hair
Top Speed
30 mph
Lifespan
15 - 40 years
Weight
14kg - 45kg (30lbs - 100lbs)
Height
50cm - 86cm (20in - 34in)
Age of Sexual Maturity
5 - 7years
Age of Weaning
6 months

View all of the Baboon images!



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Classification and Evolution

olive baboon standing in field

The Baboon is a medium to large-sized species of Old World Monkey that is found in a variety of different habitats.

©iStock.com/neil bowman

The Baboon is a medium to large-sized species of Old World Monkey that is found in a variety of different habitats throughout Africa and in parts of Arabia.

There are five different species of Baboon which are the Olive Baboon, the Guinea Baboon, the Chacma Baboon, the Yellow Baboon, and the Hamadryas Baboon which differs most from the others wide its bright red face and cliff-dwelling lifestyle (the other four species are collectively known as Savanna Baboons).

However, there is some debate over the classification of the different species due to the fact that some have been known to interbreed, indicating that they could be sub-species instead. Baboons are incredibly sociable and intelligent animals that are known to form close bonds with other members of the troop that often last for life.

They are also incredibly adaptable animals but their population numbers are declining throughout their natural range primarily due to hunting and habitat loss.



Different Types of Baboons

Here are the five different Baboon species:

  • Olive Baboon
  • Yellow Baboon
  • Chacma Baboon
  • Guinea Baboon
  • Sacred Baboon

Anatomy and Appearance

olive baboon family

Baboons are large and powerfully built monkeys that spend most of their time on the ground.

©iStock.com/Wayne Marinovich

Baboons are large and powerfully built monkeys that spend most of their time on the ground. They have large heads with long, dog-like muzzles and cheek pouches for storing food with a heavy brow ridge protecting their eyes.

Males are often twice the size of females and have fearsomely sharp canines that help them to defend the troop from danger, but their exact size depends on the species with the Chacma Baboon being the largest while the Guinea Baboon being the smallest species.

Baboons have wild-looking fur with a longer mane that extends over the shoulders and hairless patches on their faces and rumps which are padded with hard skin. Their color varies from olive-green to yellow, silver, and brown depending on the species. They also have a distinctive bend towards the base of their long tails.

Distribution and Habitat

Baboon Teeth- Chacma Baboon

The Hamadryas Baboon is found in the rocky deserts in the hills that line the coast of the Red Sea both in northeast Africa and in parts of the western Arabian peninsula.

©iStock.com/RudiHulshof

Baboons would have once been found throughout the African continent and today, although they are still widespread, their natural range continues to decrease. Baboons are found in a variety of habitats including savanna, scrub, rocky deserts, and rainforests providing there is an ample supply of water.

The Hamadryas Baboon is found in the rocky deserts in the hills that line the coast of the Red Sea both in northeast Africa and in parts of the western Arabian peninsula. The Olive Baboon is the most widespread species with a range that extends from west to east across a wide range of habitats, whereas the Guinea Baboon is confined to a small region in the west.

The Yellow Baboon is found in the east and the largest species, the Chacma Baboon is also found the furthest south, with a range that covers the southern tip of Africa.

Behaviour and Lifestyle

Species Of Mammals

A Chacma baboon family group on an anthill in the Sabi Sabi Nature Reserve, South Africa. Chacma baboons are primates and one of the species of mammals.

©Grobler du Preez/Shutterstock.com

Baboons are incredibly sociable animals that live in large troops that can be very varied in size and can contain a few hundred members.

Baboon troops consist of both males and females with their young and form very close bonds by feeding, sleeping, and grooming together. During the day they break into smaller bands of 4 or 5 females and young, which is led by a dominant male who attempts to keep other males away.

The Hamadryas Baboon, however, lives in much smaller groups of around 12 females and a single alpha male. Baboons live together for protection and are constantly on the lookout for dangerous predators, particularly when they are out in the open.

If a threat is spotted, they make loud barks and while the males run to attack, the females and young disappear up into the safety of the trees. Baboons communicate with one another in a variety of different ways including vocal calls, facial expressions, and even signals with their tails.

Reproduction and Life Cycles

baby-monkey-walking

Baboons breed all year round and while they don’t have a strict breeding season, there are peaks in mating and births at certain times of the year.

©iStock.com/marcelauret

Baboons breed all year round and while they don’t have a strict breeding season, there are peaks in mating and births at certain times of year (depending on the location). When a female is ready to mate, the dominant male of their sub-group will defend his right to mate with her fiercely but despite his efforts, female Baboons mate with numerous males in the group during their lives.

After a gestation period that lasts for around 6 months, the female Baboon gives birth to a single infant that grabs onto her fur instantly and clings to her. When they are born, young Baboons are contrasting colors to their parents and are tolerated by the troop until they molt and grow their adult fur after about two months.

Young females remain with their mothers and the two will often form very close bonds throughout their lives, whereas males are chased out of the troop and are forced to try and prove themselves to another group.

Diet and Prey

Fruits, seeds, tough roots, and flowers all make up the bulk of their diet, along with insects, eggs, lizards, and rodents.

The Baboon is an omnivorous animal that is known to eat a wide variety of both plant matter and small animals. Fruits, seeds, tough roots, and flowers all make up the bulk of their diet, along with insects, eggs, lizards, and rodents. However, their large size and power also mean that they sometimes hunt and kill larger prey such as young Gazelles.

In areas where human settlements are encroaching on their natural habitats, Baboons are also known to raid crop fields which have led to them often being seen as pests.

Baboons have very similar teeth to people with a series of large, flat molars which are perfect for grinding down vegetation and surplus food can be stored in their flexible cheek pouches to be saved for later.

Predators and Threats

Two lions on grassland

Wildcats such as Lions, Leopards, and Cheetahs are the most common predators of the Baboon.

©Wirestock Creators/Shutterstock.com

Due to their size and the fact that Baboons spend the majority of their lives on the ground, they are preyed upon by numerous predators throughout their natural range. Wildcats such as Lions, Leopards, and Cheetahs are the most common predators of the Baboon along with large Pythons, African Wild Dogs, and Birds of Prey that hunt the smaller and more vulnerable young.

People, however, pose the biggest threat to Baboons as they are often hunted and killed for meat and are even shot by farmers who consider them pests, fearing for their crops.

Their numbers though are being most affected by the loss of their once vast natural habitats, which are being subjected to deforestation for agriculture or land clearance for grazing and growing human settlements.

Interesting Facts and Features

Baboons retire into the safety of the trees to sleep at night, they spend nearly all of the rest of their lives on the ground.

©Florence Bond – Copyright A-Z Animals

Although Baboons retire into the safety of the trees to sleep at night, they spend nearly all of the rest of their lives on the ground and roam throughout their home ranges in search of food and water. They are known to walk many miles a day and only stop in the shade to get out of the midday sun and are capable of traveling more than four miles between dawn and dusk.

Like many other primates, Baboons take part in social grooming by picking parasites, dead skin, and dirt from each other’s fur. This not only strengthens social bonds within the troop but also highlights the status of the individual, with the Baboon who is being groomed having a higher status in the troop than the one who is grooming them.

In order for male outsiders to be accepted into the troop, they must form a relationship with one of the females until he is then accepted by the others. This process can take months but the pair are usually known to remain close-knit friends for life.

Relationship with Humans

Baboons have adapted remarkably well to the growing human populations throughout their natural range but the fact that they often raid crops has led to them being persecuted by farmers. They are also hunted and eaten as bushmeat in many areas of their native regions but it is their dwindling habitats that are causing the biggest problem for them.

Vast areas of forest are cleared every day to make room for agriculture or to log the tropical timbers which means that Baboons have fewer areas where they can sleep safely in the trees. The grasslands are also dwindling in size as land is turned over to livestock for grazing or used for the expansion of growing settlements.

Conservation Status and Life Today

Today, four species of Baboon are listed by the IUCN as species that are of Least Concern from becoming extinct in the wild in the near future.

The Guinea Baboon is listed as a Near Threatened species. However, despite still being relatively widespread, population numbers are declining in all species due to hunting and habitat loss, with populations in certain areas rapidly becoming more and more isolated from one another.

They are found throughout many of Africa’s national parks and reserves where they play a vital role in the upkeep of the eco-system.

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About the Author

Rebecca is an experienced Professional Freelancer with nearly a decade of expertise in writing SEO Content, Digital Illustrations, and Graphic Design. When not engrossed in her creative endeavors, Rebecca dedicates her time to cycling and filming her nature adventures. When not focused on her passion for creating and crafting optimized materials, she harbors a deep fascination and love for cats, jumping spiders, and pet rats.

Baboon FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions) 

Are Baboons herbivores, carnivores, or omnivores?

Baboons are Omnivores, meaning they eat both plants and other animals.

What Kingdom do Baboons belong to?

Baboons belong to the Kingdom Animalia.

What class do Baboons belong to?

Baboons belong to the class Mammalia.

What phylum to Baboons belong to?

Baboons belong to the phylum Chordata.

What family do Baboons belong to?

Baboons belong to the family Cercopithecidae.

What order do Baboons belong to?

Baboons belong to the order Primates.

What type of covering do Baboons have?

Baboons are covered in Hair.

What genus do Baboons belong to?

Baboons belong to the genus Papio.

Where do Baboons live?

Baboons live in Africa and western Arabia.

In what type of habitat do Baboons live?

Baboons live in grasslands, rocky deserts, and rainforests.

What are some predators of Baboons?

Predators of Baboons include lions, leopards, and African wild dogs.

How many babies do Baboons have?

The average number of babies a Baboon has is 1.

What is an interesting fact about Baboons?

Baboons can travel more than four miles a day!

What is the scientific name for the Baboon?

The scientific name for the Baboon is Papio.

What is the lifespan of a Baboon?

Baboons can live for 15 to 40 years.

What is a baby Baboon called?

A baby Baboon is called an infant.

How many species of Baboon are there?

There are 5 species of Baboon.

What is the biggest threat to the Baboon?

The biggest threats to the Baboon are hunting and habitat loss.

What is another name for the Baboon?

The Baboon is also called the olive baboon, yellow baboon, Guinea baboon, chacma baboon, or hamadryas baboon.

How fast is a Baboon?

A Baboon can travel at speeds of up to 30 miles per hour.

How to say Baboon in ...
English
Baboon
Japanese
ヒヒ属
Turkish
Babun

Thank you for reading! Have some feedback for us? Contact the AZ Animals editorial team.

Sources
  1. David Burnie, Dorling Kindersley (2011) Animal, The Definitive Visual Guide To The World's Wildlife
  2. Tom Jackson, Lorenz Books (2007) The World Encyclopedia Of Animals
  3. David Burnie, Kingfisher (2011) The Kingfisher Animal Encyclopedia
  4. Richard Mackay, University of California Press (2009) The Atlas Of Endangered Species
  5. David Burnie, Dorling Kindersley (2008) Illustrated Encyclopedia Of Animals
  6. Dorling Kindersley (2006) Dorling Kindersley Encyclopedia Of Animals
  7. David W. Macdonald, Oxford University Press (2010) The Encyclopedia Of Mammals
  8. About Olive Baboons, Available here: http://www.iucnredlist.org/apps/redlist/details/40647/0
  9. Yellow Baboon Facts, Available here: http://www.iucnredlist.org/apps/redlist/details/16021/0
  10. Hamadryas Baboon Information, Available here: http://www.iucnredlist.org/apps/redlist/details/16019/0
  11. Guinea Baboon Conservation, Available here: http://www.iucnredlist.org/apps/redlist/details/16018/0
  12. About Chacma Baboons, Available here: http://www.iucnredlist.org/apps/redlist/details/16022/0

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