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Baboon T-Shirts - Customize for free |
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More About Baboons ...
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The Baboon is the largest non-Hominid member of the primate order. Their family is Cercopithecidae, subfamily Cercopithecinae (or Cynopithecinae). In modern scientific use, only members of the genus Papio are called baboons, but previously the closely related mandrills and geladas (now classified in genera Mandrillus and Theropithecus) were grouped in the same genus, and these monkeys are still often referred to as baboons in everyday speech.
All baboons have long dog-like muzzles (cynocephalus = dog-head), close-set eyes, heavy powerful jaws, thick fur except on their muzzle, short tail and often brightly coloured ischial callosities. Baboons are terrestrial (ground dwelling) and are found in savanna, open woodland and hills across Africa. Their diet is omnivorous, but usually vegetarian - they are foragers and are active at irregular times throughout the day and night. They can raid human dwellings and in South Africa they have been known to prey on sheep and goats.
Baboons live in hierarchical troops of 5 to 250 animals (50 or so is common), depending on species and time of year. They can live as long as thirty years.
Their principal predators are man and the leopard, although they are tough prey for a leopard and large males will often confront them.
There are five recognised races of Papio, but whether they should be regarded as full species, or as subspecies, is debatable. They are ursinus (Chacma baboon, found in southern Africa), papio (Guinea or Western baboon, found in Senegal, The Gambia, Guinea), hamadryas (Hamadryas baboon, found in north-east Africa and into south-western Arabia), anubis (Olive baboon, found in central African savanna) and cynocephalus (Yellow baboon, found in Angola, Zambia, Malawi, Tanzania, Kenya, Somalia). Many authors distinguish P. hamadryas as a full species, but regard all the others as subspecies of P. papio and refer to them collectively as "savanna baboons"; even between hamadryas and the neighbouring savanna populations there is a stable zone of hybridisation. There is considerable variation in size and weigh depending on species, the Chacma baboon can be 120 cm and weigh 40 kg while the biggest Guinea baboon is 50 cm and weighs only 14 kg, in all baboon species there is pronounced sexual dimorphism usually in size but also maybe in colour or canine development.
Species list
Genus Papio
Hamadryas Baboon, Papio hamadryas
Guinea Baboon, Papio papio
Olive Baboon, Papio anubis
Yellow Baboon, Papio cynocephalus
Chacma Baboon, Papio ursinus
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Taxonmony
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Phylum: Chordata
Class: mammalia
Order: Primates
Family: Cercopithecidae
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Source: Wikipedia Read more about Baboons
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