
Hamadryas baboon

Mammals


Stable
facts
description

Description
Males and females
Hamadryas (hah-mah-DRY-US) baboons are big, strong monkeys. Unlike the flat faces of most monkeys, a baboon’s face has a long snout and a squared-off, dog-like muzzle. The face, rump, hands, and feet are bare, but fur covers the rest of the body. Females are a light, olive-brown. Males are much lighter, with a long, silvery “cape” that extends from the head and shoulders to the rump. A male also has cheek tufts that are silvery white.

Food storage
Baboons belong to a group of monkeys known as the cheek-pouched monkeys, because of compartments in their cheeks that stretch to store food. It’s a great adaptation: a baboon can quickly pop food into its mouth, and later find a safe spot to eat it.

Social order
Hamadryas baboons live in groups called one-male units (OMU). An OMU includes a male leader along with several females and their offspring. A male that doesn’t lead his own unit might follow an OMU, or he might live alone. Several OMUs make up a band, and several bands make up a troop.
These big monkeys wake at sunrise and get right to it: chasing, playing, and social grooming. After a few hours of fun, they begin their “daily march.” As they travel, they break into groups called bands, and the bands separate into even smaller OMUs to look for food. A band reunites for an afternoon water and rest break. OMUs have time for more foraging before it’s time to return to their sleeping cliffs at sunset.