Six species of large, ground-dwelling monkeys with long, dog-like muzzles and powerful jaws. Each is native to its own part of Africa, and the hamadryas baboon also lives in part of the Arabian Peninsula. At night they sleep in trees or on cliffs, away from predators.
Quick answers
What is it?Mammal
Carnivore?Omnivore
Dangerous?Can be
Often blamed for attacking people, though people are more likely to attack baboons or move into their territory.
Domesticated?No
Awake when?Daytime
Hibernates?No
Kept as a pet?No
Do people eat it?In places
At a glance
Found inAfrica, Asia
HabitatGrassland, Forest
ColoursBrown, Grey, Olive
SizeMedium
Length50 cm (Kinda baboon) to 120 cm (chacma baboon)
Weight14 kg (Kinda baboon) to 40 kg (chacma baboon)
Legs4
Covered inFur
Lives introops
Lives for20–30 years
Can swim
In the wild
- Where it lives
- Open savanna, open woodland and hills across Africa; the hamadryas baboon also lives in part of the Arabian Peninsula.
- What it eats
- Almost anything: grasses, roots, seeds, fruit, insects, fish, shellfish, rodents, birds and even small antelopes.
Did you know
Troops can be 200 strong, and they raid houses and cars for food.
Males leave their birth troop before they are adults, while most females stay in theirs for life.
Wild baboons usually live 20 to 30 years; in captivity they have reached 45.
Often confused with
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