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Fast Facts:

Male Hamadryas Baboons have a well-developed silvery cape or mane on their long silky fur while the females do not.
Both sexes have bright pink faces and bottoms.
Also known as the sacred or "mantled" or Arabian baboon, the Hamadryas was the sacred baboon of the ancient Egyptians. It was pictured on temples and monoliths as the attendant or representative of Thoth, the god of letters and scribe of the gods. Baboons were mummified, entombed and associated with sun worship.

Hamadryas Baboon

Scientific Name	Papio hamadryas
Classification	Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Mammalia Order: Primate Family: Cercopithecidae
Status	Threatened
Range	Ethiopia, Somalia, Saudi Arabia and Yemen
Habitat	Semi-arid plains and rocky terrain
Diet	Wild: roots, leaves, blossoms, seeds and grasses, occasionally termites, other insects and small mammals
Size	Length: 24-30 inches Weight: 20-40 pounds
Lifespan	30 - 40 yrs.
Location
Print Fact Sheet	Hamadryas Baboon

Special Features

Quadrupedal, they spend more time walking on all four than other monkeys.
This is the only non-human primate found in Arabia.
The long tail arches gracefully over its back.
Travel in large troops that consist of bands that are divided into clans.
Unlike other baboons, Hamadryas Baboons remain connected to their kin throughout their lives.
Although males seem to lack a dominance hierarchy, the females will compete for status with the alpha male.
Diurnal, they will sleep in cliffs instead of trees.
Baboons are similar to humans when it comes to baldness. Some go bald and others do not.
Baboons are powerful fighters and show little fear to larger predators.
Hamadryas Baboons use visual signals and gestures, vocalizations, and tactile communication.
They spend a great deal of time with social grooming that develops and maintains bonding between animals.

Social Structure & Behavior

Reproduction
Sexual maturity at 5-7years. Gestation 170-173 days. Single birth. Babies are born black and turn olive brown as they mature. Although females care for the infants, individual males will often adopt orphans.