This powerful baboon lives in closely-knit clans and stays safe in rocky cliffs on the horn of eastern Africa and the nearby Arabian coast. The Hamadryas baboon ventures daily onto the predator-filled plains to gather food, then uses superb climbing skills to retreat to its home heights. Though usually peaceful, the male can intimidate with its huge mane of hair and fang-like teeth that give it a frightening look; it uses its appearance to scare intruders-especially other male members of its species.
Big Hair: Mature males of this species have long silver fur around their heads and chests. This makes them look bigger to rivals and predators; the sight of this baboon charging while exposing its huge canine teeth scares away most enemies.
Saving Up: This monkey finds most of the grasses it eats smack in the open hunting grounds of many dangerous predators. The Hamadryas baboon stuffs the food it gathers into pouches in its cheeks so it can chew it up later, when it is out of enemy territory.
Cliff Hangers[]
Intruders that trespass on this baboon's turf can expect a nasty reception.
Hamadryas baboons seek shelter in high rocky cliffs in order to avoid predators, such as leopards and cheetahs, which hunt mostly in open grasslands. The monkey can grip with both its hands and feet, so it has no problem climbing down the cliffs to grab some food in the plains, then go back up to eat in peace. Alert to possible predators, several groups of Hamadryas baboons gather on the same cliffs at night, sleeping in groups that can number up to 750 monkeys!
Tough Rump: The Hamadryas baboon's rear end is pink and made up of hard, calloused skin. This protects the creature's rump when sitting on rocky surfaces, as it often does; the female's turns bright pink when she's ready to mate.
Domination: This baboon mainly lives in family groups with several females, a handful of dominant males and some younger males. Young males can challenge older males to gain mating rights to some females, or he may wait until an older male dies.
Who's the Man?[]
- A young male baboon spots a group of young females. He notices that no dominant males are around, so he tries to grab one to be his mate.
- He singles out a female and rushes at her to separate her from the group. She begins to run from him; his plan is working.
- Once isolated, the male shows off his huge teeth and towers over the female to make her submit to him. She does, and becomes the first female in his family.
Trading Card[]
Trivia[]
- The card's front illustration is also used in the Wildlife Explorer series, for the Hamadryas Baboon's profile illustration. The main difference is the removal of terrain in the Weird n' Wild's version.
- The image of the baboons sitting on the rocky terrain, and the "Who's the Man?" illustrations are also shared; the latter, titled "Brutal Boss", has a fourth image of the male pinning down and biting the female baboon.
- It is one of two primates in Nightmares of Nature, alongside the Mandrill.