Mammals · Primates · Cercopithecidae

Yellow Baboon

Papio cynocephalus

Least Concern

The species is abundant and widely distributed; it faces no significant short-term risk. See full glossary

The yellow baboon is the baboon of the East African savannahs, more slender and longer-legged than the chacma, with a yellowish coat and an elongated face. It lives in troops of several dozen animals with adult males and females, structured by stable matrilineal hierarchies. It is omnivorous and highly adaptable: grasses, seeds, roots, fruit, insects and occasionally antelope calves. Its combination of abundance, visibility and social complexity has made it one of the best-studied primates in the world.

Weight

11 kg – 26 kg

Size

60 cm – 1 m

Lifespan

30 years

Diet

Omnivore

Combines animal and plant food depending on availability.

Activity

Diurnal

Active mainly during the day.

Sighting difficulty

Easy

SavannaTemperate forestGrasslandOmnivore Diurnal Savanna Temperate forest Grassland Mammal

43countries 30parks44same family

Fun facts

GeneralThe subject of over 50 years of social-behaviour research at Amboseli, in Kenya.
The population of the Amboseli basin in Kenya has been followed continuously since 1971 and is one of the longest-running studies of wild primates in existence, with individual pedigrees spanning more than half a century.
Females inherit their mother's social rank: the daughter of a dominant female will hold a high position from a young age, and the hierarchy is thus passed down the female line for generations.

Life cycle & biology

Skeleton type: Vertebrate - internal bony skeleton (mammal)
Habitat & environment: Wooded savannah, open forest and scrub of eastern and south-central Africa
Sexual maturity: 5 years
Gestation / incubation: 6 months
Litter / clutch size: 1

Sources consulted: https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Papio_cynocephalus