Mammals · Primates · Cercopithecidae

Chacma Baboon

Papio ursinus

Least Concern

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

The chacma baboon is the largest of the baboons and the heaviest primate in southern Africa. It lives in troops of between 20 and 100 animals with several males and several females, structured by stable matrilineal hierarchies. It is extraordinarily flexible: it feeds on grasses, roots, fruit, insects, eggs and occasionally kids or antelope calves, and on the Cape Peninsula it has been documented foraging for shellfish in the intertidal zone. Its adaptability leads to frequent conflict with people.

Weight

12 kg – 45 kg

Size

50 cm – 1.2 m

Lifespan

30 years

Diet

Omnivore

Combines animal and plant food depending on availability.

Activity

Diurnal

Active mainly during the day.

Sighting difficulty

Easy

SavannaMountainGrasslandOmnivore Diurnal Savanna Mountain Grassland Mammal

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Fun facts

The troops on the Cape Peninsula come down to the shore to eat mussels, limpets and small stranded sharks, behaviour unique among African primates.
The males have the longest canines of any primate in proportion to their body, able to exceed five centimetres.

Life cycle & biology

Skeleton type: Vertebrate - internal bony skeleton (mammal)
Habitat & environment: Savannah, scrub, mountains and rocky coasts of southern Africa
Sexual maturity: 5 years
Gestation / incubation: 6 months
Litter / clutch size: 1

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