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baboon
(redirected from baboonish)

   Also found in: Dictionary/thesaurus, Medical, Wikipedia, Hutchinson 0.03 sec.
baboon, any of the large, powerful, ground-living monkeys monkey, any of a large and varied group of mammals of the primate order. The term monkey includes all primates that do not belong to the categories human, ape, or prosimian; however, monkeys do have certain common features.
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 of the genus Papio, also called dog-faced monkeys. Five subspecies live in Africa, with one species extending into the Arabian peninsula. They have close-set eyes under heavy brow ridges, long, heavy muzzles, powerful jaws, and long, sharp upper canine teeth. Their fur is thick, and in some species males have a mane about the head and shoulders. The heavy tail is of moderate length. The buttock pads, or ischial callosities, are thick and brightly colored; sitting is the favored position for feeding and sleeping. Baboons live in brush, grassland, or rocky country, foraging on the ground for roots, seeds, fruits, insects, and small animals, including other monkeys. Depending on the species, they may gather in troops of 350 individuals or more for protection at sleep sites on rock outcroppings. Baboons are powerful fighters and show little fear of larger animals, including humans. They can successfully take on leopards, their worst enemies. Most species travel in groups of 40 to 80, which are socially based on a core of females and may include several transient males. Some subspecies, like the hamadryas baboon (Papio hamadryas hamadryas), form harem groups led by a dominant male and have a highly developed social order. Baboons are subtle, intelligent animals and can become dangerous nuisances if they learn to raid fields or houses for easy food. The gelada (Theropithecus gelada) of Ethiopia is closely related to the baboon. It has a bright pink face and buttock pads and a tufted tail. Males use characteristic facial movements and barks to control harems of females during daily foraging. Also closely related are the wildly colorful mandrill mandrill, large monkey, Mandrillus sphinx, of central W Africa, related to the baboons . Mandrills are found in forests, while baboons live in open country.
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 and the plainer drill, both forest-dwellers, and the mangabeys. Baboons are classified in the phylum Chordata Chordata (kôrdā`tə,–dä`–)
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, subphylum Vertebrata, class Mammalia, order Primates, family Cercopithecidae.

Bibliography

See S. C. Strum, Almost Human (1987).


baboon

Enlarge picture
Anubis, or olive, baboon (Papio anubis).
(credit: Norman Myers/Photo Researchers)
Any of five species of robust monkeys (genus Papio) of Arabia and sub-Saharan Africa. Baboons have a large head, cheek pouches, and a long, doglike muzzle. They walk on all fours, carrying the tail in a characteristic arch. They weigh 30–90 lbs (14–40 kg) and are about 20–45 in. (50–115 cm) long, excluding the tail (18–28 in., or 45–70 cm, long). Found mainly in drier savanna and rocky areas, they feed on a variety of plants and animals. Highly social and intelligent, they travel in large noisy troops, communicating by calls. They may destroy crops, and their enormous canine teeth and powerful limbs make them dangerous opponents.


baboon
any of several medium-sized omnivorous Old World monkeys of the genus Papio (or Chaeropithecus) and related genera, inhabiting open rocky ground or wooded regions of Africa. They have an elongated muzzle, large teeth, and a fairly long tail


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