|
 Gelada Baboon
Lifestyle:
Gelada (pronounced "jeh-LAH-da") baboons are highly social and live in established family units with one adult male, three to six females, and their young. The females generally bond into a kind of ruling "sisterhood" led by a single female. The male gelada is almost twice as large and much more colorful than the female. Males have long, magnificent capes of hair that, depending on age, can reach the ground. If an outside male tries to take over the family unit, the females in his group may choose to support or oppose their group male. Regardless of who wins the competition, the females will chase the unwanted male away with a show of physical force. Both sexes have pale eyelids that are used for expression. Geladas are not territorial and it is not uncommon to find congregations of separate units feeding together.
Habitat and Range:
Gelada baboons live in central and eastern Africa, primarily in Ethiopia. During the day they can be found mainly on high grassy plateaus, but at nightfall they will retreat to the steep rocky cliffs nearby. There, they are protected during the night from predators and inclement weather. They are the most terrestrial of all the primates, living primarily off the grasses and seeds of the high mountain meadows.
Reproduction:
Most baboons have vividly colored bottoms that signal their readiness for mating. But because the gelada baboons spend so much time sitting, they have evolved a unique adaptation: an hourglass-shaped patch of skin on their chests that becomes bright red when they are aroused. In addition to her vivid "blush," the female shows off a series of swollen white vesicles (like blisters) on her chest and neck that are sometimes called a "pearl necklace." Mating usually occurs in autumn and the baby geladas are born approximately five to six months later. Females are considered adult at three to four years, whereas the males are mature at seven or eight years. Females only mate once every two years and generally give birth to one infant at a time.
Size:
Gelada baboons are relatively large primates, the average male is about 30 inches tall and weighs 65-80 pounds; females are about half that size.
Endangered Status:
Vulnerable
CLICK HERE for more animal factsheets!
|
