Hamadryas Baboon (Papio hamadryas) Fact Sheet: Physical Characteristics

Data sources: Kingdon (1997); Zinner (2013)

Size

• Medium sized monkey (Kummer 1995)
• Strongly built

Face

• Hairless (Kummer 1995)
• Squared-off, dog-like muzzle (Kummer 1995)
  
  • Snout elongated in juveniles: ages 1-3 (Sigg et al. 1982)

Notable features

• Both sexes have hairless, markedly callused buttocks (Kummer 1995)

Males (Kummer 1968b; Kummer 1995; Nagel 1973; Phillips et al. 1986; Sigg et al. 1982)

• Body hair
• Mantle hair: light grey or brown; reaching to the hips
• Face:
• Bright pink or reddish
• Cheek tufts silvery white
• Canine teeth strong and pointed; sharpened back edges
• Hind-end large, bright red
  • Surrounded by white tufts of hair

Females (Kummer 1968b; Kummer 1995; Nagel 1973; Phillips et al. 1986; Sigg et al. 1982)

• Body hair
• Short, brown
• Lacks mantle
• Monthly swelling of vaginal skin coinciding with onset of estrous (time surrounding ovulation)

Infants (to 6 months) (Kummer 1968b; Kummer 1995; Nagel 1973; Phillips et al. 1986; Sigg et al. 1982)

• Body hair
• Black, turning brown with age

Species definition

• Based on male morphology and pelage

Coat pigmentation

• Variable
• Western populations have darker hair, trending to lighter coloration moving east (summarized by Kummer 1968b)

Male hamadryas with characteristic dog-like muzzle, grey mantle and bare hind-end.

Image credit: © San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance. All rights reserved.

Kummer (1968b)
Kummer (1995)
Nagel (1973)
Nowak (1999)
Phillips et al. (1986)
Sigg et al. (1982)
Wiley (2012)