Hamadryl, or lacquer baboon, is a separate species of primates that lives in Africa and a small part of Asia. It is known for the most part because of its aggressive nature, which has repeatedly become the cause of clashes between humans and monkeys. To date, this type of baboons has been fully studied, and therefore is not of significant interest to scientists, which cannot be said about simple naturalists.
general information
Hamadryl is a large monkey that belongs to the genus of baboons. The name of this species comes from the Latin hamadryas, which in exact translation means "forest nymph". Africa is considered the home of the Fiery Baboon. Today, its habitat is limited to Ethiopia, Sudan, Nubia and Somalia. However, earlier, when the climate of Africa was less severe, hamadrils populated almost the entire northern part of the continent. This is evidenced by the hieroglyphs left by the Egyptians more than 3 thousand years ago.
In addition, small populations of black-headed baboons live in Asia and the Arabian Peninsula. They got here after the heat covered most of Africa, and the animals were forced to look for a new home.
Appearance
Hamadryl is a rather large monkey. Males of this species sometimes grow up to 1 meter in length. Females are much smaller than their gentlemen. So, if the weight of an adult guy varies between 18-20 kg, then ladies rarely exceed the threshold of 12-14 kg. Another bright sexual difference is the mane - in males it is larger and denser.
In particular, it is because of the mane that the hamadryl is called the fiery baboon. The fact is that the hair on his head and shoulders is much longer than on the rest of the body. Thanks to this, it seems that this large monkey wears a cloak or cape. As for practical application, scientists are sure that the mane saves primates from high temperatures, and also helps them in a fight, mitigating bites and blows directed towards the head.
But the face of the monkey is devoid of hair. The same applies to its backside - it is not only completely “naked”, but also painted bright red. Hamadril’s coat itself is gray, sometimes dirty white.
Social structure
Hamadryl is an animal with a clearly defined hierarchy. Often primates live in large groups of 60-70 individuals. However, there are also many large flocks, which number more than one hundred primates. But, regardless of the number, the power always lies in the hands of one baboon - the leader. He is the head of the community, and no one can challenge his orders or the right to the first wedding night.
The next in the hierarchy are the older males. They form the backbone of the flock, which is responsible for its safety and prosperity. They can be compared with an army that obeys directly the leader. Then come the “bride” of the king, adult females and growing male baboons.
It should be noted that hamadryl is an animal that prefers to live in a close-knit team. Conflicts rarely arise inside the pack, especially those that lead to fights or feuds. But the relationship between mother and calf is especially strong. The reason for this is that each female gives birth to only one baby, which leads to the appearance of a close emotional connection.
Behavior features
The lavish baboons live in the open. They prefer to settle on spacious shrouds or mountain plateaus. It is also curious that these primates do not like to climb trees. And to be more precise, they climb on them only in search of food or in an attempt to escape from the pursuer. The rest is a land animal.
Hamadryl is omnivorous. He eats absolutely everything that comes to his arm: starting from the roots of plants and ending with small animals. Sometimes flocks of these primates go to the farmers plantations, after which only leftovers remain on the field. Because of this, the crop is often often enclosed by traps that can severely cripple the baboons caught in them.
Enemies of Baboons
Hamadryl is a fairly large animal with close social ties. Because of this, predators rarely attack them. The only exception is the leopard, which, due to its speed, can burst into the flock with lightning speed and steal a gaping monkey from there. However, in most cases, the baboons have time to prepare for the attack. In such cases, they jump onto the nearest cliff and throw a pile of stones at the enemy.
Hamadryl is also not afraid of humans. And if he enters their territory, there is a chance that the monkeys attack him. Therefore, all tourists are warned that approaching these animals is very dangerous. Especially when they greet their guest with loud screams and aggressive dancing.