Gelada baboon
This male gelada baboon lives at Colchester Zoo in Essex.
These primates are called gelada baboons, however, they aren't baboons, instead, geladas form a separate genus of their own.
Geladas, which spend up to 99% of their time on the ground, are easily recognizable due to the hairless patches of skin on their chests. During the mating season, these chest patches acquire bright crimson coloration in females, leading to their alternate name of bleeding-heart baboon.
These brown and grey primates have a dark face and pale eyelids. Males are twice the size of females, averaging 41 lb. (18.5 kg) to 24 lb. (11 kg) for females. A males head-body length is 27 to 30 in (69 to 74 cm) plus a 17 to 20 in. (45 to 50 cm) tail. A females head-body length is 19 to 21 in (50 to 65 cm) plus a 11 to 16 in. (30 to 41 cm) tail.
They are the last surviving member of a grass-grazing primate group, which were abundant and widespread in the past. They generally feed upon blades of grasses though they will opportunistically eat fruits, invertebrates, and even cereal crops where agriculture abuts their habitat. Their small, powerful fingers are designed for pulling grass, while small incisors allow them to chew it. When eating, geladas move around with characteristic shuffle gait. When walking, they use all of their four limbs and slide their feet without changing their body posture.
The natural range of this species is restricted to Ethiopia Highlands, where these animals mainly occur in in the Semien Mountains National Park. During the night, they typically sleep on rocky cliffs and outcrops. In the morning, geladas typically look for food in nearby grasslands, at heights of 6,550 to 16,400 ft. (2,000 to 5,000 m) above sea level.
Geladas are highly social animals, forming so called 'one male units' (OMU). These are female led groups that consist of a single male and multiple females with their young. When a male from the outside challenges the male of the OMU in order to displace it, females of the group may support or oppose both of them, accepting the winning male and fiercely driving away the defeated one. Various OMU's occasionally share the same area, thus forming larger units called bands. As these animals are non-territorial, they may be observed grazing in separate bands in areas with abundant food without any conflicts. Males and females can often be observed grooming each other. In general, all members of the community participate in grooming, which enhances social bonds within the OMU.
Geladas are polygynous, meaning that one male gets an exclusive right to mating with multiple females. Although geladas can mate at any time of the year, births appear to peak during the rainy season. Gestation period lasts for 5 to 6 months, yielding a single baby, which feeds upon its mother's milk for 12 to 18 months. The infant is mainly cared for by its mother, who will carry, groom, nurse and protect the baby, until it reaches the age of independence. Meanwhile, the father will take little part in rearing its offspring. Average life span in the wild is between 14 to 20 years and up to 30 years in captivity.
Predators of geladas are leopards, hyenas, feral dogs, jackals, foxes, servals and bearded vultures.
One of the biggest threats to the population of this species is habitat reduction due to development of agriculture. Additionally, geladas are considered pests and thus shot because of their destruction of crops. According to the IUCN Red List, the total population of Geladas is around 200,000 animals. Currently, this species conservation status is classified as 'Least Concern' but its numbers are decreasing.
Gelada baboon
This male gelada baboon lives at Colchester Zoo in Essex.
These primates are called gelada baboons, however, they aren't baboons, instead, geladas form a separate genus of their own.
Geladas, which spend up to 99% of their time on the ground, are easily recognizable due to the hairless patches of skin on their chests. During the mating season, these chest patches acquire bright crimson coloration in females, leading to their alternate name of bleeding-heart baboon.
These brown and grey primates have a dark face and pale eyelids. Males are twice the size of females, averaging 41 lb. (18.5 kg) to 24 lb. (11 kg) for females. A males head-body length is 27 to 30 in (69 to 74 cm) plus a 17 to 20 in. (45 to 50 cm) tail. A females head-body length is 19 to 21 in (50 to 65 cm) plus a 11 to 16 in. (30 to 41 cm) tail.
They are the last surviving member of a grass-grazing primate group, which were abundant and widespread in the past. They generally feed upon blades of grasses though they will opportunistically eat fruits, invertebrates, and even cereal crops where agriculture abuts their habitat. Their small, powerful fingers are designed for pulling grass, while small incisors allow them to chew it. When eating, geladas move around with characteristic shuffle gait. When walking, they use all of their four limbs and slide their feet without changing their body posture.
The natural range of this species is restricted to Ethiopia Highlands, where these animals mainly occur in in the Semien Mountains National Park. During the night, they typically sleep on rocky cliffs and outcrops. In the morning, geladas typically look for food in nearby grasslands, at heights of 6,550 to 16,400 ft. (2,000 to 5,000 m) above sea level.
Geladas are highly social animals, forming so called 'one male units' (OMU). These are female led groups that consist of a single male and multiple females with their young. When a male from the outside challenges the male of the OMU in order to displace it, females of the group may support or oppose both of them, accepting the winning male and fiercely driving away the defeated one. Various OMU's occasionally share the same area, thus forming larger units called bands. As these animals are non-territorial, they may be observed grazing in separate bands in areas with abundant food without any conflicts. Males and females can often be observed grooming each other. In general, all members of the community participate in grooming, which enhances social bonds within the OMU.
Geladas are polygynous, meaning that one male gets an exclusive right to mating with multiple females. Although geladas can mate at any time of the year, births appear to peak during the rainy season. Gestation period lasts for 5 to 6 months, yielding a single baby, which feeds upon its mother's milk for 12 to 18 months. The infant is mainly cared for by its mother, who will carry, groom, nurse and protect the baby, until it reaches the age of independence. Meanwhile, the father will take little part in rearing its offspring. Average life span in the wild is between 14 to 20 years and up to 30 years in captivity.
Predators of geladas are leopards, hyenas, feral dogs, jackals, foxes, servals and bearded vultures.
One of the biggest threats to the population of this species is habitat reduction due to development of agriculture. Additionally, geladas are considered pests and thus shot because of their destruction of crops. According to the IUCN Red List, the total population of Geladas is around 200,000 animals. Currently, this species conservation status is classified as 'Least Concern' but its numbers are decreasing.