Chacma Baboon (Papio ursinus)
The largest primate in Southern Africa. It is relatively slender and lightly built, although adult males have powerfully built shoulders ad heads. When the baboon is on all fours the shoulders stand higher than the rump. The long, somewhat dog-like muzzle is particularly pronounced in the males. The body has a covering of coarse hair which may be light grey through to dark grey-brown, but coat colour is variable even within a troop. Only the male has a mane of long blackish hair on the neck and shoulders. The hair on the upper surface of the hands and feet is dark brown to black in colour. Characteristic of the baboon is the posture of the long tail; the first third is held upwards and the remainder droops downwards, giving it a “broken” appearance. Males have a single, hard pad of naked grey skin which extends across both buttocks, but the female has one smaller pad on each buttock.
Shoulder height: 120 -160 cm (male); 100 – 120 cm (female)
Mass: 25 – 45 kg, average is 32 kg (male); 12 – 20 kg, average is 16 kg (female)
Tail length: 60 – 85 cm (male); 50 – 60 cm (female)
