Papio cynocephalus (Linnaeus, 1766)

Russell A. Mittermeier, Anthony B. Rylands & Don E. Wilson, 2013, Cercopithecidae, Handbook of the Mammals of the World – Volume 3 Primates, Barcelona: Lynx Edicions, pp. 550-755 : 661

39.

Yellow Baboon

Papio cynocephalus

French: Babouin cynocéphale / German: Gelber Pavian / Spanish: Papion dorado

Other common names: Central Yellow Baboon (cynocephalus), Northern Yellow Baboon (ibeanus)

Taxonomy. Simia cynocephalus Linnaeus, 1766 ,

Africa. Restricted by J. A. Allen in 1925 to “Kenya, inland from Mombasa.”

P. cynocephalus hybridizes with P. anubis in the eastern part of Tsavo and Amboseli national parks in Kenya. There is a broad clinal hybrid zone of PF. cynocephalus x P. anubis between Laikipia district, just to the north-east and east of Mount Kenya, and the Lower Tana River, Kenya coast. Baboons in this more than 200km-wide region are intermediate and are difficult to allocate to either P. cynocephalus or P. anubis (baboons become increasingly “yellow-like” in their phenotypes toward the Kenya coast). Whether their distribution overlaps with P. hamadryas in Somalia is not clear. In respective contact zones in Zambia, they hybridize with P. kindae and P. ursinus griseipes. Molecular studies also indicate that P. cynocephalus hybridized with the Kipunji ( Rungwecebus kipunji ) in southern Tanzania. Historically, several forms of P. cynocephalus have been described, of which a few might merit subspecies status (e.g. Luangwa Valley Yellow or Dwarf Chacma Baboon, P. c. jubilaeus). P. c. kindae is recognized here as a separate species. Limits to distributions of the two subspecies are poorly known. Two subspecies recognized.

Subspecies and Distribution.

P.c.cynocephalusLinnaeus,1766—Tanzania,Malawi,EZambia(EofLuangwaRiver),andNMozambique.

P. c. ibeanus Thomas, 1893 — SE Somalia, E Kenya (including Manda I), and NE Tanzania; possibly in extreme SE Ethiopia but the N limit in Somalia is not known.

Descriptive notes. Head-body 62-85 cm (males) and 51-69 cm (females), tail 53— 66 cm (males) and 34-57 cm (females); weight 20-28 kg (males) and 8-13 kg (females). Sexual dimorphism in body weights of Yellow Baboons is pronounced, with female body mass only 54-56% of male body mass. The Yellow Baboon differs from Chacma ( P. ursinus ) and Olive ( P. anubis ) baboons by its relatively lanky form, smaller head, and elongated, slender limbs. Upper body of the Yellow Baboon is yellowishfawn to yellowish-gray, with white on the underside, inner surfaces of limbs, cheeks, sides of the muzzle, and fringes of hands and feet. Males have a slight median nuchal crest of long hair, but little or no shoulder mane. Flank hairs on both sexes are elongated and form an inconspicuous fringe. Face, palms of hands, and soles of feet are black. Nostrils do not protrude beyond the upperlip. Ischial callosities are small and grayish-black; in males, they form a continuous ridge but in females they are separated by the genitalia. Tail is often carried almost vertically, then falling downward in a low, “broken” fashion. Females show prominent swellings of their perineum when sexually receptive. Infants are born with black natal coats that change to adult coloration at 3-6 months of age. Subspecific morphological differences are slight among Yellow Baboons. In the “Central Yellow Baboon” (P. ¢. cynocephalus ), furis straight, and males lack any trace of a shoulder mane. In the “Northern Yellow Baboon” (P. c. ibeanus), fur is wavy, and males have a trace of a shoulder mane.

Habitat. Largely fire-climax miombo ( Brachystegia , Fabaceae ) woodland. In this zone and especially to the north-east, Yellow Baboons occupy dry bushland, thickets, steppes, and the coastal littoral (including mangroves) zone, as long as access to fresh water sources for drinking is provided. Yellow Baboons are able to persist in secondary and highly fragmented vegetation, and they can adapt to disturbed habitats near human settlements,living in cultivated areas if there is native habitat for refuge.

Food and Feeding. Like all baboons, Yellow Baboons are opportunistic omnivores. In parts of their distribution, they feed primarily on seeds,fleshy, pods, and exudates of leguminous trees. It has been hypothesized that they prefer foods with an unusual chemistry, implying that they have special digestive adaptations, possibly explaining why the boundaries of its distribution do not follow any geographic discontinuities but coincide very closely with the distribution of a specific plant community. Nevertheless, in other areas of their distribution, Yellow Baboons have diets very similar to those of other baboons. They feed on grasses, shoots, fungi, lichens, and animal prey (including invertebrates, lizards, birds, and small mammals).

Breeding. In Amboseli, female Yellow Baboons show theirfirst sexual swellings at 4-6 years of age and have their first infant, on average, at 5-9 years. Their menstrual cycle takes 26-52 days. Male maturation takes longer, and they are considered adults at c.8 years old. The gestation period of the Yellow Baboon is ¢.180 days. Births occur throughout the year, and interbirth intervals are usually 22-27 months. Males try to monopolize access to females that are sexually receptive. A male and a female form a temporary consortship (several minutes to days). Most mating happens during these consort periods. The consorting male is often challenged by other males, and male consort partners may change several times during any one receptive period. Hence, female Yellow Baboons usually mate with several partners. Females give copulation calls, i.e. they vocalize during and shortly after copulation. Life expectancy in wild females is c.14-15 years, but females have been recorded living up to 27 years in the wild. Because of the social system and dispersal pattern of the Yellow Baboon,itis more difficult to estimate male life span in the wild.

Activity patterns. Yellow Baboon are diurnal and mainly terrestrial.

Movements, Home range and Social organization. Home range size and daily movement vary considerably depending on habitat, group size, and season. If food is abundant, daily movements are less than 4 km, but in the dry season, Yellow Baboons can move 8-10 km/day. Besides food, home ranges contain essential localized resources such as water and sleeping sites. Yellow Baboons usually sleep in trees. Like Chacma and Olive baboons, they live in multimale-multifemale groups of 20-80 individuals. Groups are rarely less than 20 or more than 100 individuals. Adult sex ratios within groups can vary substantially, but there are typically more females than males. Groups are not substructured into one-male units, as in Hamadryas Baboons ( P. hamadryas ) or Geladas ( Theropithecus gelada ), although solitary one-male units have been observed. Most male Yellow Baboons emigrate from their natal groups at 7-13 years of age. Secondary emigration into a third group has also been recorded. Females remain in their natal groups and form linear dominance hierarchies. High ranking mothers support their daughters during rank conflicts, resulting in a dominance rank of the daughter just below the mother. Rank positions are “heritable,” and dominance relationships among matrilines within a group can remain stable over generations. Males also establish a dominance hierarchy that usually regulates access to receptive females. The dominant male in a group can sire more than 80% of all offspring, but low-ranking males can form coalitions to challenge higher-ranking males and to take over sexually receptive females. The social network among related females is the most stable social structure within a group of Yellow Baboons. Grooming and otheraffiliative behavior are exchanged predominantly within these networks. Studies suggest that these tight relationships provide a fitness advantage for females. Females with a tighter network live longer and reproduce more successfully. Females and males may also form bonds outside sexual consortships, called “friendships.” These relationships likely benefit a female via protection for herself and her offspring against sexual harassment and infanticide by other males. The male benefits because it may protect its own offspring or it may invest in future sexual relationship with respective females.

Status and Conservation. CITES Appendix II. Classified as Least Concern on The IUCN Red List, including both subspecies. Yellow Baboons are listed as vermin in the African Convention on the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources. They are used extensively in biomedical research and often shot as crop pests. They are widespread and locally common, but patchily distributed over their extensive distribution. They have been locally displaced by agriculture, development, and infrastructure projects. The Northern Yellow Baboon occurs in a number of protected areas, including Amboseli National Park and Tana River National Primate Reserve in Kenya and Mikumi, Saadani, Katavi and possibly Ruaha national parks in Tanzania. Its status in Somalia and Ethiopia is unclear. The Central Yellow Baboon is also widespread and common and occurs in various protected areas: Ruaha National Park (possibly), Udzungwa Mountains National Park, and Selous Game Reserve in Tanzania; Niassa Reserve, Quirimbas National Park and Gilé National Reserve in Mozambique; and Kasungu and Liwonde national parks in Malawi. There are no major range-wide threats believed to be resulting in any significant population decline of the Central Yellow Baboon.

Bibliography. Alberts & Altmann (2001, 2004), Alberts et al. (2006), Allen (1925), Altmann, J. (1980), Altmann, J. et al. (1981), Altmann, S.A. (1979, 1998), Altmann, S.A. & Altmann (1970), Altmann, S.A. et al. (1987), Bentley-Condit & Smith (1999), Booth & Freedman (1970), Caro (1999), Charpentier, Fontaine et al. (2012), Charpentier, Tung et al. (2008), Collins (1981, 1984), Condit & Smith (1994), Drews (1996), Freedman (1963), Frost et al. (2003), Groves (2001), Grubb (2006), Hausfater (1975, 1976), Hausfater & Bearce (1976), Hausfater & Takacs (1987), Hausfater et al. (1982), Hayes et al. (1990), Hendrickx & Kraemer (1969), Hill (1970), Johnson (1990), Jolly (1993, 1997/1998, 2007), Jolly & Phillips-Conroy (2006), Keller et al. (2010), Kingdon (1971, 1997), Kleindorfer & Wasser (2004), Krebs (2011), Lee & Oliver (1979), McCuskey (1975), Newman et al. (2004), Nguyen Nga et al. (2009), Norton et al. (1987), Pereira (1983), Phillips-Conroy & Rogers (1985), Pochron (2000), Post (1982), Rasmussen (1979, 1981, 1983), Rhine & Westlund (1981), Rhine, Norton, Rogers & Wasser (1992), Rhine, Norton & Wasser (2000), Rhine, Norton, Wynn & Wynn (1989), Rhine, Norton, Wynn, Wynn & Rhine (1986), Rogers & Kidd (1996), Samuels & Altmann (1986), Silk, Alberts & Altmann (2006), Silk, Altmann & Alberts (2006), Swedell (2011), Tung et al. (2008), Vinson (2005), Wahungu (1998, 2001), Wasser (1983), Wildman et al. (2004), Yalden et al. (1977), Zinner, Amold & Roos (2009), Zinner, Buba et al. (2011), Zinner, Groeneveld et al. (2009), Zinner, Kraft & Roos (2008).

Figures

39. Yellow Baboon (Papio cynocephalus), 40. Kinda Baboon (Papio kindae), 41. Chacma Baboon (Papio ursinus), 42. Olive Baboon (Papio anubus), 43. Guinea Baboon (Papio papio), 44. Hamadryas Baboon (Papio hamadryas), 45. Gelada (Theropithecus gelada)

Subspecies and Distribution. P.c.cynocephalusLinnaeus,1766—Tanzania,Malawi,EZambia(EofLuangwaRiver),andNMozambique. P. c. ibeanus Thomas, 1893 — SE Somalia, E Kenya (including Manda I), and NE Tanzania; possibly in extreme SE Ethiopia but the N limit in Somalia is not known.