2008/02/08 by Larissa Swedell, Getenet Hailemeskel, Amy Schreier +1 · 2 citations
Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology · Psychology · #Animal Vocal Communication and Behavior #Child and Animal Learning Development #Primate Behavior and Ecology
paper · doi:10.1159/000164431
crossref issued 2008/02/08 · crossref published 2008/02/08 · crossref published-print 2008/02/08 · openalex publication_date 2008/02/08 · crossref created 2008/10/17 · crossref deposited 2022/03/01 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · crossref indexed 2026/07/30 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/01
Here we report the first year-round quantitative data on dietary composition and seasonality in wild hamadryas baboons. Study subjects were adult male members of band 3 at the Filoha field site in central lowland Ethiopia. Data collection consisted of 10-min focal samples during all-day follows 4-6 days per month over the course of 1 year. The two largest contributors to the diet were Hyphaene thebaica and Acacia senegal, and these were the only plant species found in the diet during every month of the year. Other relatively major contributors to the diet, such as Cyperus grandibulbosus, Seddera bagshawei, Tribulus cistoides and Typhalatifolia, showed a seasonal pattern. Fewer plant species were consumed during the dry months of the year compared to the wet months. During the hottest and driest months of the year, study subjects subsisted almost exclusively on H. thebaica, A. senegal, C. grandibulbosus and T.latifolia. Overall, these patterns suggest that this population of hamadryas baboons spends less time feeding and is able to subsist on a narrower array of plant foods compared to other baboons. This pattern may be driven by the presence at Filoha of the doum palm (H. thebaica), a high-quality food resource that is consumed year-round.