Baboon vs Monkey
Since both baboon and monkeys being primates, the interest to talk about them never dies. More importantly, it is very easy for a person to get confused when these primates, especially monkeys, are concerned. In brief, baboons are also monkeys, but a separate characterization would provide a strong platform to make a fair and reliable comparison between baboon and monkey. Therefore, this article would be an interest for anyone who wants to get this information in a proper and orderly fashion.
Baboon
There are five species of baboons described under one genus, Papio, living in African and Arabian habitats. Baboons are old world monkeys, and some species are amongst the largest hominids. Formerly, gelada, drill, and mandrills were classified as baboons, but later they were grouped separately from baboons. However, some people still refer those animals as baboons, but not in the scientific literature. They have a long snout, which looks almost like a muzzle of a dog. Except on their long muzzle and buttocks, there is a heavy growth of thick fur. Baboons have powerful jaws equipped with large canines, which aid for their omnivorous feeding habits. They can be either nocturnal or diurnal according to the available local niche in the living ecosystem. Usually, savannah grasslands are their habitats, and they are terrestrial but not arboreal as many primates. Baboons have very close-set eyes that enable them to have a wide range of binocular vision. The bodyweight of baboons vary from 14 to 40 kilograms, and the smallest Guinea baboon is only half a metre size but the Chacma baboon is around 1.2 metres large. These animals are extremely protective of their offspring as they chase down the predators through intimidating displays. They have hierarchically organized troops containing varying number of members from five to 250.
Monkey
Old world and new world are the two types of monkeys present in the world today with more than 260 extant species. The Pygmy Marmoset is the smallest member, and it is only about 140 millimetres tall with a weight of 4 – 5 ounces, while the largest member (Mandrill) can weigh up to 35 kilograms and can be as tall as 1 metre at standing posture. Therefore, sizes of the monkeys are vastly different with the species. The monkeys are adapted to climb and jump among trees. Therefore, most are arboreal, but some species live in savannas. It is mostly an omnivorous diet in the monkeys. They do not stand in the upright posture but walk with all four limbs most of the time. Only the new world monkeys have a prehensile tail and colour vision in their eyes. All the monkeys have five digits with an opposable thumb in limbs. Additionally, they also have the binocular vision as the other primates. The lifespan could vary from 10 to 50 years, depending on species of the monkey.
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What is the difference between Baboon and Monkey? • Baboons are old world monkeys, but monkeys in general could be either old world or new world. • Monkeys are either terrestrial or arboreal, but baboons are always ground living. • Baboons have a dog-like long muzzle but not all the monkeys. In other words, the snout is more round-shaped in monkeys, and it is elongated in baboons. • Baboon has a short tail but usually other monkeys have a long tail to help in maintaining body balance for arboreal species. • Monkeys vary in their size, colour, habits, and habitats. However, baboons are of medium sizes and colouration is usually brown or dark according to the species. • Diversity is at least 52 times more among monkeys than baboons.
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