Gelada

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Gelada Status Endangered
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Mammalia Order: Primates Family: Cercopithecidae Genus: Theropithecus Species: gelada
Binomial name
Theropithecus gelada Rueppell, 1835

Geladas (Theropithecus gelada) are Old World monkeys, found only in the highlands of Ethiopia and Eritrea. Like other baboons, they are terrestrial, and spend their time foraging in grasslands. The Gelada used to be grouped with other baboons in the genus Papio, but since 1979 it has become customary to place them in a separate genus, Theropithecus. No other species is currently classified in this genus.

These monkeys can be distinguished from other baboons by the bright patch of skin on their chests. The patch is hourglass shaped, and on males, it is bright red and sorrounded by white hair. On females, the patch is far less pronounced. However, when in heat, the female's patch will brighten, and a "necklace" of fluid-filled blisters forms on the patch. This is thought to mimic the swelling on the buttocks during oestrus that is common to all baboons.

Geladas live in small groups with one male, and several females and their offspring. These small bands often join together to feed, creating groups of upwards of 350 individual monkeys. At especially good feeding spots, group of upwards of 670 Geladas have been observed.

Geladas are primarily grass-eaters, eating every part of the plant, from the seeds, to the roots, to the stalk. They have the most well developed opposable thumbs of any of the Old World Monkeys, which allows them to pick apart grasses with great dexterity to find the nourishing parts. They have also been known to eat fruit on occasion.

Geladas are endangered, and only 50-60,000 are known to exist. Hunting and habitat destruction have forced the Geladas into areas formerly inhabited by Olive baboons, and hybridisation between the two groups has been observed. In addition, in the southern part of the Amhara plateau, Gelada males are killed every two years in order to use their manes in a coming-of-age ceremony. The loss of much of the adult male population on a regular basis has disrupted the population of the species.