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One primate has colonized more of Africa than any other. The versatile baboon is at home everywhere from rainforest to mountaintop. Almost anywhere that has food, water, and safe shelter at night is baboon territory, making them the most successful, diverse and widespread monkey around. From the hamadryas baboons in the Somali desert to the chacmas of South Africa’s Drakensberg mountains, these primates can adapt to the demands of most any habitat. In the dark, shaded world of the West African rainforest, the most powerful baboon of all — the mandrill — sports a spectacularly colorful face mask. His vibrant colors attract the opposite sex and announce his rank to other males. The brighter the better in mandrill society. At the southern tip of Africa, baboons have acquired a taste that few primates other than humans share. While rich in variety, plants here hold little nutritional value. So, when the tide is out, the local chacmas are down on the seashore finding crabs, mussels, and other
