Hamadryas: truly evil monkeys (7 photos)

How hierarchy works in primates known for their quarrelsome nature.





When several hundred primates get together, things can quickly become a mess. To fix this, people came up with things like laws and morality. But the hamadryas chose a different path - massacre, violence and strict hierarchy.



In the lands of Ethiopia, Somalia and the Arabian Peninsula, the climate is not sweet, and therefore primates have acquired strong physical characteristics. 20-30 kg of brutality and 80 centimeters of body. Multiply by a bad character and fangs 5-7 centimeters long. Here you have a typical representative of the hamadryas tribe.





With such introductory information, the determination of leaders is made quickly and honestly: with the help of ruthless combat, strong slaps on the head and bitten sides. Those hamadryas that were able to fend for themselves get to the highest level of “society” and acquire a harem of several females. This is how a clan of several dozen individuals appears.



If there are a lot of monkeys and food in the territory, the clans unite into a group. At this stage, the primate horde may consist of 400 heads! And the fights here are more like wars than petty infighting. In the best Viking tradition, one group raids another: males kill other males, kidnap females, and take the cubs as hostages. Young females are especially valuable in this regard, because after they reach puberty they will become part of the harem.



Females can also get it if they try to escape from one group to another.

But not all the life of hamadryas consists of struggle. Related clans are quite peaceful towards each other. Together they go to watering places and get food. Potential food for hamadryas is divided into only two categories - edible and inedible. Because they eat almost everything: from withered grass and branches to juicy fruits, from small animals and insects to young antelopes. Moreover, the monkeys hunt the latter in a pack, like real predators. Of course, with such teeth! True, when it comes to dividing the spoils, assault can happen again.



“Sir, your butt is red enough to indicate your superiority.” I concede this meal to you. - Thank you, sir.

And in such spartan conditions children are born. In hamadryas, who can have offspring and when is decided by two factors. First, the season: primates breed during periods of rain and food abundance. This way the kids will have a chance to survive in already difficult conditions. Secondly, reproductive activity is controlled by the head of the harem. It is he who decides who becomes the parent. One hundred percent only he will be the father, but his favorites will be the mothers.



The baby that is born will become the center of attention of the entire harem. He will be looked after not only by his mother, but also by other females. Even young males from the bottom of the hierarchy play with the babies and give them rides. Alas, when the kids grow up, they will be crushed with all speed by the harsh reality in which they need to fight for dinner, family and a place in the sun!