page_title: Gelada
section_title: Reproduction and parenting
hierarchical_section_title: Gelada / Behavior / Reproduction and parenting
caption_attribution_description: English: Ethiopia - Park of the Simian's moutains - Baboon waking up Français&#160;: Ethiopie - Parc du Simien - Babouin Gelada se réveillant
context_page_description: The gelada, sometimes called the bleeding-heart monkey or the gelada "baboon", is a species of Old World monkey found only in the Ethiopian Highlands, with large populations in the Semien Mountains. Geladas are actually not baboons but the only living members of the genus Theropithecus. Theropithecus is derived from the Greek root words for "beast-ape". Like its close relatives the baboons, it is largely terrestrial, spending much of its time foraging in grasslands.
context_section_description: When in estrus, the female points her posterior towards a male and raises it, moving her tail to one side. The male then approaches the female and inspects her chest and genital areas. A female will copulate up to five times per day, usually around midday. Breeding and reproduction can occur at any time of the year, although some areas have birth peaks.
  Most births occur at night. Newborn infants have red faces and closed eyes, and they are covered in black hair. On average, newborn infants weigh 464 g (16.4 oz). 
  If a new male assumes mastery of a harem, females impregnated by the previous leader have an 80% likelihood of aborting. This phenomenon is known as the Bruce effect. Females come into estrus quickly after giving birth, so males have little incentive for practising infanticide, although it does occur in some communities in the Arsi region of Ethiopia, which may be an incentive for females to abort and avoid investing caring for an infant that will most likely be killed.
  However, infanticide in geladas remains fairly uncommon compared to many primates who live in one-male units such as gorillas or gray langurs. It has been proposed the females who cancel their pregnancy can bond with the new leader faster. When a male loses his position as dominant harem-master, the females and new leader may allow him to remain in the social unit as a non-breeding resident who acts as a babysitter. This way the ex-leader can protect any infants he had fathered from being killed by the new leader, the females can protect the infants they had fathered from him, and when the new leader faces a potential rival, the ex-leader will be more inclined to help support him in keeping rivals at bay.
  Mortality among infants occurs at its highest in the wet season, but on average over 85% of infants survive to their fourth birthday, one of the great advantages of living in an environment with a food source few other animals can exploit and therefore unable to sustain many large predators. 
  Females that have just given birth stay on the periphery of the reproductive unit. Other adult females may take an interest in the infants and even kidnap them. An infant is carried on its mother's belly for the first five weeks, and thereafter on her back. Infants can move independently at around five months old. A subordinate male in a reproductive unit may help care for an infant when it is six months old. 
  When herds form, juveniles and infants may gather into play groups of around ten individuals. When males reach puberty, they gather into unstable groups independent of the reproductive units. Females sexually mature at around three years, but do not give birth for another year. Males reach puberty at about four or five years, but they are usually unable to reproduce because of social constraints and wait until they are about eight to ten years old. Average life span in the wild is 15 years.
caption: Gelada displaying its teeth and gums with its lip flipped back
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