Time Budgets and Consortships in Olive Baboons (Papio anubis)

Abstract

The influence of season, rank, consortship and gender on the daily time budgets of adult free-ranging olive baboons (P. anubis) are described. Neither season nor rank have much influence on time budgets. Females in consort reduce the time spent feeding while males in consort do not decrease feeding time, but spend more time feeding while moving. Males are not more vigilant in consort. Gender differences in consort time budgets are small; gender differences in nonconsort time budgets are pronounced. Females may incur a greater energetic cost in consorting than males, but the lifetime energetic expenditure in mating effort may be equivalent.