Baboon mating behavior varies greatly depending on the social structure of the troop. In the mixed groups of savanna baboons, each male can mate with any female. The mating order among the males depends partially on their social ranking, and fights between males are not unusual.
There are however more subtle possibilities; in mixed groups males sometimes try to win the friendship of females. To garner this friendship, they may help groom the female, help care for her young, or supply them with food. The probability is high that those young are their offspring. Some females clearly prefer such friendly males as mates. However, males will also take infants during fights in order to protect themselves from harm.
A female initiates mating by presenting her swollen rump to the male. But "presenting" can also be used as a submissive gesture and is observed in males as well. This submissive gesture has many unspoken meanings amongst the troop. The dominant males often engage in what is known as a false-mount, in which they mount the submissive males. It is a sign of dominance, and happens very commonly to younger males in the troop.
Females typically give birth every other year, usually to a single infant, after a six month gestation. The young baboon weighs approximately one kilogram and has a black epidermis when born. The females tend to be the primary caretaker of the young, although several females will share the duties for all of their offspring.
After about one year, the young animals are weaned. They reach sexual maturity in five to eight years. Baboon males leave their birth group, usually before they reach sexual maturity, whereas females are "philopatric" and stay in the same group their whole life.
