than high rocks or cliffs for sleeping. The more dominant males sleep on the heavier, thicker branches near the trunk of the tree and lower ranking members and juveniles sleep on the smaller and weaker branches further from the trunk. During daylight hours, they spend the majority of their time foraging on the ground, running along in quadrupedal patterns. Communication The Guinea baboons have a host of vocal, visual, and tactile communications. Their several vocal calls each convey several different messages, and consist of predator warnings, signaling friendly intentions, submissive calls, and anger or frustration vocalizations. Many of these calls can be used in combination with either each other or with some other form of visual or tactile communication. Visual communications serve many of the same purposes as the vocal calls, and are often accompanied by some sort of vocal call. Lower ranking animals appease more dominant ones with an "Ack ack" vocalization and "Wahoo" alarm calls are uttered if a threat presents itself. Tactile communication is usually tied to visual communication and can range from mouth-to-mouth touching to biting or slapping. Male Guinea baboons are unlike other baboons species, as they form intimate friendships with other males, fondling each others genitals as a gesture of greeting, as well as mounting each other and huddling together. Reproduction Female Guinea baboons exhibit sexual swelling that begins about 10 to 12 days before it peaks and remains consistent for about eight days afterwards. Females then participate in the social behavior of presenting, which is when she signals to the males in the group she is ready for copulation. The mean gestation period is about six months and nursing continues until about six to eight months. Females rebuff a male's advances by shrieking at him and often climbing up a tree. References External links Animal Bytes Female Copulation Cells in Guinea Baboons: Evidence for Postcopulatory Female Choice? Sleep, Sleeping Sites, and Sleeping Related Activities: Awakening to Their Significance Guinea baboon Mammals of West Africa Guinea baboon Taxa named by Anselme Gaëtan Desmarest