Reproductive parameters and paracallosal skin color changes in captive female Guinea baboons,Papio papio

Reproductive data are presented for female Papio papio housed in the Zoological Park of Paris and are compared with previously published data from free‐ranging populations of other baboon species. The results indicate similar intermenstrual intervals and durations of sexual swelling. Sexual swelling and pregnancy are accelerated in captivity, while postpartum amenorrhea and interbirth interval are reduced. Interbirth intervals in P. Papio were short, approximately 13 months in the case of viable, surviving infants and approximately 11 months in the case of stillbirth or neonatal mortality. The shorter interval may represent the lower physiological limit, and the generally shorter interbirth interval reported here may be explained by lower stress and reduced maternal investment costs in the captive environment. Paracallosal skin color variations during the menstrual cycle were influenced by parity, but sexual swelling patterns were not. The paracallosal skin changes might be used by males as a cue to females' reproductive status. Am. J. Primatol. 47:67–74, 1999. © 1999 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.