Baboons grooming

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Baboons grooming
Photo Information
Copyright: Annick Vanderschelden (vanderschelden) Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2569 W: 71 N: 6217] (24753)
Genre: Animals
Medium: Color
Date Taken: 2007-10-20
Categories: Mammals
Camera: Canon EOS 1D Mark III, Canon 400mm 2.8 IS
Photo Version: Original Version
Travelogue: Kruger National Park
Theme(s): Annick Vanderschelden's Chacma Baboons, annick vanderschelden's monkeys [view contributor(s)]
Date Submitted: 2008-04-12 13:27
Viewed: 596
Points: 40
[Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note
More info about the Baboon species in Kruger, you can find in my Kruger National Park travelogue.


From wikipedia

All animals regularly clean themselves to keep their fur, feathers, scales, or other skin coverings in good condition. This activity is known as personal grooming, preening, or auto-grooming and is a form of hygiene. Foreign objects such as insects, ectoparasites, dead skin, and leaves, dirt and twigs, are some of the items typically removed.

Many social animals groom each other, an activity known as social grooming, mutual grooming, or allo-grooming. Items removed during social grooming are identical to those removed by personal grooming. Social grooming also takes the form of stroking, scratching, and massaging.

Primates provide perhaps the best example of this activity. Primatologists have called grooming the social cement of the primate world. The trust and bonding it builds is critical to group cooperation. Among primates, social grooming pays an important role in establishing and maintaining alliances and dominance hierarchies, for building coalitions, for reconciliation after conflicts, and is a resource that is exchanged for other resources like food and sex (Aureli, van Schaik, & van Hooff, 1989; Lawick-Goodall, 1968; de Waal, 1989; Smuts et al., 1987). Primates groom socially in moments of boredom as well, and the act has been shown to reduce tension and stress (Schino, Scucchi, Maestripieri, & Turillazzi, 1988). Grooming stimulates the release of beta-endorphin which is one physiological reason for why grooming appears to be relaxing (Keverne, Martensz, & Tuite, 1989). Primates have been known to fall asleep while receiving grooming.

Results of a research shows that male Crab-eating Macaques will groom females in order to get sex. The study found that a female has a greater likelihood to engage in sexual activity with a male if he had recently groomed her, compared to males who had not groomed her.

Thank you for the critiques.
Jamesp, stevkds, JYB, Necipp, jusninasirun, Gert-Paassen, boreocypriensis, marhowie, pekkavalo1, aido, izler has marked this note useful
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Critiques [Translate]

  • Great 
  • Jamesp Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 1223 W: 0 N: 4449] (13290)
  • [2008-04-12 13:47]

Hi Annick

Wonderful pose with outstanding detail and colour. Well observed and captured.

James

Hi Annick,
Marvellous baboons. I really love this pic, great photo. Very well done. tfs. b rgds. Stev

  • Great 
  • nglen Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 1864 W: 2 N: 4738] (18250)
  • [2008-04-12 13:50]

Hi Annick. Sharp focusing and fine detail in the picture of the Babons. with natural looking colours. well done TFs.
Nick..

Hi Annick
Cool shot with good quality.
TFS
Ralf

  • Great 
  • JYB Silver Note Writer [C: 1 W: 0 N: 57] (738)
  • [2008-04-12 14:26]

Hi Annick,
Very natural pose, good blurry background and lots of details for your subjects. Great. JYB

Hello Annick
Superbly sharp details and a fantastic viewpoint and pose..Its a top quality capture.
Paul

Hello Annick. Pleasant image in excellent sharpness of the subject. You did well with the framing and well captured for us here in TN. Well done and have a wonderful weekend. Best regards. Jusni

  • Great 
  • arfer Gold Star Critiquer [C: 2726 W: 0 N: 0] (0)
  • [2008-04-12 21:32]

Hello Annick

A lovely portrait of these two.
The focus is razor sharp with lovely detail.
The fur texture is excellent.
Wonderful eye detail and contact.
The interaction is endearing.
TFS

Rob

Hallo Annick wat een mooi tafereel laat je hier weer zien. Eigelijk zijn al je foto's prachtig.

groet Gert

Hi my dear friend Annick,
Splendid shot of these beautiful baboons with excellent details!
TFS.
Greetings from Cyprus,

Bayram

Very nice Annick!
Outstanding image. Always a very big plus when you can show interaction this remarkable..
The expressions, and direct eye contact of the youngster take it over the top :)
Howard

amazing family pic, TFS Ori

Hi Annick, excellent as always. Perfect details and I like the close composition of this "touching" scene ;) Very interesting work..

Hi Annick,

Very nice capture of family life. Nice composition, sharp details and natural colours.

TFS

Pekka

  • Great 
  • aido Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1103 W: 173 N: 1227] (4038)
  • [2008-04-13 8:20]

Hello Annick,
They look as if they grudgingly agreed to having their picture taken :-) Great detail and good focus on the eyes. No idea what aperture you used but DOF is on the mark. You have some fantastic images from Africa (and a lot too), I had a quick look through them and will return at another time to continue. However I just wanted to say I agree completely with your comments made in the note for your recent Bee Eater image. I really don't like using the word 'shot' when referring to wildlife photography, and agree that a camera is about life, not death. Unfortunately due to human nature the word 'shot', when used in the same sentence as wildlife, is usually about death.
Kind Regards,
Adrian

  • Great 
  • izler Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1216 W: 78 N: 843] (6904)
  • [2008-04-13 9:19]

hello Annick
its funny and sunny day for them and they are well composed
i like composition, colours, sharpness and details
TFS
regards
izler

  • Great 
  • Mana Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1687 W: 20 N: 4738] (15476)
  • [2008-04-13 9:35]

Hi Annick,
Wonderful shot of this mother and child and a great documentary image. Awesome details on their fur and fabulous expressions from both. Excellent DOF, POV and composition. Kudos.
TFS.
Sumon

  • Great 
  • wuta Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 879 W: 2 N: 605] (2032)
  • [2008-04-13 10:31]

Hallo Annick, Lovely shot from this koppel , great sharpnes details colours pov dof good job ,thanks , Greetings Teunie .

  • Great 
  • manyee Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 3082 W: 231 N: 5811] (19540)
  • [2008-04-13 12:22]

Hi Annick,
It amazes me how varied the shapes of the heads of primates can be.
A great tender moment captured here with excellent sharpness and exposure.
The interaction between the two and the eye contact make this image very special.
TFS. : )

  • Great 
  • Necipp Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1150 W: 15 N: 2074] (12392)
  • [2008-04-13 13:20]

Excellent quality Annick a fine composition with great subjects with lovely expressions. TFS rgds Necip

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