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Camels are extremely resilient creatures, well adapted to life in the desert. Camels can tolerate both extreme heat and cold and go several weeks without drinking a drop of water. They eat whatever's available, including plants with thorns or the bones and skins of dead animals. And they have a translucent eyelid to protect their eyes and help them see in sandstorms.
Do camels have one hump or two? The answer is both! One-humped camels are often called dromedaries, and two-humped camels are Bactrian camels.
Camels live in North Africa, the Middle East and Central Asia. They also live in Australia, where they were imported for labor in the 19th century and then abandoned. Because camels live in deserts, where there is barely any food, they have adapted to eat branches and plants with thorns without hurting their snouts or stomachs. They can also feed on the bones and skins of dead animals.
Camels are one of the animals that can resist extreme temperatures the best. That's because they can withstand temps from 122 to -22 degrees Fahrenheit (50 to -30 degrees Celsius). Their fur is similar to that of llamas or alpacas. It is shorter in summer to protect them from the sun, and denser and longer in winter to cover them like a blanket, like sheep's wool.
On the other hand, camels sweat very little. Humans start to sweat when the outside temperature rises higher than their body temperature, which is about 98 F (37 C). But camels have a unique thermostat. They have body temperatures that can span a wider range, rising an additional 10.8 F (6 C) before they start to sweat. This prevents water loss and dehydration.
It's a myth that camels store water in their humps. The humps are actually made of fat. Thus, the humps reserve energy, not water. In fact, when camels don't eat for a long time, their bodies consume this fat, and the humps become empty and slump to the side. Then, once they feed again, the camels regain their weight and their hump become upright.
Also, the camel's humps play a key role in regulating body temperature. By storing fat in their humps, camels isolate the heat there, allowing the rest of their body to stay cooler during hot days. At night, camels gradually release stored heat throughout their bodies, preventing their temperature from dropping too much when it gets cooler.
The amount of time camels can live without water depends on several factors. Among other things, it depends on the season of the year, the temperature and the physical activity they're partaking in. For example, in winter they can survive for 50 days without a drop of water.
If camels drink water frequently, then they consume it little by little. However, when they have gone a long time without tasting a drop, they can drink 35 gallons (135 liters) in just 13 minutes. They are real sponges. This ability to drink huge amounts of water and go days without ingesting liquids makes the camel perfect for desert life.
Some scientists think camels store water in their stomachs (with three distinct chambers), in their intestines, bladders and kidneys. Others think they store it in their bloodstream. But there's no evidence, though, that camels can store water for long periods of time anywhere in their bodies.
In the desert there is little water, but what there is - in great quantity - is sand. Camels have thick, long eyelashes for protection from sand. But it turns out that camels also have three eyelids. The third eyelid is a transparent membrane that allows them to see during sandstorms.
Likewise, camels can partly or completely close their nostrils to prevent sand from entering their airways.
Another interesting fact about their anatomy is that camels have hairless and dry areas on their knees, elbows and chest. These areas are similar to thick calluses. These appear when the animal reaches the age of five months. These leather patches help support the animal's weight when kneeling, resting and standing up.
And, did you know? Even though most camels have never seen large bodies of water, they know how to swim. Camels can even swim in the open sea to look for food or mates in other areas.
Normally, female camels have a single calf every two years. In addition, gestation lasts about 15 months, which means they have a low birth rate. When the calf is born, it follows its mother from a few hours after birth and accompanies her until three to five years of age. These mothers do a lot of caring for their babies.
And, did you know that camel milk is one of the most similar milks to human breast milk? In addition, it has a vitamin C content three times richer than cow's milk. And it's ideal for those who are lactose intolerant and diabetic.
Of course baby camels grow so big and strong! The life expectancy of the camel is around 40 to 50 years.
There are only three types of camels. The two-humped camel, the one-humped dromedary, and the wild camel, which has two humps and is critically endangered.
The dromedary, with a height between 6 and 8 feet (190 and 240 cm), is taller than the camel, which is between 5 and 6 feet (160 and 180 cm). The dromedary's legs are longer. Curiously, camels are usually heavier than dromedaries. Dromedaries weigh between 880 and 1,520 pounds (400 and 690 kg), while camels weigh between 660 and 2,200 pounds (300 and 1,000 kg).
Furthermore, the dromedary has short, even fur, while the camel grows a thick, long coat of hair every winter. Camels cannot walk as far as dromedaries do with their long legs, but they do tolerate the cold much better thanks to their long hair.
There are many more dromedaries than camels, since there are about 16 million dromedaries and only 2 million camels. Dromedaries also inhabit the steppes, semi-deserts and deserts of the Canary Islands in Spain, and Australia in Oceania.
As for the wild camel ... It is critically endangered, with only about 600 left in the Gobi Desert of northwest China and 450 in the Mongolian Desert.
A problem for camels is that they are incredibly docile. Thus, they have been domesticated and used to work the land in agriculture, to transport heavy loads through the desert, for meat consumption and the manufacture of skins, for racing and as a tourist attraction.
Camels can't jump, but they can run. For this reason, people use them in racing. They move at an average speed of 6 miles per hour (10 kph) when taking tourists through the desert, but they can run at 40 miles per hour (65 kph) in short races.
Camels are normally used as pack animals, because they're capable of lifting up to 50% of their body weight. Likewise, people use their fur, milk and meat. And that's why there are few wild camels left.
Additionally, camels and dromedaries can interbreed. And if you think that by mixing an animal with two humps with one with one hump, an animal with three humps is born ... well no! Hybrids usually have a single hump, but a very large one. But sometimes they're born with two humps.
Hybrids are often much larger and more productive than their purebred parents. Unfortunately, that once again means the animals are put to use by humans. People breed camels to obtain larger animals for competitions, or more resistant and more productive camels.
In fact, humans have even produced camas, that is, a hybrid between a dromedary and a llama, born by artificial insemination.
Bottom line: Camels are incredible animals that can live without water for weeks. But they also have many other unique adaptations for desert life.
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