CAMEL

Arabian camel (Camelus dromedarius) Bactrian camel (Camelus bactrianus) (genus Camelus), either of two large ruminating mammals (family Camelidae, order Artiodactyla) used as draft and saddle animals in desert regions, especially of Africa and Asia. The Arabian camel, or dromedary (C. dromedarius; see photograph), has only one hump, but the Bactrian camel (C. bactrianus; see photograph) has two. The limbs are long, and the feet have no traces of the second and fifth toes; the wide-spreading soft feet are adapted for walking upon sand or snow. Horny pads on the chest and knees support the weight when kneeling. The animals run with a characteristic pacing gait, the legs on each side moving in unison. In adaptation to wind-blown deserts and other unfavourable environments, camels have double rows of protective eyelashes, haired ear openings, the ability to close the nostrils, and keen senses of sight and smell. Camels are docile when properly trained and handled but, especially in the rutting season, are liable to fits of rage. They spit when annoyed and can bite and kick dangerously. Camels originated in North America about 40,000,000 years ago and by 1,000,000 years ago had spread to South America and Asia. They later vanished natively from their continent of origin and survive in South America only in camelid relatives (guanaco, vicua, llama, and alpaca). Of the two surviving species of true camels, the Bactrian occurs throughout the highlands of Central Asia from Turkistan to Mongolia, where it has traditionally been an important beast of burden. Although it travels at a slower rate (3 or 5 km per hour) than the Arabian camel, the Bactrian could maintain this pace for a longer time in caravan, usually averaging 50 km (30 miles) per day while carrying a heavy load. The height of the Bactrian is about 2 m (7 feet) at the top of the humps. The Arabian camel, characteristic of North Africa, the Middle East, and India, is likewise primarily important as a beast of burden, though like the other species it also provides wool, milk, hides, and meat. It is longer-legged, lighter-built, and shorter-coated than the Bactrian camel. The Arabian camel stands about 2 m tall at the shoulder and, when being used for riding, can maintain a speed of 13 to 16 km (8 to 10 miles) per hour for 18 hours. The Arabian camel has been imported into many parts of the world. Notably they were introduced into Australia in the mid-19th century, principally as draft animals; about 25,000 survive wild in the outback. Camels can flourish on the coarsest of sparse vegetation and feed on thorny plants, the leaves and twigs of shrubs, and dried grasses that other animals would refuse, though camels are not averse to better food if available. When the feeding is good, they accumulate in their humps stores of fat, which, when conditions are adverse, they are able to draw upon not only for sustenance but also for the manufacture of water by the oxidation of the fat. They thus are able to fast and go without drinking for several days; they have been known to go without water for 17 days and survive. They lose their body water slowly and can lose up to 25 percent of their weight by dehydration without ill effects. They can then regain their lost weight in a few minutes by drinking as much as 25 gallons (100 litres) of water. In the winter, camels (especially the Bactrian species) grow thick shaggy coats, which they shed in the spring so that they are almost naked until the new coat starts growing. The female produces one young at a birth after a gestation of 1214 months and suckles it for a year; maturity is reached at the age of 10 to 12 years, and the life span is 30 to 40 years. Breeding has been so specialized that the riding camel forms a type quite distinct from the baggage camel. (See also camel hair.)