• Characteristics of the camel
• Habits of the camel
• Curiosities about the camel

Characteristics of the camel

The camel ( Camelus bactrianus ) is a mammal of the Calelidae family which, in the wild, inhabits the arid and desert areas of Central Asia and is one of the largest species of the order of the Artiodactyls .

It is an animal that can weigh about 500 kilograms, reaching a length of up to 4 meters and a hump height that exceeds two meters.

Unlike the dromedary , with which it is often confused, the camel has two humps instead of one. The humps do not represent a reserve of water, but of fat that acts as a supply for the periods in which the animal struggles to find food. Fat, from which they get the energy they need
when food is scarce.

The camel’s body is covered with a thick beige fur , it sheds in summer and regains in winter, to better adapt to ambient temperatures ranging from -20 ° C to 50-60 ° C. Camel fur is particularly insulating, so much so that by brushing its coat a soft and warm wool is obtained , with better performance than sheep’s wool and much more valuable and expensive.

The wild camel , as well as for its wool, is exploited as a transport animal and to obtain meat, fat and milk. This is also why it is included in the list of species whose survival is threatened .

Habits of the camel

As for eating habits , camels feed mainly on vegetables: fruits, nuts , seeds, cereals and tubers, but also leaves, roots, tree bark and thorny plants such as cacti. If the resources in the area are insufficient, the camel also adapts itself to consume meat, bones, skins: thanks to its large and robust teeth, the camel is in fact able to chew anything. 

Thanks to its hump, the camel can still survive without eating for several days , as it is capable of storing between 30 and 40 kilograms of fat. The animal then manages to survive even in situations of water shortage, reducing perspiration and producing concentrated urine. Then, when he finds a source of water, even salty, he can stock up on more than 100 liters in just ten minutes.

Regarding social habits , the camel lives in herds of 20 or 30 specimens led by a dominant male and constantly moving in search of food. Regarding reproduction, the mating period takes place in autumn . In general, camels reach sexual maturity at 4-5 years and females, after a gestation of 13 months , give birth to only one cub.

Curiosities about the camel

The camel moves very slowly , covering only 4 kilometers in an hour. Despite this, it manages to cover considerable distances – up to 50 kilometers in a day – without ever stopping.

To live in a hostile environment such as the desert, the camel has adopted several adaptive strategies . In addition to losing its fur in the summer to withstand high temperatures, the camel is equipped with hooves that allow it to adhere to the ground, even on slopes, without sinking into the sand, despite its large size and considerable weight.

In addition, to defend itself from the sandstorms that occur in desert regions, it has developed thick hair at the level of the ears, thick eyebrows, a double line of eyelashes and above all the ability to hermetically close both the mouth and the nostrils.

Camels, endowed with great strength and endurance, are able to carry loads of about 450 kilograms which is why, unfortunately, these animals have been bred for centuries for transport: in addition to the wild species, in fact, in various areas of the world it is widespread the domestic camel , slightly smaller than the wild species.