Have you ever ridden on the back of a camel?It seems weird that they have such a bumpy back but what may be the reason for that? Why do they carry so much weight on their back?Also, how can a camel survive the hot and dry climate in the desert without much food and water? Why do humans ride on them? There are a lot of such questions arising in your mind. We are here to give answers to all of these questions. Camels are born with certain adaptations that allow them to survive temperature variations in their desert habitat, such as having two rows of eyelashes, a thick fur coat, thick lips, and the ability to use stored fat as a source of energy. Whether it be Bactrian camel facts, dromedary camel facts, desert camel facts, Arabian camel facts, or baby camel facts, they are all truly fascinating.After you have read these camel interesting facts, do check out the most popular animals and prey animals for some more fun facts.What does the word ‘camel’ mean?Camel is a word used to refer to cud-chewing mammals in the desert. Camels are used to carry burdens or for riding in hot deserts of Asia and Africa. Camels belong to the family Camelidae in the Camelus genus. They are also called Camel camelus. They are brown in color. These animals have distinctive fat deposits on their back known as humps. Commonly these animals are referred to as camels, but their actual name is camelid.The earliest known camels which originated in North America are called the Protylopus. They were about the size of a rabbit. Slowly and gradually they evolved and their size increased over many millions of years. Now they are fully grown and live in hot and dry regions.Camels were generally used by humans to travel along silk routes because of their ability to meet low water requirements. Also, their hump made it very convenient for humans to hold them on their backs.Why do camels have a hump?You must recognize a camel by a big lump on its back. But why do they have that large part of fat on their back? Why can’t they just have a straight back? Every creature on this planet has some unique features to survive in adverse environments, and so do camels. Everyone believes that humps of camels store water in them to help them survive in hot deserts. But this is not true. These humps do not store water. They essentially store fat and are used as an energy source.Camels are currently known to live in a hot environment, but they originated in the cold environment of North America. These humps help camels regulate their body temperature in harsh environments. Isn’t it amazing to know such camel habitat facts? The camel’s hump is also used as energy storage. Camels store their energy in their humps when food sources become scarce. Do you know that a camel’s health is determined by its hump? The bigger the hump, the healthier the camel. This is because if the camel is properly getting food then it will not use the energy from its hump which in turn does not lead to a shorter or smaller hump.How much water do camels need?Camels are mainly known for their ability to cover long distances in the hot desert with a minimal requirement of water. But this does not mean that they do not need a good quantity of water or they do not require a good diet. When a camel (Camelus dromedarius) is thirsty, it can drink 30 gallons (136 liters) of water in just a few minutes. Some camels can even drink 53 gallons (241 liters) when they are thirsty.Camels can go for several days without drinking water. But once they come across a source of water, they drink as much as they can. Camels drink water to replenish the moisture which they have lost in the scorching heat of the desert. They prefer drinking fresh water, but can also drink salty and brackish water if fresh water isn’t available.How far can a camel travel in a day?Camels can travel very long distances even with the scarcity of food and water in the scorching heat of the desert. Although camels do not walk as fast as horses, they can pass through the desert with a low requirement of food and water, which gives them the title of ‘ships of the desert’.Camels were used by Arabians to cross sandy hot deserts with a lot of goods on their backs. They generally moved with a group or herd of camels, which is commonly known as a camel train or caravan. A camel train or herd of camels can cover 30 mi (48 km) a day without any food or water requirement. Sometimes they can also cover 40 mi (64 km) a day. The distance covered by camels depends on various factors like weather conditions, road structures, and the distance between water sources.How many species of camel are there?You probably differentiate between camel species as one-humped and two-humped. Well, this is the easiest way to differentiate them. There are not many species of camels that are still in existence.There are mainly three types of camels: the Bactrian camel, the dromedary camel, and the wild Bactrian camel. Every type has its own specific and distinctive feature which makes them unique in their family. For example, a Bactrian camel (scientifically named Camelus bactrianus), which is also known as the Mongolian camel, has two humps on its back while the dromedary camel (scientifically named Camelus dromedarius), commonly known as the Arabian camel, has only one hump but is the tallest species of camels. The reason why some wild Bactrian camels and dromedary camels have one hump and some have two humps is not quite known. However, this is probably because of the extra fat content. Isn’t this one of the coolest two-humped camel facts!?Other than these three main and traditional species of camelids, there are four types of camels which are considered New World Camelids. These are the llama, the alpaca, the guanaco, and the vicuna. Yes, they are all variations of wild Bactrian camels and dromedary camels. Additionally, Bactrian camels are critically endangered in the wild and need conservation efforts to protect their population in the world.What adaptations help camels live in the desert?Though wild Bactrian camels have originated in cold regions, they have adapted themselves to live in hot climates of deserts of Asia and Africa. Camels have accepted hot regions and modified their bodies accordingly.Camels have oval-shaped blood cells. This shape helps blood cells flow all over the body even if there is a scarcity of water and the body of the camel is getting dehydrated. Also, wild Bactrian camels and dromedary camels have very long intestines to absorb water from food in a highly efficient way. They can go without water for very long periods. The camel’s hump also helps it in cases of scarcity of food and acts as an energy source.Wild Bactrian camels have long eyelashes and thin nostrils which can be closed to protect them from blowing sand in the desert. Imagine if your nostrils could also do that. Moreover, they have thick padded feet which help them to walk gracefully on hot sand and rocks of central Asia and the Middle East. Camels’ long and muscular legs help them walk in deserts filled with hot sand.Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly facts for everyone to enjoy! If you liked our suggestions for camel facts then take a look at burro vs donkey, or Bactrian came
Have you ever ridden on the back of a camel?
