What About Camels

Camels can easily be identified by the unique one or two humps on their back and their long necks. Range Dry desert areas of southwestern Asia, the Sahara Desert in North Africa and along the Arabian Peninsula in the Middle East and Indian desert areas. There is a large feral population of dromedary camels in the Australian outback. Physical Characteristics Long eyelashes Large dark eyes Protruding eye ridge bone and thick eyebrows Third eye lid to protect eyes from sand Short rounded ears, lined with thick fur Long curved neck Deep, narrow chest Four long legs Wide feet with two toes and hoof on the front One or two humps on back approx. 30" high Hump is about 30 inches tall Light brown or beige fur Tail around 20" long Height: 6' at shoulder , 7' at hump Weight: 500 to 1500 lbs Body length: approx. 10' When running, a camel can reach a speed up to 40 mph in short bursts, 25 mph for longer periods of time. Camels do not have hooves. The foot of a camel is made up of a large leathery pad, with two toes at the front, the bones of which are embedded in the foot. The padding makes the gait of a camel silent, and keeps it from sinking in the sand. The camel also has pads of thick leathery skin, on its leg joints, enabling it to kneel or lay in the hot sand. Similar to giraffes, camels move both legs together on each side of their body to walk. Voice There are a number of different sounds that the camel can make. Grumpling, bellowing and grunting sounds are common. They also can bleat like a goat or lamb. They also make a loud roaring noise. Domestic Uses As a domestic animal, the camel is used for milk, food and transportation. Camels can carry up to 200 lbs on their back for distances in the heat. Their dung is so dry that it can be used to fuel fires. Diet and Habitat Camels are herbivores, they most commonly eat grasses and desert plants, although there are stories of camels consuming tents and just about anything else around. The inside of their mouth is lined with very thick skin that allows them to chew up thorny plants that other animals cannot consume. They can reach trees and limbs that are up to 11' high. The stiff hair on their nose allows them to forage in prickly or thorny plants. The diet of a camel requires salt, so the salty plants that grown in salt lakes and other areas are part of their normal diet. Camels are ruminant feeders and do not chew when they eat their food, but later regurgitate the cud and finish digesting it later. Behavior and Life Cycle An adult camel reaches sexual maturity around the age of 2 to 3 years. They do not normally give birth prior to the age of 5 years. Once a cow starts breeding she will give birth to a calf about once every 2 to 3 years. The breeding is seasonal and occurs when daylight hours increase. The female cycle is about 27 days in length. Once pregnant, the duration of the pregnancy is about 12 to 12.5 months. Normally a single calf is born, but on rare occasion twins have been conceived. The calves are born with their eyes open and with a thick coat of fur. Their humps don’t develop until their diet changes from milk to solid food. The young stay with their mothers for several years, but in captivity they are normally weaned at 1 year. Camels travel in herds or caravans containing mostly females and calves with one dominant male. The other bulls (males) will travel in bachelor herds. They will leave the herd to rut for about 2 to 4 months, breeding or dominating as many females as they can in their area. When resting, the camels in the herd will congregate closely to keep their temperatures lower. The males (bulls) tend to become more aggressive during mating season. They will snap at each other and neck wrestle. When agitated a camel will spit regurgitated food at the agitator. The average life span of a camel is 40 to 50 years. Predators