[ad_1]
camels! Can’t you just watch them travel across the desert sands with their humps silhouetted against the glorious sunset? They always seem to know where they are going and what they are getting into. But even in this day and age when all information is at our fingertips, their ever-present “smiles” seem to be hiding secrets we can’t quite put our fingers on. Perhaps the biggest question there is about these beautiful creatures is, “Why do camels have humps?”
So, why do camels have bumps?
The story has been widely told that camels store water in their humps. Newsflash of the day: They don’t. The truth is that their humps contain stored fats to use as backup during food shortages and for their long journeys.
‘That’s right, fat. Each hump can hold up to 36 kilograms of it, which can keep the camel for weeks or even months without food.” – Business Insider
That would be a whopping 80 lbs(!) of fat. If those reserves are used, bumps begin to change physically, deflate and hang across the camel’s spine.
Camel fat is a superfood is superfood. One tablespoon has three times as much oleic acid as coconut oil. No wonder they can go several months without food.
In short, camels have humps because they possess incredible nutritious fat reserves that allow them to go without food for long periods as they roam deserts.
How can camels go without water for so long?
The story is true that camels can go without water for at least a week. It goes like this:
Camels have extremely elastic blood cells and capillaries that run throughout their bodies, including the hump, that hold greater amounts of water when they drink.
They eat the liquid gold when they find it and expand their cells to 240%, until their stomachs stick out. They can drink up to 30 liters of water in ten minutes.
Simply put, they get their water from their own blood. The wild Bactrian camel of China can even survive on salt water!
Eating green vegetation can also provide adequate moisture to help them maintain hydration. In addition, when they exhale, water vapor is trapped in their nostrils and reabsorbed into the body to conserve water. These desert dwellers are fascinating.
Camel Facts: The 3 Types of Camels
There are three extant types of camels:
- Dromedary (Arabic): a-hump
- Bactarian: two-humps
- Wild Bactarian: two-humps
Statistics of the dromedary camel (one hump):
Domesticated: Yes
Habitat: Semi-arid and arid. north Africa and the Middle East, the Sahara Desert
Unique Features: Horny pads on the chest and knees for protection against the heat of the sand, narrow chest and long hairs on the hump, shoulders and throat
Weight: 600-1,300 pounds.
Population: 94% of the camel population
Coat color: Brown, black, even white
Bactrian camel stats (two humps):
Domesticated: Yes
Habitat: Flat, arid deserts, sand dunes, rocky mountains and stony
plains. Central Asian steppes
Weight: 600-2200 lbs.
Population: 6% of the camel population
Coat colour: Varies from sandy beige to dark brown
Unique characteristics: darker, firmer and woolier than the Wild Bactrian
Wild Bactrian camel stats (two humps):
Domesticated: No
Habitat: Parts of northwestern China, southwestern Mongolia, and Australia (remote and wild areas of the Taklamakan and Gobi deserts). Arid plains and hills
Diet: Mostly shrubs
Population: critically endangered
Unique Features: Thinner legs, smaller bumps, narrow feet and less hair than the Bactrian
The wild Bactrian camel is on the critically endangered IUCN Red List due to hunters setting land mines at saltwater springs, poaching, wolf attacks, hybridization with domesticated Bactrian camels and lack of access to water sources in oases due to human intervention.
Camels: the ultimate desert animal
Camels are a beast of burden (an animal used to carry heavy loads or perform other heavy work, such as pulling a plow). People living in the desert depend on them for:
- trip
- Meat
- Milk
- Work
- Manure used for fuel
- And textiles such as felt made from camel hair
To protect them from desert sandstorms, camels have two rows of eyelashes and nostrils that are lockable and can close completely. A thin, clear membrane that covers each eye also serves as protection.
Their feet are tough and wide allowing them to navigate the desert floor. They can use those feet to walk 20 mile
s
a day, sometimes carrying heavy loads weighing hundreds of pounds on their backs.
Camels are active during the day (daily) and spend their time mainly feeding when food is available. Their upper lips are split and move independently, making it easy to eat short grass. With the tough leathery texture of their tongues, they eat dry, bitter, thorny and salty plants.
They are mostly herbivores with one caveat: when food is scarce, they sometimes feed on carcasses and even fish is on the menu. Hey, if you get hungry…
The human side of camels
Camels are very social animals and in herds will sometimes blow each other in the face as a friendly gesture.
There are about 20 camels in each herd led by a dominant male. When mating season arrives, male dromedary camels signal this by foaming at the mouth and letting their bulging soft palates hang completely out of their mouths for the females to notice. (I dare not say a word about possible similarities with humans.)
This behavior has been confirmed by scientists and is sufficient visually captured.
Female camels usually carry only one calf and although it is extremely rare, twins are sometimes born. A mother and her offspring have been known to actually hum to each other.
Although they are usually docile, easygoing and calm, these animals get agitated just like the rest of us and can bite or kick if they do. They are also quite known for their ability to spit when they feel threatened. They lift their chins, lower their ears and let him fly.
One last note: can you believe that…
… Camels can live in temperatures from minus 20 degrees Fahrenheit to 120 degrees Fahrenheit.
And there you have it – Now you know about camels’ tongues, what makes them hum and why they have humps. Don’t you feel better?
[ad_2]
Source link