Man and woman 

The fats accumulated in the hump of camels are exposed. Why does a camel have a hump? Bactrian camels, or Bactrians

Camels are similar in constitution to ungulates, which is why they are often mistakenly considered artiodactyls. But in the structure of camels there are so many peculiar features that they are singled out in a special detachment of Corns. And it is quite reasonable, because they just don’t have hooves. Thus, the only relatives of camels are guanacos and vicuñas. Two types of camels are known in the world - two-humped (Bactrian) and one-humped (dromedar), and in the latter species only domesticated individuals are known, therefore, in wild nature he is considered extinct.

Bactrian camel, or Bactrian (Camelus bactrianus).

Camels are large animals, both species reach a height of 2.5-3.6 m, a one-humped camel weighs 300-700 kg, a two-humped camel weighs 500-800 kg. The main thing outward difference camels - humps of adipose tissue on the back. But they also have other features: their cervical arch bends down, and when walking, camels rely not on the end of the finger (hoof), but on the last few phalanges of the fingers, which form a calloused pillow. At the end of this pillow, a small claw is noticeable, which does not perform any supporting function. In total, a camel has two supporting fingers, so their foot pads are bifurcated and resemble the limbs of artiodactyls. The structure brings them closer to the latter. digestive system, camels have a complex multi-chamber stomach, allowing them to digest the most coarse food as efficiently as possible.

Soft and wide feet of the camel allow him to walk on the sand without falling through.

At the same time, camels have a mass unique features associated with special conditions of life. Since camels live in deserts, everything in their body is aimed at combating overheating and retaining moisture. The first barrier to heat and dehydration is wool. In a one-humped camel, it is short and only at the top of the hump and the top of the head is slightly longer; in a two-humped camel, summer wool middle length, and the winter one is very long (especially on the belly and underside of the neck). But regardless of the type and season, camel hair is always very thick and creates a dense impenetrable layer around the body, isolating the skin from the air.

Long wool protects camels from both heat and cold, because in deserts the difference between day and night temperatures is great, so protection against hypothermia at night (for a bactrian camel and in winter) is no less important than protection against overheating.

It is not easy to fight cold and heat at the same time, so camels have another unique adaptation - wide limits of acceptable body temperature. If all mammals have a constant body temperature and a deviation of even one degree activates the thermoregulation mechanism (sweating), then camels painlessly endure an increase in body temperature to 40 °, as well as its decrease to 35 °. Camels begin to sweat only when the body temperature rises above 40 °, which means they save valuable moisture on perspiration. In addition, a drop in body temperature at night by a couple of degrees allows camels to “stock up on coolness” for the coming day.

The next barrier to dehydration is the nostrils, they are slit-like and tightly closed in camels, a special fold in the nasal cavity plays the role of a water vapor condenser that flows into the oral cavity, so moisture does not leave the body. Under the same conditions, a camel loses 3 times less fluid than a donkey. In addition, narrow nostrils allow the camel to breathe during sandstorms when myriad grains of sand float in the air. For the same purpose, the camel has very thick and long eyelashes that protect the eyes. Along with the nostrils, the kidneys, which produce highly concentrated urine, and the intestines, which produce almost dehydrated manure, work to conserve water in the camel's body.

The camel's nostrils are narrow, and the lips are soft and forked.

When all paths for moisture loss are blocked, the problem of its accumulation arises. But for a camel, this is not a problem. These animals are able to drink a huge volume of water (130-150 liters in 10 minutes) within a short time, storing it in the stomach. Nutrients are deposited in the form of fat reserves in the humps, which, in the event of a shortage of food and water, begin to be consumed. When fat is broken down, water is formed as a by-product, but in the case of a camel, this product is just not a by-product, but the main one. And although the breakdown of fat is not the main reason for the “drought tolerance” of these animals, it undoubtedly helps the camel manage without water for a record long time. The ability of camels to do without a watering place is phenomenal: a two-humped camel calmly endures 3-5 days of "abstinence" in the heat, a single-humped camel 5 days at high temperatures. physical activity and 10 at rest. The secret of such endurance is in the properties of camel blood. Their oval erythrocytes retain water in the vascular bed much longer than the erythrocytes of other animals, and do not stick together even when the body loses 25% of the fluid! Other animals can lose only 15% of the body's water reserves without a threat to life. Indirectly, the low mobility of these animals contributes to the preservation of moisture, camels are slow and imperturbable, they lead a measured lifestyle, adhere to a constant daily routine.

The condition of a camel can be judged by the size of its humps: a well-fed animal has full humps; in starving individuals, they are not filled with fat and hang down.

Wild bactrian camels previously lived throughout the Central and East Asia, now they are preserved only in the Gobi desert (Mongolia and China). But domestic bactrian camels are still found in China, Mongolia, Pakistan, India, Kazakhstan, Iran, Turkmenistan, and also in Kalmykia. In the 19th century, these camels were actively used to transport goods in Siberia, because they were accustomed to the harsh continental climate they are not afraid of frost. The homeland of one-humped camels was North Africa and the Arabian Peninsula. They are still found in these areas, and also penetrate west to Pakistan and India, inclusive. Unlike Bactrians, dromedaries are thermophilic, they cannot stand frost at all, and they do not penetrate farther north than Turkmenistan.

Wild camels live in deserts and semi-deserts, overgrown with saltwort, thorny bushes and undersized trees (saxaul). They drive sedentary life, but within their sites make long daily transitions. The very word "camel" in translation from Old Slavonic means "wandering a lot", "walking a lot". Camels usually graze in the morning and evening, during the day they try to lie down on the slopes of the dunes, chewing their gum, but here in open spaces they sleep at night. The usual pace of movement of these animals is a step at a speed of 10 km / h. They have very sharp eyesight and they see a person for a kilometer, in case of danger, camels try to leave in advance, preventing them from approaching the enemy. If this fails, then they switch to amble and run at a speed of up to 25-30 km / h, in extreme cases, camels run at an awkward gallop, but not for long.

Camels sleep lying down, while they bend their legs and stretch their necks or fall on their side.

Camels live in family groups of 5-10 individuals; in the old days, herds of wild Bactrians numbered up to 30 animals. The male leader plays the leading role in the herd, he leads several adult females and their offspring. Mature males can live alone. A calm and unruffled atmosphere reigns in the herd, camels, as if saving energy, avoid both friendly games and conflicts with each other. The camel's voice is a hoarse roar ( listen ).

These animals feed on desert vegetation, they are extremely unpretentious and eat everything that grows on the vine - bitter and salty herbs, dry and thorny branches. The camel's lips are bifurcated and very mobile, and these animals chew little, which allows the camel to easily eat thorny plants. No wonder the desert shrubs were nicknamed "camel's thorn". Contrary to their ascetic lifestyle, camels drink a lot and willingly, using any open body of water for this. In general, the attitude of camels to water is contradictory. On the one hand, many camels (according to observations in captivity) are perfectly able to ... swim, although they have never seen deep and wide reservoirs in their lives! On the other hand, some individuals clearly do not understand what to do with such an amount of water, there are cases when domestic camels drowned while crossing the canals, trying ... to cross them along the bottom. In general, camels do not like dampness, humid climate they don't take it very well.

Unlike many desert animals, camels are not afraid of water, they drink a lot and for a long time.

The rut of camels begins in December-January (among dromedaries) or in January-February (among Bactrians). Males protect their herds from the encroachments of single bachelors. Seeing an opponent, a camel runs across him from afar, roars and in every possible way depicts his readiness to protect the females. If a rival approaches, then the owner of the harem makes a "warning shot" - the famous camel spit. Thus, spitting is a defensive demonstrative reaction. In captivity, camels can also spit on potential aggressors and strangers - annoying tourists and zoo visitors who, in the opinion of the camel, have come too close and encroached on its territory.

Especially effective is the spit with the tongue sticking out. According to the camel, this should scare the enemy even more.

If spitting does not help, then rival males converge in close combat. They clash with their chests, beat with their necks and try to drive the opponent away with force and bites. The vanquished flees.

Pregnancy of a camel lasts 365-440 days and for almost a year the female feeds the camel with milk, so females bring offspring no more than once every 2 years. A camel gives birth while standing, a newborn after a couple of hours can follow her mother. One two-humped camel gives 4-5 liters of milk per day, in single-humped females the milk yield is even higher - up to 8-10 liters of milk per day (perhaps this is due to the altered genetics of domestic dromedaries). Camel milk is thick and nutritious, and calves grow quickly, but remain attached to their mother until almost adulthood. Young camels reach puberty at the age of 3, but males can participate in reproduction not earlier than 5 years of age. Camels live for quite a long time - 40-50 years.

Two males take part in traditional camel fights held in Turkey.

In nature, camels have almost no enemies, since there are no large animals at all in the barren deserts. Nevertheless, wolves can be dangerous for the cubs of two-humped camels, in the old days Barbary lions threatened one-humped camels, and Transcaucasian tigers threatened two-humped camels (now these predators have been exterminated). Their main enemy was and remains man. The complete disappearance of one-humped camels in nature and the catastrophic decline in the number of two-humped camels will be explained by hunting and mass catch for domestication in antiquity, as well as the destruction of natural habitats in modern times. Now in the world about 1000 specimens of wild two-humped camels have been preserved, which are protected in the reserves of Mongolia and China. They are listed in the Red Book.

A female single-humped camel or dromedary (Camelus dromedarius) with a rare black camel.

The role of a camel in human life looks ambiguous. For a European, a camel is more likely to cause a smile or disdain, because this animal cannot boast of grace, beauty, or speed, and the habit of spitting negatively affects its image. Diametrically opposite attitude to camels among those peoples who breed them. Here camels are held in high esteem above all other domestic animals. By the way, they were domesticated at the same time as horses and donkeys, that is, 5000 years ago.

Camels played a key role in the development of nomadic civilizations, and not only. Without camel caravans, the journey of Marco Polo, the discovery of India and China, the acquaintance of Europeans with rice, spices, silk, paper, precious stones East. Camels were used in numerous wars in India, China, Pakistan, throughout the Arabian Peninsula and North Africa, and in this capacity they were used until the twentieth century, and in India there is still a cavalry camel regiment patrolling hard-to-reach sections of the border. Now the camel is depicted on the coat of arms of Eritrea. Few people know that the development of North America took place not only with the participation of dexterous cowboys on fast horses, but also with the help of camels that delivered goods to the southern states. When the railway took over the transport function, the camels were out of work and were thrown into the desert by their owners. There they bred beautifully, but stray animals caused dissatisfaction among farmers and were completely destroyed at the beginning of the 20th century. The fate of camels in Australia was similar. This continent was also mastered with their active participation. And here people also turned out to be ungrateful and left the animals to their fate. But in Australia, the feral camels were not destroyed, but multiplied and mastered all the interior regions of the continent. Now in this country there are 50-100 thousand feral dromedaries - a kind of compensation for the destruction of this species in their homeland. Such a number of camels is regarded as unfavorable, since they are food competitors of native species (kangaroos).

A feral humped camel crosses an abandoned railway in the Australian wilderness.

Camel breeding has its own characteristics. On the one hand, these animals are unpretentious, in Africa and Arabia they are kept on free pasture or in open pens. The same content is applied to Bactrian camels, but in winter they are often kept in closed, unheated rooms. Camels are fed any food, they eat both low-quality hay and food waste (bread, porridge, vegetables), Bactrians graze on pastures in winter. On the other hand, their grazing is fraught with some difficulties. The fact is that camels with soft paws-pillows cannot dig up the snow (tebenev), and the crust severely injures their legs, so they try to let them go to pastures after the horses. Horses break the crust with their hooves, and camels from under loose snow extract what the horses have not eaten. For the same reason, camels should not be used on bad gravel roads.

The relations of camels with people are not easy, they have a “complex” character like a cat. On the one hand, camels are not aggressive, calm and not mischievous, they are easy to manage and do not require constant supervision. But it would be a mistake to believe that camels are brainless and meek cattle, these animals have a highly developed intellect and feeling. dignity. So, a camel allows herself to be milked only by a certain person and only in the presence of a camel. A sleeping or tired camel cannot be raised to its feet until it considers that it has already rested. Therefore, it is necessary to handle a camel confidently and respectfully, avoiding cruelty. Camels do not forgive beating and unfair treatment and cease to obey a person, even if their will is broken by force, they can remember the offense. The memory of camels is very well developed, they remember events for many years and can avenge cruelty at the most unexpected moment (for example, lie down and crush the rider or bite). But camels are not vindictive, they remember good with the same strength. A camel always obeys a good owner and can hardly endure separation. There are cases when the sold animals ran away and returned to the previous owner. Interestingly, camels from completely unfamiliar places independently found their way to the house several hundred kilometers away!

humped camel under saddle. Bactrians can be used without a saddle, since a person can sit between humps, only saddled ones ride on dromedaries.

Camels were used not only as vehicles, their meat and milk were the main components of the diet of nomads. Camel milk is used for fermenting and making fermented milk drinks. The meat of young camels is tasty, while that of old animals is tough and sinewy. Camel fat is similar in quality to mutton. Leather and skins are used to make coverings for yurts and household items (harnesses, belts, ropes). AT the move is on even the droppings of these animals, because dry saturated vegetable fibers camel dung is an excellent fuel. But among all the products obtained from the camel, the most famous is wool. Long, thick and very warm, it has been and remains an indispensable material for the production of clothes, shoes, blankets. Camel wool is used in felted form (felt) and in the form of yarn (mohair). In terms of its qualities, mohair is not inferior to angora down and cashmere fabrics. Now Bactrian camels are grown mainly for this raw material. It must be said that one-humped and two-humped camels are somewhat different in biology, therefore they are used in different ways.

A single-humped camel during a competition at the Camelodrome.

One-humped camels, or dromedaries

The original inhabitants of Africa, therefore, do not endure frost, but better than the Bactrians tolerate heat and drought. Dromedaries are distinguished not only by the presence of one hump, but also long legs and general lightness of body. In this regard, they proved to be indispensable as riding animals. Since speed was required during wars and raids, the Bedouins bred frisky breeds of dromedaries. Now these riding breeds are used as sports animals. Camel racing is the national sport of Saudi Arabia and UAE. Also, one-humped camels are used as pack animals and for riding tourists. The carrying capacity of dromedaries is not very large, they can carry 150 kg of cargo on their backs. The largest and heaviest breeds of dromedaries are typically draft animals. The color of dromedaries is often sandy-gray (probably the color wild ancestors), individual animals may be white or dark brown. Often even in scientific papers there is a distorted name for these camels - a dromedary, but it is better to avoid it, occasionally they are called Arabians.

An unusual role for a camel is to work in a team.

Bactrian camels, or Bactrians

They got their name from the ancient Bactrian kingdom. They are distinguished by greater massiveness and strength, as well as long hair. Bactrians perfectly tolerate frosts down to -30 ° ... -40 °, but they tolerate drought and heat worse. Bactrian camels were also used under a pack and a saddle, but due to their massiveness, light and fast Bactrian breeds could not be bred. Among the Bactrians, predominantly universal breeds are common, suitable for both saddle and harness. But the carrying capacity of these camels is higher than that of dromedaries - 250-300 kg! Bactrians are used to produce wool. The color of these camels is reddish-red (wild variant), domestic animals are more often gray-yellow and brown, less often white.

There are no special dairy and meat breeds for camels; representatives of both species are equally used for these purposes. Of particular value in all breeds are white animals. Such camels have always been considered a symbol of good luck and happiness.


The camel is a very unusual animal. He looks very strange and lives where other animals can not stand even an hour. That is why children, and many adults, have a lot of questions when they see a camel:

Why does a camel have 2 humps?
Why did the camel ship the desert?
Why did a camel's hump fall or why does a camel's hump not always stand?
Why do camels spit at people?
Why are camels called the desert caravan?
Why does a camel not eat cotton wool?
Why is the symbol of Chelyabinsk a camel?
Is there a fairy tale why a camel has a hump?
Why is the camel called the ship of the desert?

Briefly, these questions cannot even be answered. But you can still try.

Everyone knows that camels live in deserts. This is the only large animal that can live where there is practically no water and grass. But camels eat only plant foods. How could this animal adapt to such difficult conditions and why does a camel live in the desert?

The answer to this question lies on the camel's back - in its humps. Of course, he does not carry water inside one hump, and food inside the other. These are stories for very young children.

In fact, before going on a long journey through the hot desert, the camel eats and drinks a lot. Some of the nutrients are deposited in the humps. In a well-fed camel, the humps become large and rounded. In a well-fed animal, one hump can weigh more than 50 kg.

Why do camels have humps?

The fact is that the animal spends reserves of them while traveling through hot and desert areas. If the path is very long, then by the end of it, the humps of the camel can be completely exhausted and sag. It is at such moments that they fall on their side, resembling empty bags. But there is no answer to the question why a camel can do without water for a long time?

With water, everything is much more complicated, but also more interesting. It accumulates not in the humps, but in the camel's stomach, more precisely in special folds located in the stomach. As a result, the animal can long time walk under the hot rays of the sun, not at all thirsty.

And a little more about food. Even in the hottest desert, at least occasionally some plants come across. Basically, these are very hard and thorny shrubs. Almost no one can eat them, except for camels.

Why does a camel eat thorns?

It turns out that the lips of these animals are so hard that the sharp thorns do not cause them any harm. And the teeth and jaws are so powerful that they calmly grind the hard branches of desert plants. Although thorns are, of course, not the most favorite delicacy of camels. With great pleasure, he will eat juicy grass. But if there is no other food, then you can get by with a hard thorn. That's why camels eat cacti.

So a camel in the desert is rarely left without food. Unless the drovers, or as they are called - caravaners, decide to pave the way through the most arid and hot places.

How do camels live?

In general, camels are incredibly hardy and can carry huge loads on their backs. It is said that an adult can carry weight on its back without much effort, half the weight of his own body. And this is a lot. On average, a camel weighs almost half a ton (500 kg), and large specimens weigh more than 700 kg. Such strong camels can carry up to 400 kg of cargo.

At the same time, these animals move very quickly. Even with a load, a camel can reach speeds of up to 25 km/h. This is 5 times more than the speed of a walking person. If only a rider sits on a camel, then the speed can be even higher - 40 km / h. At short distances, a camel can run even faster - up to 65 km / h. By the way, in some countries such a sport as camel racing is still preserved.

It was the endurance, strength and speed of camels that made people back in old times tame these animals to use them in your economic activity. That is why the camel has become a pet. And the camels themselves, most likely, were not opposed to serving a person.

Why does a camel spit?

These animals do not experience any aggression towards people. And their attitude towards children cannot be called anything other than love. The kids also love these wonderful animals and constantly spin next to them, trying to get on their backs and ride.

But it’s still not worth sticking to camels too much. These large animals are very touchy, and they can "revenge" in the most unexpected way. In case of resentment or strong fright, the camel spits. At the same time, he tries to get into the eyes of his offender. Camel saliva is very thick and smells bad. So it's better not to offend these desert giants.

Here is the answer to the question " Why does a camel spit?". Although this is not the only reason. Two camels may spit at each other when grooming a female. In this way they show which of them is stronger.

Camels

Camels are not born so small. They weigh about 35 kg, and their height sometimes reaches 90 cm. Camels are no less hardy than their parents. After 2 hours, the baby can run after his mother. By the way, camels feed their children with milk. That is why the camel is classified as a mammal.

Camels live in hot countries where deserts and semi-deserts predominate. But this strange animal is loved all over the world. In many fairy tales and poems you can find such a funny character as a camel.

Camel in fairy tales and legends

The storytellers did not forget the adult animals either. There is even a story why a camel has a hump. Kipling, the writer who came up with the tale of Mowgli, suggested that a long time ago, when man only tamed animals, they all worked constantly. And only the camel, which did not yet have a hump, did not want to work at all. He was asked to help a horse, and a dog, and an ox. The camel did not want to help them, only snorted "Grrb". Jin, the lord of the desert, found out about this and came to the lazy man. But his camel didn't listen either. So Jin punished him by making him hunchbacked. So Rudyard Kipling answered the question "Why does a camel have a hump?". It's just summary book "Why a camel has a hump." It's better, of course, to go to the library and ask for Kipling's book, Why the Camel Has a Hump. It's much more interesting to read.

There is another legend. It tells why a camel has two humps. By the way, it also says why the camel spits. Here is how it was. Once upon a time, all the animals lived together, and only the camel did not want to know anyone. He just walked and spat, offending everyone around. And once, with his spit, he so angered the hippopotamus that he took and hit the offender.

The back arched in the middle, and humps appeared along the edges. Since then, the camel has ceased to offend everyone, but has remained humpbacked.

Of course, these are fairy tales. In fact, camels are very hardworking and friendly. And the growths similar to a hump had already distant ancestors of camels - Altikamelus. They lived a very, very long time in North America, and then moved to Eurasia. It was then that they adapted to living in quite harsh conditions, having grown a real hump, and some even two.

Camel on coat of arms

So camels are not lazy creatures, but quite the opposite - incredibly hardworking creatures. People appreciated this quality of theirs by placing the image of a camel on the coats of arms of countries and cities. It is even in Russian symbols. This animal, for example, adorns the coat of arms of Chelyabinsk. Why camel? After all, they don't live there at all.

Everything is simple. In the old days Chelyabinsk was the center of trade with Asian countries. It was there that many caravans came. As a result, the city developed rapidly. And the townspeople decided to place a camel on the coat of arms as a sign of respect for this hardy and hardworking helper of man. That is why a camel is depicted on the coat of arms of Chelyabinsk. When the city became the center of the entire region, it was time to come up with a coat of arms Chelyabinsk region. "Why can't a camel be depicted here too?" - the inhabitants thought and kept their favorite animal on this symbol too.

Where does a camel live in the world?

Well, camels still live in hot countries. Their main habitats are North Africa, Arabian states, countries Central Asia, as well as Mongolia and western China. True, we are talking about domesticated animals here. But there are not so many wild camels left in nature. And they are found mainly in Mongolia.

Wild camels are much smaller than their well-fed domestic counterparts. You can tell them apart by their pointed humps. By the way, about humps. Not all camels have two. There are also single-humped animals. And it's not because they're sick. One-humped camel is one of the varieties of this type of animal. They even have their own name - dromedaries. Bactrian camels are called Bactrians. True, scientists have not yet been able to answer the question of why a camel has two humps.

Why is a camel called a camel?

Why is a camel called a camel? After all, in our country they are not bred. In other countries, these animals are called quite differently.
The answer to this question can be found in ancient chronicles. It turns out back in ancient times, more than 1000 years ago, in the distant northern cities camel caravans came with various overseas goods. Our ancestors of the Slavs were so struck by these animals that they gave them the name "vel fornication", that is, "a lot (long) going." Gradually, the word changed and turned into “camels”, which is familiar to our ear.

In general, in the Arabian countries, camels are very fond of and call them different beautiful names.

Why is a camel called the ship of the desert?

After all, there is no water in the deserts and there is nothing for ships to do that. Yes, because the sandy mountains - dunes, are very reminiscent of frozen sea ​​waves. So for many hundreds of years, camels-boats have been plowing this sandy sea.

Read more of our articles about animals:,.

The English writer Rudyard Kipling in his fairy tale wrote that the camel got a hump as a punishment for laziness. Although some educated adults think that an animal in a hump makes a supply of fluid, which is very scarce in the desert. There is as much truth in this statement as there is in the assumption of laziness. Let's find out what is inside the camel's hump?
You can already guess that the camel is the most adapted to the desert climate animal on the planet. He can live for a long time without food and water, for three whole weeks! "Certainly!" - you think, - "he has a lot of water in his hump." When camels, after a long journey through the desert, go to wetter places, their humps hang down like empty bags.
There is only a grain of truth in this statement. Yes, with the help of a hump, a camel can more easily endure drought, but there is not a drop of water or other liquid there. The hump contains ordinary fat, which has two amazing properties. First, fat, in cases of need, turns into water. From a kilogram of fat, a camel can get the same amount and another 70 grams of water.
Secondly, these animals use the hump as an air conditioner. At night in the desert cold air, and the hump cools down to almost 30 degrees. And during the day, when the sun is shining and the air temperature can rise to 70 degrees, the camel's blood passes through the cool hump and cools, so the camel is not so hot.
But a camel can still conserve water in its body. He detains her not in the hump, but in the proventriculus, which has certain pockets. In this way, the animal can contain 150 liters of water at once. Also a large number of fluid goes into the blood itself.
But how much water a camel can drink would not matter if his body was not very economical. A camel cannot sweat. His breathing is slow, because moisture always comes out with the exhaled air. excretory system these animals is also economical. The fluid that needs to be excreted from the body passes through the kidneys many times, which take away all the useful properties from it. Camel droppings are very dry. Travelers and desert dwellers have adapted to this. They use it to start a fire.
In addition to all this, a camel is able to carry up to 400 kilograms of cargo on its hump and cover a distance of up to 80 kilometers per day. Without such vehicle Eastern civilizations would have had a very hard time.

As you know, there are two types of camels: one-humped and two-humped. Often they are called dromedary and bactrian, respectively. Adult animals weigh, on average, from 500 to 800 kg, and the growth of adults is up to 2.1 meters.

One-humped and two-humped camels differ not only in the number of humps, but also in coat color. The former has a reddish-gray coat, while the latter is dark brown. camels Long neck, curved in an arc, the ears are small and rounded.

The structure of their feet allows camels to move on the sand without falling through. The toes of camels are interconnected and form a common sole. Wide two-toed feet - for movement on loose sands or small stones.

Structural features

The most obvious structural feature of camels is the hump(s). Their functions will be discussed a little later. An important feature that largely affects the ability of camels to endure the heat and cold of the desert is their woolen cover.

The coat of camels is thick and dense. In the Bactrian it is much longer and thicker than in the dromedary. Moreover, the length of the wool is not the same on different parts body. On average, it is about 7 cm, but from below the neck the hair forms a long dewlap. The same long wool grows on the top of the humps, as well as on the head, where it forms a kind of tuft above and a beard below, as well as on the nape.

The structure of camel hair is also interesting. In Bactrians, the hairs are hollow inside, which contributes to the low thermal conductivity of the camel. coat. Each hair is surrounded by several fine hairs of undercoat, which hold a lot of air. This structure of the coat allows the camel to keep a lot of air on the body, which significantly reduces the thermal conductivity of wool.


And the body of camels is very well adapted to retain moisture. Evaporation of water is minimized because the camel keeps its nostrils tightly closed, opening them only during inhalation and exhalation. A camel begins to sweat only when its body temperature reaches +41°C. At night, the body temperature of a camel can drop to +34°C.

Habitat

Archaeological excavations have allowed scientists to conclude that wild camels lived in vast areas of a significant part of Central Asia. Animals were widely distributed in the Gobi and other desert regions of Mongolia and China. In the east, their habitat reached the large bend of the Yellow River, and in the west - to the territory of modern central Kazakhstan and Central Asia.

Wild camels are called haptagai. They were preserved in 4 isolated areas of the territories of Mongolia (the Trans-Altai Gobi and the foothills of the Edren and Shivet-Ulan ridges, up to the border with China) and China (near Lake Lop Nor). Today, there are practically no wild camels left, their population does not exceed several hundred individuals and tends to decrease. This is due to the active development of territories.

Lifestyle and nutrition


Camels are herd animals. They keep in groups of 5 to 20 (sometimes up to 30) heads, in which there is one male heading the herd for several females with offspring. Often, young males also enter the herd, but during the breeding season they leave the group.

Wild camels in nature roam from one place to another. They mainly inhabit rocky, desert places, on the plains and in the foothills, with sparse and coarse vegetation and rare sources of water. Camels are ruminants. They feed on saltwort, wormwood, camel thorn and saxaul.

Despite the fact that camels can go without water for up to two weeks, it is vital for them. Large groups of camels accumulate after rains on the banks of rivers or at the foot of mountains, where temporary floods form. In winter, camels can quench their thirst with snow, and in the absence of fresh water, they can also drink salt water.

Why does a camel have a hump

When we found out that camels can not drink for a long time and eat some kind of indigestible thorns, it's time to figure out why they need humps.

According to Rudyard Kipling, nature rewarded camels with humps for their laziness. But taking into account what wonderful beasts of burden these are, domesticated by man more than 3 thousand years ago, it is hard to believe in the laziness of a camel.

For a long time it was believed that the humps act as "flasks" for water. This version was so popular and convincing that it was only recently possible to refute it. Scientists, after conducting a series of studies, were able to prove that to water reserves The body's humps have nothing to do with it. It's more of a storehouse of nutrients.

In other words, humps are deposits subcutaneous fat, which, in the absence of feed for a long time, begins to be consumed by the animal. In camels that do not lack food, the humps "stand" evenly, proudly rising above the back of their owner. And in animals that have not eaten for a long time, they sag. Camel humps can contain up to 150 kilograms of fat.

In addition to the reserves of fat consumed during hungry times, the humps also act as thermoregulators, located on the back, which gets the most. sunlight in desert conditions.

  • Great Soviet Encyclopedia.
  • Encyclopedic Dictionary of Brockhaus and Efron.
  • Free electronic encyclopedia Wikipedia, section "Camels".
  • Free electronic encyclopedia Wikipedia, section "Bactrian camel".
  • Rudyard Kipling. Fairy tale "Where did the camel's hump come from."
  • Obruchev V.A. "In the Wilds of Central Asia".

The camel, according to scientists, is one of the first domesticated animals along with the dog and the horse. In the desert, this is an absolutely indispensable mode of transport. Moreover, camel hair has its own characteristics: it can save you from heat and cold, as it is hollow inside and is an excellent thermal insulator.

Finally, camel milk is also valued for its nutritional properties. Camel meat is also highly valued for its nutritional properties. For this, the proud animal is forgiven for its complex character.

Features of the body structure of a camel

The most obvious and prominent feature of the camel's body structure is its hump.. There may be one or two depending on the type.

Important! The peculiarity of the camel's body is its ability to easily endure heat and low temperatures. Indeed, in deserts and steppes there are very large temperature differences.

The coat of camels is very thick and dense, as if adapted to the harsh conditions of the desert, steppe and semi-steppe. There are two types of camels - the Bactrian and the dromedary. The Bactrian has a much denser coat than the dromedary. At the same time, the length and density of wool on different parts of the body is different.

On average, its length is about 9 cm, but from the bottom of the neck it forms a long dewlap. Also, a powerful woolen cover grows on the top of the humps, on the head, where it forms a kind of tuft at the top and a beard at the bottom, as well as on the nape.

Experts attribute this to the fact that in this way the animal protects the most important parts of the body from heat. The wool is hollow inside, which makes them an excellent heat insulator. This is very important for living in places where there is a very large daily temperature difference.

Nostrils and eyes of an animal are reliably protected from sand. To maintain moisture in the body, camels hardly sweat. The camel's feet are also perfectly adapted to life in the desert. They do not slip on stones and tolerate hot sand very well.

One or two humps

There are two types of camels - with one and two humps. There are two main varieties of two-humped camels, and apart from the size and number of humps, camels do not differ much. Both species are perfectly adapted to life in harsh conditions. The single-humped camel originally lived only on the African continent.

It is interesting! Wild camels in their native Mongolia are called khaptagai, and domestic camels known to us are called Bactrians. The wild species of the Bactrian camel is listed in the Red Book.

Today, only a few hundred individuals remain. These are very large animals, the growth of an adult male reaches 3 m, and the weight is up to 1000 kg. However, such sizes are rare, the usual height is about 2 - 2.5 m, and the weight is 700-800 kg. Females are somewhat smaller, their height does not exceed 2.5 m, and their weight ranges from 500 to 700 kg.

One-humped dromedaries are much smaller than their two-humped counterparts.. Their weight does not exceed 700 kg, and their height is 2.3 m. As with both, their condition can be judged by their humps. If they stand, then the animal is full and healthy. If the humps hang down, then this indicates that the animal has been starving for a long time. After the camel reaches the source of food and water, the shape of the humps is restored.

Camel lifestyle

Camels are herd animals. They usually keep in groups of 20 to 50 animals. It is extremely rare to find a single camel, eventually they are nailed to the herd. In the center of the herd are females and cubs. Along the edges are the strongest and youngest males. Thus, they protect the herd from strangers. They make long transitions from place to place up to 100 km in search of water and food.

It is interesting! Camels mainly inhabit deserts, semi-deserts and steppes. They feed on wild rye, wormwood, camel thorn and saxaul.

Despite the fact that camels can live up to 15 days or more without water, they still need it. In the rainy season large groups camels gather on the banks of rivers or at the foot of mountains, where temporary floods form.

AT winter period camels can also quench their thirst with snow. These animals prefer fresh water, but their body is so arranged that they can drink salty. When they do get to the water, they can drink over 100 liters in 10 minutes. Usually they are calm animals, but in spring period can be very aggressive, there have been instances of adult males chasing cars and even attacking people.