Animal Fact Sheet
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Arabian (Dromedary) Camel
Camelus dromedarius
What does it look
like?
Members of the camel family are large, mammalian herbivores which
live in arid habitats. Domesticated, one-humped dromedaries of southwest
Asia and North Africa make a crucial contribution to man's survival
in this desert environment.
- Camels' coats are beige or uniform pale brown with their undersides
just slightly lighter
- Someone once said a camel "looks like a horse designed
by a committee"
- With splayed feet, long slender legs, knobby knees, and rounded
chests, camels may look comical, but they are well designed for
desert life
- Long eyelashes and bushy eyebrows protect their eyes from sun
and sand
- Their ears are furred both inside and out to protect them from
blowing sand, and camels are able to close their slit-like-nostrils
- Their hair is thicker on the back for protection against the
sun, and thinner on the belly for coolness.
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| Where
in the world?
Dromedaries were first domesticated in Arabia sometime between 4000
and 2000 BC and spread to Egypt and North Africa, later to East
Africa and India.
What are some behaviors?
Their split upper lips, long curved necks, and lack of tensor skin
between their thighs and bellies (so that their legs look very long),
are characteristics of camels. They move at an ambling pace, placing
their entire body weight on the sole-pads while only the front of
the hoof touches the ground, a marked difference from other hoofed
animals. Adult camels have callused areas where their joints touch
the ground when sitting.
Dromedary camels in Africa are generally maintained
in a semi-wild state in which they forage alone but depend on man
for water. Camels form 3 kinds of herds:
- Groups of bachelor males
- Adult females with their newborns
- Groups of up to 30 adult females along with their 1 and 2 year-old
offspring, led by a single adult male
What about offspring?
Camels mate throughout the year but the peak of births coincides
with seasonal plant growth. During rut, males may inflate the soft
palate of their mouth or dulaa as part of their rutting display
toward other males, while gargling simultaneously. Males also have
occipital glands at the back of the head behind the ears with which
they mark territory.
Females give birth every other year to a single
offspring after a gestation of 370 to 440 days, and nurse the infant
for more than a year. At four years of age, calves become wholly
independent. |
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What does it eat?
Camels eat a wide variety of plants over expansive home ranges.
They have leathery mouths and can eat practically any vegetation
including thorns, dry vegetation and salt bush that other mammals
avoid.
Camels can endure long periods without water,
up to 10 months if not working, so they can graze far from oases.
When they reach an oasis, they may drink as much as 30 gallons in
a short period of time. Camels store metabolic water in their humps.
They burn up the fat for energy when they must go for long periods
without food or water.
Is it threatened
or endangered?
Dromedary camels are invaluable beast of burden, but are especially
valued for their meat, wool, and milk.
The future of the Saharan camel depends on the
fate of nomadic peoples. If nomads are encouraged to continue their
traditions, the desert will continue to serve as an important resource
for them and their camel herds.
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