A camel is an even-toed ungulate, which has a characteristic hump, or humps, on its back. They were domesticated over 3,500 years ago and have been used for transportation ever since. See the fact file below for more information about camels.
- Camels are even-toed ungulates that have one or two humps. The one-humped camel, or dromedary camel, is found in the Arabian deserts of the Middle East and North Africa, while the two-humped camel, or Bactrian camel, is native to the Gobi Desert in China and the Bactrian steppes of Mongolia.
- When camels walk, they move both legs on one side of their body and then the other. Their feet are also soft, flat and wide. Both of these features help prevent them from sinking into the sand.
- Camels have a double row of very long eyelashes to protect the eye from blowing sand. They also have a nictitating membrane, which is a third eyelid for extra protection from sand and dust.
- They have hairs in the opening of the ear to help stop blowing sand from blowing into them.
- Camels can also close their nostrils.Humans have used camels for their wool, milk, meat, leather, and even dung, which can be used for fuel. Camel milk is an important food source for nomadic desert tribes. A camel can provide a large amount of meat for these people, and the camel’s hump is considered a delicacy in these cultures.
- A female camel gives birth to a single calf after a gestation period of 12 – 14 months. When the calf is born it weighs between 50 and 80 pounds, depending on the species, and is very light in color. It takes the calf several hours before it can stand up and walk.
- Camels are powerful runners and can reach a top speed of 40 miles per hour in a short bursts, which is as fast as a horse. They can run for longer distances at 25 miles per hour.
- The lifespan of a camel is around 30 to 35 years old.Kingdom: Animalia, Phylum: Chordata, Class: Mammalia, Order: Artiodactyla, Family: Camelidae, Genus and species: Camelus dromedarius, Camelus bactrianus, Camelus ferus
- The camel is related to the alpaca, llama, guanaco and vicuna.
- Camels also live in Australia. They are not indigenous, however, and are feral. These camels originated from dromedary camels that were imported to provide transportation in the harsh deserts of the Australian desert. They are considered a pest because they eat the natural vegetation.
- Camels can grow to be 7 feet tall at the hump. The hump itself can be 30 inches high.
- Camels reach maturity at around 2,5 years old and begin breeding at 7 to 8 years old.
- Camels are considered to be gentle creatures, but they can bite or kick when annoyed. When excited, camels huff and spit.
