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Camel (Dromedary)
Camelus bactrianus
Class
Mammals


Range
They are found in Northern Africa.
Habitat
They live in the Sahara Desert in Northern Africa.
Body Traits
These one-humped, dromedary camels are mostly tame (domesticated) now. They are used
for traveling in the desert. The camels hump is filled with fat. If they dont have food for a
long time the fat in their hump will begin to break down and be used by the body. Camels
have a heavy fur coat that protects them from the heat. Their wide feet are made for
walking on sand. They have thick eyelashes to protect their eyes from blowing sand. They
also have thin, little nostrils to protect their nose from blowing sand. They weigh up to
1,500 pounds. They are 10 feet long.
Habits
Camels can go for a long time without water. When they finally reach water they can drink a
large amount at one time.
Diet
They eat any plant in the desert. They also will eat fish, meat and bones. They can drink
salty water if that is all there is. They can drink 1/3 of their body weight very quickly when
they finally reach water.
Predators
No known predators.
Reproduction
Females are pregnant for 13 months (gestation). They have 1 calf.
Lifespan and/or Conservation Status
They can live for 30 - 40 years. They are not a threatened species and in fact are raised as
domestic animals.


Classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Subphylum: Vertebrata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Artiodactyla
Family: Camelidae
Genus: Camelus
Species: Camelus dromedarius
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Amsel, Sheri. Mammalia. Camel (Dromedary). Exploring Nature Educational Resource.
2005 - 2014. October 10, 2014.
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Fact or Fiction?
Camels hold water in their humps.
Fact
This myth is supported by the fact that after a long, dry journey, a
camel's hump may hang over on its side, emptied of its contents. In
truth, a camel's hump is all fat, which gets burned up on a long journey. The
fat does actually hold a lot of water and is broken down and used by the
body. Camels also have a very long intestine that squeezes every drop of
water from the food they eat. When a camel finally reaches water, it can
drink up to 50 gallons in a very short time. All members of the camel family,
including llamas have water saving adaptations for their arid environments.


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Citing This Reference
CITING RESEARCH REFERENCES
When you research information you must cite the reference. Citing for websites is different
from citing from books, magazines and periodicals. The style of citing shown here is from
the MLA Style Citations (Modern Language Association).
When citing a WEBSITE the general format is as follows.
Author Last Name, First Name(s). "Title: Subtitle of Part of Web Page, if appropriate." Title:
Subtitle: Section of Page if appropriate. Sponsoring/Publishing Agency, If Given. Additional
significant descriptive information. Date of Electronic Publication or other Date, such as Last
Updated. Day Month Year of access <URL>.
All text on Exploring Nature was written by author, Sheri Amsel
Here is an example of citing this page:
Amsel, Sheri. The Truth About... Science Myths.
Camels hold water in their humps.
. Exploring Nature Educational Resource. 2005 - 2014. October 10, 2014.
<http://exploringnature.org/db/detail.php?dbID=17&detID=135>