CAMEL

Quick Facts

• Type: Mammal
• Diet: Predominantly herbivorous
• Life span:  Up to 45 years
• Size: 1.5-2.1 m tall, males larger than females
• Weight: 400-600 kg, males heavier than females
• Habitat: Deserts, mountains and other arid regions
• Range: Africa and the Middle-East, and Asia
• Scientific name: Camelus 
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• MORE FACTS
• Camels are social animals who roam the deserts in search of food and water with up to 30 other individuals.
• With the exception of rutting males competing for females, camels are very peaceful animals who rarely exhibit aggression.
• Contrary to popular misconception, camels do not store water in their humps. The humps are actually reservoirs for fatty tissue. Concentrating fat in their humps minimises insulation throughout the rest of the body, thus allowing camels to survive in such extreme hot regions.
• Asian camels have two humps whereas Arabian camels only have one.
• Camels have two rows of thick eyelashes to protect their eyes from the desert dust. They are also able to close their nostrils and lips to keep out the dust.
• Camels’ ears are small and hairy. However their sense of hearing is also extremely strong.
• Camels can drink up to seven litres of water in a day.
• In Arab cultures the camel symbolises patience, tolerance and endurance.
• Camels have played such an important role in Arabian culture that there are over 160 words for ‘camel’ in the Arabic language.
• Although camels belong in the wild they are still used by travelling circuses in the UK.