One-humped camel name. dromedary camel
The camel is one of the hardiest animals on our planet. It can survive for a long time without water or food, while covering vast distances. For these qualities, the camel has always been valued by many peoples of Africa and Asia.
Camels settled in Asia and Africa more than 5 thousand years ago, perfectly adapting to the climate and living conditions.
Where do camels live?
There are two types of camels on our planet: the one-humped camel (dromedary) and the two-humped camel (Bactrian).
The most famous and widespread type of camel is dromedary. The one-humped camel lives throughout the South East up to India and throughout North Africa. All dromedaries living on the territories of these continents are domestic animals. In his natural environment There are no wild habitats. They live in wild herds only in Australia, where camels were resettled by Europeans as beasts of burden. Similar herds lived in the southwestern United States, appearing there in the same way as in Australia. But, unfortunately, in North America, herds of feral camels became extinct at the beginning of the twentieth century.
The most large population There are about 14.5 million dromedaries living in Africa. Somalia alone is home to 7 million camels, and Sudan has approximately 3.3 million camels. In addition to Sudan and Somalia, the dromedary lives in the following African countries: Libya, Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia, Egypt.
In Asia, the dromedary camel lives in the following countries: Afghanistan, Iran, Yemen, Qatar, Kuwait, Lebanon, UAE, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, Syria.
Earlier Bactrian lived almost throughout the entire territory of Central Asia. Populations of the Bactrian camel lived in the territories of Kazakhstan, China, Mongolia, extending to the bends of the Yellow River, China. Now wild populations are found only in Mongolia and China in the Gobi Desert. The main part of Bactrian lives in the area of Lake Lop Nor, China. The wild camel population is small, only about 900 individuals. This deplorable state of the population puts the species at risk of extinction by 2033.
One of the amazing animals on our earth is the camel. He is curious not only about his appearance, but also a way of life. Therefore, many are interested in learning the name of the Bactrian camel and interesting facts associated with it.
What is it called
First, you should know that this animal can be domestic or wild. Mongolia is considered the birthplace of Bactrian camels. There this wild animal is known as "haptagai". The domestic Bactrian camel is called a Bactrian. The animal received this name in honor of the ancient region of Bactiria, which was located in This species is the largest of the camelid family.
Species distribution
Many people do not know the name of the Bactrian camel, but this is not surprising, since in our area you can only meet this exotic animal in a zoo. But in Central Asia and Mongolia it is a common pet. It is also bred in some in China. Worldwide, the number of Bactrians exceeds two million. But the wild representative of this family is very much in danger of extinction. According to some reports, the haptagai ranks eighth on the list of endangered mammals. In total, their number varies within about several hundred heads. Mostly haptagai can be found in some parts of Mongolia and China.
Relationship with a person
Bactrian camel(name - Bactrian) plays a huge role in life asian people. For the population that lives in desert districts, this animal is a necessary means of transportation. They also shear camels to make woolen items such as rugs, blankets, felt boots, capes, clothes and more. But the skin, meat and milk of the animal are also used. In addition, the dung of the Bactrian camel is also valuable, since it produces good fuel.
Appearance
This animal is so unusual that it cannot be confused with other mammals. The Bactrian or Bactrian camel, the photo of which is shown below, is quite large and weighs on average 500 kilograms. But heavier individuals are often found. If you measure the animal by the withers, it will exceed two meters, and if you take the height along with the humps, it can reach 2.7 m.
The animal has a long bent neck and lanky legs. Instead of hooves there is a cloven foot and wide calloused pads. In addition, on each leg there are processes that resemble a claw.
Also, the Bactrian camel, whose name is Bactrian, can have a different color from almost white until brown. The wool is quite thick and long, and is hollow inside to provide poor thermal conductivity. They also have an undercoat. Camels molt in summer, changing their coats. The old fur falls out quickly, and the animal can remain “naked” for a couple of weeks until a new coat grows.
animal hump
The humps are of greatest interest. They can be of various shapes, which often depend on the condition of the camel. For example, if an animal is hungry, the humps may hang down; in an animal that has eaten, they are restored and rise again. This is explained by the fact that these “bags” contain fat (a total of about 150 kg), which is the body’s nutrition reserve. These growths also serve as thermal insulators for the animal. In addition, the Bactrian Bactrian camel is a convenient transport, since the distance between its “bags” is approximately 30 centimeters, this is enough for an adult to fit there.
Features of camels
This animal has special physiological characteristics that allow it to survive in adverse conditions. For example, a camel can suffer severe dehydration, while other animals die in such circumstances. With a strong loss of moisture in the body, this mammal noticeably loses weight, but when it has the opportunity to drink, its weight is restored almost immediately. In addition, the camel is able to accumulate and retain liquid until a certain point.
Lifestyle
This animal is diurnal and prefers to rest at night. Their main enemies are wolves and tigers. The Bactrian camel (name - Bactrian) lives according to the “schedule” set by the owner of the animal. But wild individuals keep in herds of up to 20 heads and obey the dominant male. Basically, in this family there are only females and young animals.
Rutting period
At the age of two, females are ready to have offspring. Male camels become sexually mature by age five. In autumn the rutting season begins. Often at this time, owners put males on a leash, since they become dangerous to surrounding animals and humans. They attack their opponents, rush about, roar and foam. If the male is dominant, he keeps the females in one place, not allowing them to disperse. Camels often engage in fights during this period. Even calm animals mating season become ferocious. They use their powerful neck, trying to pin the opponent to the ground, use their fangs, grabbing the legs and throat, and kick the enemy. In this case, if the owner does not disperse the camels, serious injuries and even death are possible for the weak male.
During the rutting period, haptagai can become dangerous to their domestic counterparts. They are able to break into the pen, kill the males and take away the females. Therefore, these days, shepherds take their animals to the mountains away from danger.
After mating, the female bears the offspring for 13 months. Only one baby camel is born, weighing no more than 45 kilos. Within two hours after birth, the baby is able to follow his mother independently. Lactation is long, about a year and a half. But a baby camel can chew already in the third month. The female is capable of giving birth once in two years. At the age of 4 years, male camels gather in groups, and over time, each of them organizes his own “harem”.
Amazing details
One of the most unusual mammals, of course, is the Bactrian camel. Interesting Facts about this animal are no less fascinating:
- One individual is capable of drinking 200 liters of water at a time.
- If the animal decides to rest or sleep, it cannot be forced to get up. It will only get up when it wants to.
- These herbivores can eat hard thorns without scratching their lips and mouth.
- The camel's nostrils are able to close when necessary (for example, to keep moisture out or during sandstorms to prevent sand from getting inside).
- If a hurricane begins in its territory of residence, the camel can remain in a lying, motionless state for several days.
- Each leg of the animal is capable of kicking in four directions.
- They can do without water if they eat green plants (camels get moisture from them).
- One of the defensive abilities is spitting. If you provoke a camel, it will draw an unpleasant mixture from its stomach, which it will “reward” the enemy with.
- The fur of this animal has the ability to reflect rays, which allows it not to overheat while moving through the desert.
- The name of the Bactrian camel “haptagai” appeared thanks to the local residents.
- Camel excrement is very dry, so it is used for heating. They give an even, almost smokeless warm flame.
- They have an excellent memory, which helps them not to get lost among the many dunes.
- Camels have keen eyesight. The animal sees movement in the desert a kilometer away.
- The camel's sense of smell allows it to survive, as it can smell water sixty kilometers away.
- IN bad weather the animal is trying to hide. If it is too hot outside, camels begin to walk against the wind, opening their mouths, to cool down a little and avoid overheating. They also use their tail for fanning.
- Although special vehicles and navigators have been invented for moving through the desert, the most reliable assistant is still the Bactrian camel, whose name is Bactrian.
- People use the fat that is in the “bags” of the animal for food. It is suitable for frying and is valued higher than beef.
- Camels do not tolerate dampness very well.
- They are very susceptible to disease.
- A wild camel can even be content with salt water; a domestic camel is not adapted to this.
- They can live up to 50 years.
Since ancient times, the companion of the southern nomad was the camel - an unpretentious, hardy inhabitant of deserts and semi-deserts. Until now, these animals play a huge role in the lives of many peoples. They are used as horse, pack and horse-drawn transport; camels provide people with valuable wool, milk and meat. Meanwhile, this is one of the most amazing and unusual creatures of our planet.
Types of camels
Camels belong to the genus of herbivorous mammals of the artiodactyl order. Scientists attribute them to a separate suborder of callosopods, in which camels and their distant relatives- Vicunas and llamas, living on the South American continent, are the only representatives.
These are large animals, taller than human height, with a long flexible neck, thin legs and a soft fatty hump on the back. Only two types have survived to this day:
- Dromedary camel or dromedary;
- And the two-humped camel is a Bactrian, named after the ancient state of Central Asia, Bactria, where the unpretentious “ships of the desert” were first tamed by humans.
Camel - unique example adaptation of living organisms to environmental conditions. These hardy, surprisingly unpretentious animals thrive in the arid, sharply continental climate of deserts and semi-deserts, calmly enduring both huge temperature changes and prolonged dehydration.
They are distinguished by a dense, elongated body with a small, elongated head. The structure of the flexible neck, curved in the shape of a “U”, is such that the desert dweller can easily tear off leaves and soft branches with sufficient tall trees or pick up food from the ground without bending your long legs. Their ears are small, rounded, and in some breeds they may be almost invisible due to their long, thick fur. The tail with a small hard tassel, in comparison with the body, is quite short, and does not exceed 50 - 58 cm in length.
The entire body of a camel is covered with thick curly hair, which perfectly protects both from scorching rays and from low temperatures. winter temperatures. The color of the pile can be different: from light sand to dark brown. Occasionally there are even black animals.
The hump, located on the back of a camel, serves as excellent protection from the burning southern sun and is a kind of storage of nutrients. Its top is covered with longer and stiffer hairs than the rest of the body, and often has a color different from the main color. The shape also plays an important role: for example, in an emaciated animal, the hump sags and resembles an empty wineskin. But it quickly rises and becomes dense as soon as the camel eats and gets enough water.
Nature took special care of the camel's head. Large, widely spaced eyes for better viewing have a third eyelid that protects from dust and sand, and are surrounded by long thick eyelashes. Additional protection provide protection from the wind and deep brow ridges. At the same time, the vision of humpbacked mammals is excellent: they can spot a person a kilometer away, and they can see a large moving object, for example, a car, even 4-5 kilometers away.
Camels are famous for their excellent sense of smell. Thus, they sense water sources in the desert 50–60 km away. This is largely due to the structure of the nose. The narrow nostrils are covered with a special fold, thanks to which the moisture that inevitably evaporates during breathing flows into the mouth; this protects animals from dehydration, but does not dull their sense of smell.
The nasal openings of a camel have such a structure that they can almost completely close, protecting Airways both from sand and from loss of excess fluid. It is thanks to this feature that camels are among the few mammals that can survive dust storm, which in the desert has truly monstrous destructive power.
The camel's jaw deserves special mention. There are 38 teeth in the oral cavity, including 4 rather sharp fangs - 2 above and 2 below. In addition to them, the lower jaw has 10 molars and the same number of incisors, and the upper jaw has 12 molars and 2 incisors. A camel can easily bite through a hard thorn or dry branch, and its bite is much more painful than a horse's bite. The fleshy lips of these animals - smooth lower and bifurcated upper - are designed for tearing off tough food and have rough, durable skin.
It is known that camels are distinguished by sharp, quite unpleasant smell. Contrary to popular belief, this “aroma” does not come from sweat. Camels practically do not sweat at all (in arid climates, excess moisture loss would be wasteful). But on the back of the head of these animals there are glands with a sharp-smelling secretion, with which males mark their territory by rubbing their heads and necks on trees.
Outwardly, both a two-humped and one-humped camel may seem disproportionate and even fragile due to thin legs, but this is only an appearance. An adult individual can easily withstand many hours of trekking through the desert and is capable of carrying a load equal to half its weight. Cloven hooves with a large horny claw allow you to move freely on rocky and sandy surfaces, and winter time serve as an excellent help in obtaining food: with the help of them, camels dig out edible branches and thorns from under the snow.
These animals are distinguished from other artiodactyls by a characteristic feature: dense skin growths - calluses - in those places where the camel comes into contact with the soil while lying down. Thanks to them, animals are able to lie without harm even on hot midday sand or rocky ground (and in some areas of Asia and Africa, the temperature of the earth in summer reaches 70⁰ Celsius). Similar formations located on the chest, elbows, knees and wrists of the camel. The exception is wild, non-domesticated individuals: they completely lack elbow, chest and knee calluses.
Thus, these mammals have rightfully earned their name “ship of the desert.” True, all their amazing features have reverse side: the list of places where camels live is not that long. In humid climate neither a one-humped nor a two-humped camel can exist, getting sick and dying very quickly.
The question of where camels live is quite complicated. On the one hand, thanks to their endurance, these animals are able to live in areas characterized by arid, sharply continental climate. They are found in deserts and semi-deserts, at altitudes up to 3300 km above sea level. On the other hand, now the livestock wild camels is rapidly declining, and their distribution area is becoming smaller. The reason for this was human activity: almost all open sources of water in the desert have long been occupied by people, and haptagai, due to natural caution, are extremely reluctant to approach humans. The wild Bactrian camel has been protected for several decades as an endangered species included in the Red Book. Now there are only a few regions where you can still find Bactrians in their natural, non-domesticated form:
- southeast of Mongolia, Trans-Altai part of the Gobi Desert;
- the western, arid regions of China, primarily in the vicinity of the long-dry Lake Lop Nor, known for its salt marshes.
In general, the habitats of wild camels are 4 not too large, isolated areas of deserts and semi-deserts.
As for dromedaries, you can meet them in wildlife impossible. The wild dromedary camel finally became extinct at the turn of the New Era and is now bred exclusively in captivity.
The list of places where camels tamed by people live is much wider. They are used as a means of transportation and draft power in almost all areas with natural conditions close to the desert.
Thus, the dromedary camel is found today:
- in the north African continent, in all countries up to the equator (in Somalia, Egypt, Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia);
- on the Arabian Peninsula;
- in the countries of Central Asia - Mongolia, Kalmykia, Pakistan, Iran, Afghanistan, in the UAE and Yemen and in other countries up to the northern provinces of India.
- in the desert regions of the Balkan Peninsula;
- in Australia, where dromedaries were brought by settlers in the 19th century instead of horses that could not withstand critical temperatures and extremely low humidity;
- and even on Canary Islands.
Bactrians can boast of no smaller range. The Bactrian camel is one of the most common representatives of livestock throughout Asia Minor and in northern China, in Manchuria.
According to rough estimates, the population of dromedaries in the world now reaches 19 ml; Of these, almost 15 million live in North Africa alone.
Camels are rightfully revered by many peoples almost as sacred animals. After all, not only trade, but also the lives of people in many areas of our planet depend on them.
Etymology of the name
About the origin of the name of this unpretentious representative desert fauna Linguists have been arguing for centuries, but not a single theory has yet been recognized as the only correct one. The difficulty is not only that different countries ah, the “ship of the desert” is called differently, but there is too much of a gulf separating modernity and ancient world. Over the 4,000 years that have passed since the domestication of the camel, the language of different countries has undergone enormous changes, borrowed words managed to become “indigenous” and then become obsolete. However, some assumptions can be made.
The camel has been known to people living in arid desert regions since ancient times. In the life of a Bedouin, he played the same role as a horse in the life of a steppe nomad. Comrade in arms, transport, carrier of heavy loads... And also - nutritious milk, wool for clothing, shelter from sandstorm, meat in a famine year is all camel. It is not surprising that each nation gave its own name to its faithful companions. Thus, in the Kalmyk steppes the majestic hunchbacked giant is still called “byurgud”, in the north of Africa - “mehari”, and in Farsi this animal is called the word “ushtur”.
The Latin name of these animals sounds like “Camelus”, and, according to the most common theory, goes back to the Arabic name “جَمَل” - “gamal” in our usual transcription. All Western European versions of the camel name come from the Latin term: in English-speaking countries it is called “camel”, in Germany – “Kamel”, the heirs of the Roman Empire, the Italians use the word cammello, and the Spanish version sounds almost the same – “camello”. The French went a little further - their “ship of the desert” is called “chameau”.
There is much more controversy surrounding the Russian name of this animal. There are three versions of the origin of the word “camel”:
- According to the first, the term is a highly distorted borrowing from Latin language. The Romans, who had colonies in Africa and Asia, knew many large riding animals that were unfamiliar to European inhabitants. One of them, elephantus, meaning elephant, found its way into the Gothic language and was eventually adapted to ulbandus. The Slavs, unlike the Goths, who settled in the lands from present-day Germany to the Balkan Peninsula, lived much further north, and mistakenly used this term to define the large double-humped transport of their southern neighbors.
- The second version can be considered a complement to the first, since it can explain how the Western “ulbandus” could transform into the Russian “camel”. The Old Slavonic transcription of this word did not have the letter “r” and sounded like “velьbǫdъ”. This form of the name is used in many Old Russian texts, for example, in “The Tale of Igor’s Campaign.” The two semantic roots of “welblood” are translated into modern ones as “big, great” and “to walk, wander, wander.” This is a completely viable theory - the camel is indeed considered one of the most durable riding animals, capable of covering up to 40 km or more per day.
- According to some linguists, the word “camel” came to Russia from Kalmykia, where the word “burgud” is still used.
What do camels eat and what do they eat?
Everyone knows that camels are one of the most unpretentious animals in terms of food. They are able to digest even those foods that other mammals do not touch and can live for a long time without food. The list of what camels eat is quite long. It includes:
- grass, both fresh and already faded in the sun;
- leaves of trees, especially poplars (in the cold season this is the basis of the camel’s diet);
- barnyard;
- camel-thorn(so named because other animals are not able to digest its tough fiber);
- ephedra
- sand acacia;
- sagebrush;
- parfolia;
- steppe onion;
- saxaul branches;
- and some other types of shrubs.
The diet largely depends on where camels live. So, at home, these mammals happily eat grain, hay, silage, fruits and vegetables, as well as any other plant food. The answer to this unpretentiousness lies in the structure of the camel’s digestive organs. Its stomach has three chambers and is capable of digesting even the most coarse and, at first glance, nutrient-free food. In this case, animals swallow food without chewing, and after a few hours they regurgitate the semi-digested mixture and slowly chew it.
Camel spit, contrary to popular belief, does not consist of saliva, but of partially digested chewing gum.
The one-humped camel is considered more picky in terms of nutrition than the two-humped camel. Thus, during a hungry period, Bactrians are quite capable of eating animal skins and even bones, while dromedaries are forced to make do exclusively with plant foods.
It has been noticed that a strict “diet” has a much better effect on these amazing creatures than a plentiful diet. In years of famine, the survival rate of the population in winter is much higher than during periods when there was enough food in the summer. All camels can withstand hunger and thirst without harm. An adult animal can go without food for up to 30 days, accumulating nutrients in their humps and subsequently existing at their expense.
Equally phenomenal is the ability of these mammals to withstand thirst. In the absence of any source of moisture, a dromedary camel can live 10 days if it does not expend energy by running or carrying heavy objects. During the period of activity, this period is reduced to 5 days. The Bactrian camel is less hardy in this regard: for it, the period of abstinence in hot weather is limited to 3, maximum 5 days.
In many ways, these unique qualities are associated with the structural features of the blood. In camels, unlike other mammals, red blood cells have oval shape, due to which they retain moisture better. “Ships of the Desert” can withstand dehydration up to a quarter of their own weight (while for other mammals, a loss of fluid of 15% is already fatal). These amazing creatures can even get moisture from food. Thus, lush grass supplies camels with enough fluid, and on fresh pastures they can go without water for up to 10 days.
However, there are other reasons for such phenomenal endurance:
- Both Bactrians and dromedaries lead an inactive lifestyle, thereby expending energy very slowly.
- Camels practically do not lose moisture during their life. The steam exhaled from the nostrils precipitates and flows into the oral cavity. The intestines process body waste, almost completely absorbing the liquid (this is the reason that camel feces are often used by desert dwellers as fuel for fires). Camels begin to sweat only if the body temperature rises above 40⁰ and there is real threat death from overheating, but this happens extremely rarely.
- The camel's body is designed in such a way that during a season rich in food and water, the necessary substances accumulate in its body, gradually being consumed until the time when the animal cannot replenish its reserves.
Domestic camels
For many regions, these animals are not only the optimal means of transportation, but also the only livestock that can easily withstand difficult climatic conditions.
Camel wool plays a huge role in the economy. It is valued much higher than goat or sheep, because due to the large mass fraction of fluff (about 85%) it provides excellent warmth in cold weather. From a dromedary you can get from 2 to 4 kg of wool per year; but the average annual harvest from Bactrian reaches 10 kg.
An impressive portion of the diet of many peoples living in desert areas is occupied by products made from camel milk - cheese, butter, fermented milk drinks, such as Turkmen chal or Kazakh shubat. A camel gives from 2 to 5 liters of milk per day; however, this amount largely depends on the breed of the animal. Thus, the annual yield from Bactrian rarely exceeds 750 - 800 liters. But for dromedaries, 2 tons of milk per year is the norm, not to mention Arvans, from which you can get 4 or more tons per year.
The fat content of camel milk is higher than that of cow milk, reaching 5.5% for Bactrians. In dromedaries this figure is slightly lower - 4.5%. It is rich in many microelements, including iron, calcium, magnesium, and the vitamin C content in it is even higher than in cow's or cow's milk. goat milk. Because of low content caseic acid, it is easily absorbed, has a foamy appearance and has a sweetish taste.
In ancient times, camels were often used as fighting animals. The four-legged warrior carried two riders into battle: a driver in front and an archer behind. And in the case of hand-to-hand combat, the camel itself turned into a rather dangerous weapon, because he was capable of not only kicking, but also using his teeth. And on the main square of the small town of Aktyubinsk Astrakhan region a monument was erected to two camels named Mishka and Mashka: they were the ones who carried the gun mount, which was one of the first to begin shelling the Reichstag in May 1945.
Camels have long been used as riding and cartage animals. They are able to freely carry a load equal to half their own weight. Outwardly, these imperturbable “ships of the desert” give the impression of slow and phlegmatic animals. However, this is due not so much to their character as to the need to retain moisture, which is consumed much faster during activity. A camel is indeed a very calm animal, and it is not so easy to make it run, wasting precious energy. But they are capable of walking at a measured pace, without getting tired, for hours, covering a distance of up to 50 km per day, and with constant urging, up to 100 km.
In some countries, the size of a bale that a camel can carry is official measure weight. It is equal to 250 kg.
In many Arab countries There is a national sport - camel racing. For example, in the UAE, such competitions are held every week, starting from April and until October, when the rainy season continues. On the roads here you can find the usual local residents warning sign: “Caution! Camels!
Wild and domesticated camels: differences
The ancient ancestors of modern camels were widespread across large parts of Eurasia, in North America and the Arabian Peninsula. It was there, according to scientists, that these hardy creatures were first domesticated by humans around the 2nd millennium BC.
To this day, only the Bactrian camel has survived in its wild, original form; The dromedary is found in the natural environment exclusively as a domesticated, secondarily feral animal. In fact, the very existence of wild camels was officially confirmed only at the beginning of the 20th century, during an Asian expedition led by Przhevalsky. It was he who discovered the existence of wild Bactrians, called “haptagai”.
The haptagai camel has several noticeable differences from its domesticated ancestor:
- their hooves are distinguished by a narrower shape, compared to domestic camels;
- the physique of wild camels is lean and dry, with a more elongated muzzle and short ears, and height and weight are slightly less than those of a domesticated animal;
- a hump that is not so spacious makes wild camels more vulnerable during drought or famine;
- but the easiest way to distinguish a haptagai is by his clean legs and chest, without the slightest trace of calluses.
Now wild camels are on the verge of extinction: their total number in the world barely exceeds 3,000 individuals.
Lifestyle of Khaptagai camels
Camels in the wild lead a nomadic lifestyle, constantly migrating from one source of water to another. They usually roam in small families, from 5 to 10 - 15 individuals. They include one adult male and several females with cubs. Adult males usually roam alone, occasionally joining herds and leaving during the rutting season. Large herds can be found only at watering places, where the number of camels can reach several tens of thousands of heads.
Like domestic camels, khaptagai are diurnal animals. At night they are not active, but in daylight hours days are in constant motion.
Despite constant migrations, the places where camels live are clearly demarcated. These animals do not leave their natural habitat, staying close to springs and oases. As a rule, in the summer they roam in the northern regions, and with the onset of cold weather they move further to the south. At this time, they can be found in oases rich in trees, in the foothills, where it is easy to find protection from the wind, as well as in shallow ravines.
The species of camels that have survived to this day are not very diverse and include only two points: bactrian bactrian and a dromedary with one hump.
The one-humped variety of the "ship of the desert", unlike its larger relative, is considered not so much a horse-drawn animal as a racing animal. The very name “dromedary” or “Camelus dromedarius” comes from ancient Greek as “one who runs”, “runner”. It has a shorter height (no more than 190 cm, rarely 210 cm) and is inferior to its two-humped relative in weight, due to which it is capable of developing significantly greater speed.
But in terms of cold resistance, the dromedary camel is more vulnerable. It does not tolerate the cold in the desert well due to its not too thick coat, which protects well from the heat, but does not warm well.
Another distinctive feature of dromedaries is their short, shaggy mane, which starts from the back of the head and turns into a beard, ending in the middle of the neck. There are the same “decorations” on the back, in the area of the shoulder blades. The fur of these animals, as a rule, has a sandy shade of varying saturation, although brown, gray-red and even extremely rare white individuals are occasionally found.
The dromedary camel has other names. So, in many countries it is called “Arabian” - after the name of the area where these animals were first domesticated. It was from the Arabian Peninsula that the leisurely giants with one hump began their triumphal march around the world.
The second name of this species comes from the ancient state of Bactria, located in Central Asia (the first information about these animals is found in documents from that particular region). Bactrians are much more massive than dromedaries, their height reaches 230 cm, and the saddle between the humps is approximately 170 cm from the ground. The distance between the bases of the humps ranges from 20 to 40 cm.
The Bactrian camel has a long neck, due to the strong bend of which the head and shoulders of the animal are located at the same height (which is not typical for one-humped representative these mammals).
The fur of Bactrians is very thick, dense, allowing them to easily carry extreme cold. In winter, its length reaches 7 cm on the body and 25 on the tops of the humps. But with the onset of warmer weather, the two-humped giants begin to shed, which is why they look rather untidy in the spring - until the period when the hair grows back.
Camel breeds
Despite the fact that currently there are only two species of these unpretentious animals, several varieties are bred in the world, which have many differences from each other. So, only in our country there are 4 breeds of camels:
- Mongolian;
- Kazakh;
- Kalmyk (the largest in the world - it is bred mainly for wool and meat);
- and the Turkmen Arvana, famous for its wool.
Of these, only the long-haired Arwana is single-humped. But in Arab countries the number of breeds is approaching 20:
- Omani;
- Sudanese;
- majaim;
- azael;
- mania, famous for its excellent running qualities;
- al-hajin (also used in horse racing);
- and others.
Despite a large number of names, the differences between Arabian camel breeds are insignificant. Thus, both the Sudanese and Omani varieties and manias are used in horse racing and are not inferior to each other.
Camel hybrids
The endurance and usefulness of camels in farming are so great that attempts to crossbreed and breed new species have not stopped to this day. Unlike many other animals, hybrid species camels are quite viable.
"Mestizos" include:
- “Nar” is a large, weighing up to 1 ton, hybrid of the one-humped Arwan and the two-humped Kazakh camel. Distinctive feature This breed has one large hump, as if consisting of two parts. Nars are bred primarily for their milking qualities - the average milk yield per individual is 2,000 liters per year.
- "Kama". This hybrid of a dromedary camel and a llama is distinguished by its short height, on average from 125 to 140 cm, and low weight (it does not exceed 70 kg). This baby does not have a standard hump, but it has excellent load-carrying capacity and is often used as a pack animal in hard-to-reach places.
- "Iner", or "Iner". In order to get this one-humped giant with magnificent hair, a female Turkmen camel breed is crossed with an Arvan male.
- “Jarbay” is a rather rare and almost non-viable subspecies, born from the mating of two hybrids.
- "Kurt." A not very popular one-humped hybrid of a female Inera and a male camel of the Turkmen breed. Despite decent milk yield per individual, they are rarely bred due to the low fat content of milk and unsatisfactory wool characteristics.
- "Kaspak". But this hybrid of a Bactrian camel and a female Nara (they are often called Nar-Maya, adding a feminine suffix to the breed) is very popular. It is grown mainly for its large milk yield and impressive meat mass.
- "Kez-nar." A hybrid of a camel of the Turkmen breed and a caspak, considered one of the largest both in size and in terms of milk yield.
Camel breeding
Reproduction in camels follows the same pattern as in many artiodactyls. The rutting period for these animals is quite dangerous, both for the camels themselves and for people. Sexually mature males become aggressive, and in the fight for a female, they attack their opponent without hesitation. Brutal battles often end in death or injury to the losing side: during the battle, animals use not only their hooves, but also their teeth, trying to knock the enemy to the ground and trample him. Males participate in the rut starting from the age of 5 (in females, puberty occurs much earlier - already at 3 years.)
Camels mate in winter, when the rainy season begins in the desert and there is enough water and food for the animals. Moreover, the rut of dromedaries begins a little earlier than that of Bactrians. After a gestation period, which lasts 13 months for one-humped individuals and 14 for two-humped individuals, one, or rarely two, cubs are born, which within a few hours are fully on their feet and are able to run after their mother across the desert.
Camel cubs vary in size. A newborn Bactrian camel weighs from 35 to 46 kg, with a height of only 90 cm. But a small dromedary, with almost the same height, reaches a weight of almost 100 kg. Both one-humped and bihumped species camels nurse their cubs for 6 to 18 months. And parents show care for their offspring until the cub reaches adulthood.
Camel speed
Camels are famous as excellent runners. average speed a camel's speed is even higher than that of a horse's - from 15 to 23 km/h. There have been cases when a dromedary (which in some literary sources is poetically called a “desert walker”) reached speeds of up to 65 km/h.
Unlike the fast dromedary, the Bactrian camel is not capable of a fast forced march due to its more impressive mass. It is also capable of moving at a speed of 50 - 65 km/h, but it runs out of steam much faster than its one-humped relative. Therefore, on the Arabian Peninsula, in Central Asia and Africa, Bactrians were more often used as horse-drawn transport. Yes, on the coat of arms Chelyabinsk region, where the trade route to Iran and China once passed, it is a two-humped giant loaded with bales that is depicted.
How much does a camel weigh?
These mammals are quite different tall: 190 – 230 cm at the withers, with males always slightly larger than females. Body length can vary from 230 to 340 cm for dromedaries, and from 240 to 360 cm for their Bactrian counterparts. The question of how much a camel weighs is controversial. So, on average, weight adult ranges from 300 to 800 kg for different breeds. However, there are individual giants whose mass reaches 1 ton. Most major representative This family is considered to be the Bactrian camel, and the smallest is the Cama, a hybrid of a dromedary and a South American llama. The maximum weight of this baby does not exceed 70 kg.
There is still an ongoing debate about how long camels live. The lifespan of domesticated animals ranges from 20 to 40 years. However, among the khaptagai - wild camels - there are individuals reaching the age of 50 years with an average life expectancy of about 4 decades.
What's in a camel's hump?
There is a widespread belief that a camel’s hump is a kind of waterskin that is filled with water and from where the animal subsequently receives the necessary liquid. Actually this is not true. “Ships of the desert” are indeed capable of saving liquid for future use, but in the growth on the back, it is precisely in pure form accumulates the least.
The answer to the question of what is in a camel’s hump is more prosaic and, at the same time, surprising. This physiological reservoir is filled with fat, which performs two functions at once: it protects the body from overheating and accumulates nutrients, due to which the animal can exist for a long time without any food sources at all. An adult is capable of losing up to 40% of its weight without harm to its health and quickly regaining it as soon as it finds food.
In case of prolonged thirst or hunger, fat again decomposes into its components, releasing the energy and water necessary for life.
The process of fat breakdown itself has long been known to nutritionists and underlies most methods of getting rid of excess weight. However, the adaptability of camels to environmental conditions amazed even scientists. Latest experiments showed that 100 g of fat, when broken down, gives an average of about 107 g of liquid.
Camels are able to store liquid for future use not only in the hump, but also in special cavities of the stomach. Having reached a watering hole, the desert walker is capable of drinking more than 100 liters of water at a time. Thus, there is a documented fact: a camel, deprived of food and drink for 8 days during the summer drought, lost 100 kg of weight. Having reached the watering hole, he did not look up from the water for 9 minutes, drinking 103 liters during this time. On average, a one-humped camel can drink from 60 to 135 liters at a time, and a two-humped camel can drink even more.
The hump performs another important function: it regulates heat transfer. It's connected with climatic conditions places where camels live. In the desert, the difference between night and day temperatures can reach 50 degrees. The fat pad saves its owner both from the scorching heat (the heat in the Gobi Desert or the Sahara in summer can reach 40 - 45⁰), and from night frosts, often dropping to -10⁰ even in summer time. Sun rays in the summer they are so hot that a hard-boiled egg left in the sand takes half an hour to an hour, and most mammals run the risk of heatstroke and, in the most serious cases, death from overheating. Both one-humped and two-humped camels are free from such risk. The thickness of the fat layer is so great that the animal’s body temperature remains within normal limits. And with the arrival of night, the hump begins to act as a heater, cooling down, dark time days, to an acceptable 35 - 40⁰ and again providing coolness during the day.
The camel is an animal that even children have heard about. It lives, as a rule, in arid steppes and deserts. That is why the body structure of this animal helps it adapt to the most harsh conditions.
"Ship of the Desert"
The camel is also called the “ship of the desert,” and all because, moving along the sand, it resembles a ship sailing on the sea. The fact is that a camel has very wide hooves, which allow it to easily overcome any obstacles, especially sand.
Short description
A camel's neck is long and thin. The head is small and has small rounded ears. Thick eyelashes grow on the eyes, they protect the eyes from dust and sand. The camel's nostrils close and open, thereby allowing it to control the entry of grains of sand.
Lifespan
Most people don't know how many years a camel lives. In fact, the lifespan of these animals is about 40 years. Camels are very hardy, therefore, over such a long period of time, people managed to tame them and now use them for their own useful purposes.
A camel is not only an excellent assistant in transporting goods, but also an excellent animal that gives delicious milk.
Camel and water
Many people probably already know that a camel can live without water for more than ten days. This is all because he has a large hump on his back, and some even have two. From this hump the animal draws all the nutrients and minerals it needs. By the end of the period, the hump turns into a saggy rag and the camel simply has to eat something at this time.
Puberty
As already mentioned, the average lifespan of a camel is about 40 years. Everything depends on the conditions of its existence. Puberty occurs at the age of 3-4 years. Pregnancy of female one-humped camels lasts 13 months, and that of two-humped camels lasts 14 months.
Like many other animals, a camel's diet should consist of a variety of herbs and plants. It is a mistake to believe that it feeds only on thorns and saltworts.
In contact with
In the past, countless herds of wild dromedaries roamed the deserts of North Africa and the Middle East, but today only domesticated animals can be found.
IN modern world The dromedary is common in many regions of Asia and Africa as a pet for carrying cargo or riding.
Unlike Bactrian, its wild populations have not survived in our time. Only in Australia and North America are there re-wild herds of camels - distant descendants of dromedaries brought to the continents in the 19th and 20th centuries.
External signs
general description
Unlike Bactrians, Dromedars have only one hump. They are much smaller than their two-humped relatives: their length reaches from 2.3 to 3.4 m, and the height at the withers from 1.8 to 2.3 m. The weight of dromedaries ranges from 300 to 700 kg. The tail is relatively short, no longer than 50 cm. The dromedary has a rather slender build and long legs, and its color is dominated by ash-yellow tones. The coat of the dromedary camel is usually sandy in color, but other colors are also found: from white to dark brown. The top of the head, neck and back are covered with more long hair.
Jron, GNU 1.2In dromedary camels Long neck, on which the elongated head is located. Upper lip it is forked, and the nostrils have a slit-like shape and the camel can close them if necessary. He has very long eyelashes on his eyelids. The dromedary camel has numerous calluses on its knees, feet and other parts of its body. On the legs, like all camelids, there are only two toes, crowned not with hooves, but with callus pads. The stomach, like that of its close relatives, consists of several chambers, which facilitates digestion with a plant diet.
Adaptation to arid climates
Adaptability to arid climate allows dromedary camels to live in desert regions. They are able to survive for a long time without water, being able to store it in large quantities in their body.
Special mechanisms in the body of dromedaries minimize fluid loss. Dense coat does not allow excessive evaporation, there are very few sweat glands, and animals begin to sweat only in 40-degree heat. The body temperature of a dromedary camel drops sharply at night, and during the day the body heats up slowly, which allows the animal not to sweat.
Dromedaries can go without water for a long time (a week under a pack and several months without load). Camels can survive a significant loss of fluid, up to 40% in volume, without harm to themselves, but camels drink very quickly and can quickly compensate for the entire lost volume of fluid; on occasion, they are able to drink about 1 hectoliter (100 liters) of water in 10 minutes. Other mammals are simply not able to absorb such a “camel dose” of fluid in such a short time. The basis of the dromedary's diet is dry, often thorny desert vegetation.
The hump on the back contains fat reserves, which the camel's body gradually uses for energy. Camels store liquid not in the hump, but in the stomach. The dromedary camel's kidneys extract fluid very carefully, leaving very concentrated urine. Almost all the liquid is also removed from the stool before excretion.
Chrumps, GNU 1.2
During a particularly dry season, a dromedary camel is able to lose more than 25% of its body weight without dying of thirst or hunger.
Spreading
Dromedaries are common as pets throughout North Africa and throughout the Middle East as far as India. The southern limit of their distribution range is approximately 13° northern latitude, and the northernmost point of their habitat is Turkestan, where, as in Asia Minor, they are found together with Bactrians. Dromedaries have been introduced to the Balkans, southwest Africa and the Canary Islands. From 1840 to 1907 they were even imported to Australia, where before today in the central regions live the descendants of released or escaped specimens. This population, numbering between 50 thousand and 100 thousand individuals, is currently the only large population of dromedary camels in the world living in the wild. A population of dromedary camels that appeared in a similar way existed in the southwestern United States, but became extinct at the beginning of the 20th century. Dromedar lives in more southern regions globe, than Bactrian, but is nevertheless found in Central Asia.
Behavior
Social behavior
Dromedaries are active during the daytime. Camels living in the wild usually form harem groups consisting of one male, several females and their offspring.
Growing males often form groups of bachelors, which, however, last only a short time. Sometimes fights (biting and kicking) occur between males, in which the role of the leader in the group is determined.
Nutrition
Like all camelids, dromedary camels are herbivores, capable of feeding on all types of plants, including thorny and salty ones.
Food is swallowed almost unchewed and enters the anterior stomach, where it is completely digested. This process resembles the process of digestion in ruminants ( Ruminantia), to which camels, however, do not belong zoologically.
Garrondo, CC BY-SA 3.0
Digestive system camelids apparently developed independently of this group of animals, as evidenced by the presence of numerous glands in the anterior stomach of camelids.
Reproduction
Mating occurs mainly in winter and is associated with the rainy season. The duration of pregnancy ranges from 360 to 440 days, after which, as a rule, a single baby is born; Twins are rare. Newborns can walk independently after the first day. The mother takes care of the offspring from one to two years, and the transition from milk to plant foods happens after six months. Two years after giving birth, the female can become pregnant again.
The female reaches sexual maturity at the age three years In males it occurs between the ages of four and six years. Average duration The lifespan of a dromedary camel is 40 to 50 years.
By using artificial insemination Crossing between a male dromedary camel and a female llama is possible - the result is a “kama” hybrid.
Dromedary and man
Wild dromedaries
Where exactly wild dromedaries lived and when they became extinct is not completely clear. Due to the rarity of fossil finds, as well as the possibility of interbreeding between dromedaries and Bactrians, some zoologists even speculate that wild dromedaries never existed at all. However, there is some evidence suggesting ancient wild forms of these beasts. These include 3,000-year-old cave paintings in the Arabian Peninsula depicting hunts of apparently wild camels, as well as one found in the southwest Saudi Arabia the lower jaw of a dromedary, whose age is estimated at seven thousand years, that is, before the domestication of camels began. During the Pleistocene they probably lived in North Africa until about 3000 BC. e. Sometimes these are classified as another extinct species Camelus thomasi. Wild dromedaries became completely extinct around the beginning of our era.
As mentioned above, the largest population of wild camels is found in Australia. These animals are secondary wild. Camels were introduced to Australia in the 19th century as beasts of burden, adapted to the arid climate. Since then, many of them have gone wild, and the number of the herd has increased due to the lack of predatory animals in the region. This, as in the case of the importation of rabbits to Australia, has a negative impact on the ecosystem of the continent; from helpers, camels turn into pests and even, partly, into enemies of humans and local animals...
Domesticated dromedaries
Carpenter, Frank G. (Frank George), 1855-1924, Public Domain
Helpful information
lat. Camelus dromedariusor dromedary (dromedary)
or Arabian
The name "dromedary" comes from the Greek word δρομάς, which means "running". The name "Arabian" comes from the word Arabia, where this type camels were domesticated.
Scientific classification
Domain: Eukaryotes
Kingdom: Animals
Type: Chordata
Class: Mammals
Order: Artiodactyls
Family: Camelids
Genus: Camels
Species: Bed camel
International scientific name
Camelus dromedarius Linnaeus, 1758
Dromedary and man
Wild dromedaries
Where exactly wild dromedaries lived and when they became extinct is not completely clear. Due to the rarity of fossil finds, as well as the possibility of interbreeding between dromedaries and Bactrians, some zoologists even speculate that wild dromedaries never existed at all. However, there is some evidence suggesting ancient wild forms of these beasts. These include 3,000-year-old cave paintings in the Arabian Peninsula depicting hunts of apparently wild camels, as well as a dromedary mandible found in southwestern Saudi Arabia, estimated to be 7,000 years old, predating camel domestication. During the Pleistocene they probably lived in North Africa until about 3000 BC. e. Sometimes these are referred to as another extinct species, Camelus thomasi. Wild dromedaries became completely extinct around the beginning of our era.
As mentioned above, the largest population of wild camels is found in Australia. These animals are secondary wild. Camels were introduced to Australia in the 19th century as beasts of burden, adapted to the arid climate. Since then, many of them have gone wild, and the number of the herd has increased due to the lack of predatory animals in the region. This, as in the case of the importation of rabbits to Australia, has a negative impact on the ecosystem of the continent; from helpers, camels turn into pests and even, in part, into enemies of humans and local animals.
Domesticated dromedaries
When dromedaries were domesticated, to this day it is impossible to say for sure. It is only known that the process of domestication occurred on the Arabian Peninsula and most likely it was around the third millennium BC.
The first mention of camel riders is on the Assyrian obelisk, where in the list of those who took part in the Battle of Karkar in 853 BC. e. there is a contingent of 1,000 Arab camel riders. Images of similar riders are also found on reliefs in Nimrud from the era of Ashurbanipal (661-631 BC). They show two camel riders armed with bows. The first of them is primarily occupied with driving the camel, while the second turns around and shoots at the Assyrian infantrymen. The camel is wearing a kind of reins, but it is controlled, as today, with a stick. A kind of saddle pad is attached with straps around the chest and tail of the animal.
As a domestic animal, the dromedary spread quite late, probably no earlier than the second half of the first millennium BC. Since the beginning of our era, its distribution area has been constantly growing, including due to the desertification of many regions. Today there are different breeds dromedary camels, which are adapted to various kinds functions. There are different camels for transporting goods, riding, racing, mountain and lowland camels, as well as transitional forms.
Nowadays, dromedaries are widely used as pack animals (usually carrying up to 150 kg of cargo) and riding animals, and in the endless semi-deserts stretching from North-West Africa to Central Asia and the Arabian Peninsula, they supply local residents with milk, meat and wool.