Camels in winter. Habitat of camels
These unusual animals are not like others. Many peoples cannot imagine life without the majestic and strong camels, domesticated many centuries ago. In some countries, the wealth of families is determined by the number of camel herds. For a very long time in the East, camel pack was the standard measure of weight. And old Arabic tales, in which the “ship of the desert” appears in one way or another, are spread all over the world.
The owners of these animals claim that camels are smart and understand humans very well, but each of them has its own character. And some are just terribly stubborn!
Many of us are still school days They know that there are different types of camels, similar to each other, but also different in some ways. What are they common features and what are the differences?
General characteristics of the family
Of course, the main distinctive feature is the presence of a hump. By the way, it is by this feature that you can easily understand what species a camel belongs to. The camelid family includes several genera that are not camels, but are very closely related to them. All of these animals are mammals. The family belongs to the suborder Callopods. The peculiar structure of the legs is one of the main characteristics of the family. All camelids do not have (functional) hooves, and the underside of the foot is a calloused pad. In some genera it is paired, in others it is not.
Another characteristic feature- Long neck. But the most unusual, perhaps, is another feature of camelids, which is not visible to the naked eye. All members of the family have oval red blood cells, rather than round ones, like almost all other animals (and humans).
It is noteworthy that the vast majority of members of the family are excellent swimmers. In the natural habitat of camels, as a rule, there is a shortage of water; many of them have never seen lakes or rivers in their lives, so the mechanism of this phenomenon is not completely clear.
Prehistoric Alticamelus
These animals, of which today only fragments of skeletons remain, scattered throughout to the globe, were one of the most numerous representatives of the “mammoth fauna”. The genus included similar species of camels, the names of which were given either by the names of the researchers (for example, Knobloch's camel) or by their habitat (Alexandrian camel).
In total, modern scientists identify up to ten species of extinct camels. All of them were larger than modern ones, had very long necks, and looked somewhat like giraffes (but the resemblance is exclusively convergent). Alticamelus were common in the Cenozoic.
Bactrian with two humps
Camel species differ not only in the number of humps, but also in body size. The presence of two humps is main feature, by which you can easily determine that it is a Bactrian in front of you, but the height and weight of the animal are also important. larger and heavier than its one-humped relative and all other members of the family included in other genera.
This species tolerates heat well, but it is not afraid of moderate frosts. And here high humidity for Bactrian it is destructive. It is found in Central and Central Asia, in Mongolia and the neighboring regions of China and Russia. People have bred many breeds of Bactrian, which are widely used in the economy as draft power or Camel meat and milk are very valuable, due to which they occupy an important place in national cuisines many peoples. The thick fur of the Bactrian is of considerable interest. A large number of camels of this species are kept in circuses and zoos.
Khaptagay
Most sources name only such types of camels as one-humped and two-humped. But some scientists are inclined to classify haptagai as a separate species. The version is supported by the results of genetic studies and obvious external differences. Moreover, even the belief that Bactrian descended from the wild haptagai is questioned. Outwardly they are similar. But the wild camel is smaller than representatives of domestic meat breeds.
The subspecies was first described by the famous researcher Przhevalsky. During the time of the scientist, the wild population Bactrian camels was much larger than it is now. Currently, there are only a few hundred haptagai.
All kinds of studies of these animals make it possible to better study them and determine measures that will help maintain the number of livestock. In addition, scientists are trying to establish between Bactrians. Perhaps these are still different types of camels, but at present official science does not recognize this.
Dromedar - ship of the desert
The one-humped camel is common in the Middle East and North Africa, in Asia Minor. He is also unusually hardy, unpretentious, and strong. Man domesticated the wild dromedary camel several thousand years ago, and since then the dromedary has been an integral part of the world order of several nations. Like its two-humped brother, it is of great value on the farm.
Dromedaries are not found in nature. The ancestors of this animal, which did not lend themselves to domestication, became extinct at the dawn of our era. There is information about wild dromedaries, but these are not autochthons, but wild animals that once lived with humans. And such cases are rare. There is no talk of identifying dromedaries that are lost or have run away from home as a separate species.
By comparing the types of camels, photos of which are presented in this article, you can easily identify a dromedary by the presence of a luxurious hump.
Other members of the family
Camels, llamas and vicuñas are the three genera that make up the camelid family. The types of genera are few. The genus of llamas, for example, has only two: the llamas themselves (domestic) and the wild form of the guanaco. The genus vicuña includes one species - vicuñas, very similar to guanacos, but even smaller in size.
Some researchers call the llama and vicuña genera New World camels. They are much smaller than dromedaries and bactrians and do not even have a hint of a hump.
Who is this Nar?
This unusual word unites a huge variety of hybrids of dromedary and bactrian. The resulting individuals from parents of different species, like many other hybrids, are distinguished by excellent health, physical strength and endurance even greater than that of its parents. Nars are capable of producing viable offspring, but the third generation usually produces weak individuals that are of no value to breeders. Nars are crossed with both Bactrians and Dromedars, obtaining good results. Often a hybrid camel calf is born large, grows quickly, and in adulthood is even larger in size than its camel parent.
What types of hybrid camels breeders obtain depends on the purpose. With the help of crossing, they usually try to highlight some characteristic: length and quality of wool, specific amount meat, endurance. Exists great amount camel breeding schemes. Kospak, zhabray, iner, kuz, kez-nar - this is not a complete list. However, hybrid individuals are not isolated in individual species and even into breeds.
In the wild, this phenomenon does not occur for the reason that the two-humped and one-humped camels have different habitats. It is noteworthy that the bunks always have one hump, but it is formed from two fused ones.
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 - Bactrian, named after the ancient state Central Asia, Bactria, where the unpretentious “ships of the desert” were first tamed by humans.
The camel is a unique example of the 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 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 better review the eyes have a third eyelid that protects from dust and sand, and are surrounded by long thick eyelashes. Additional protection Deep brow ridges also provide protection from the wind. 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 have a sharp, rather unpleasant odor. Contrary to popular belief, this “aroma” does not come from sweat. Camels practically do not sweat at all (in conditions arid climate 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.
What distinguishes these animals from other artiodactyls is 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 are 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 of them amazing features They also have a downside: the list of places where camels live is not so long. In a humid climate, neither a one-humped nor a two-humped camel can exist, and they very quickly get sick and die.
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 an 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 number of wild camels is rapidly declining, and their distribution area is becoming smaller. The reason for this was human activity: almost everything open sources The waters in the desert have long been occupied by people, and the 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, it is impossible to meet them in the wild. The wild dromedary camel finally became extinct at the turn of the century New era and these days they are 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 in the 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’s not surprising that every nation gave given name to your 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 foods. The answer to such unpretentiousness lies in the structure digestive organs camel 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 are oval in shape, which makes them better able to retain moisture. “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). Get these moisture amazing creatures maybe even 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 or goat milk. Due to its low content of caseic acid, it is easily digestible, has a foamy appearance and 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 half the size 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 rainy time of the year. 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, 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 their 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 there are barely more than 3,000 individuals in the world.
Lifestyle of Khaptagai camels
Camels in the wild lead a nomadic life, constantly migrating from one source of water to another. They usually wander 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 migrate to 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 items: the two-humped Bactrian and the single-humped dromedary.
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 and 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 the 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. A distinctive feature of this breed is one large, as if consisting of two parts, hump. 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. Males participate in the rut starting from the age of 5 (for 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 two-humped camel species 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. Thus, on the coat of arms of the 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 distinguished by their rather high growth: 190–230 cm at the withers, and males are 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 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 that reach the age of 50 years at average duration life 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.
Hump performs another one important function: regulates heat exchange. This is due to the climatic conditions of the 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.
Did you know that there are about 300,000 wild camels in Australia? There are so many camels here that Australia exports them to the Middle East! The first 10,000 camels were brought to the Australian continent in the 19th century - they were used to transport goods.
In 1922, the number of domestic camels reached 22 thousand. The development of railways and roads has completely ousted the “ships of the desert” from the transport sector. Many of the animals were left to their own devices. They moved freely, multiplied and, as a result, firmly settled in the desert lands of Australia.
What is there now?
There are no predators in Australia, so over a hundred years wild camels have proliferated incredibly - their numbers have doubled every year. By 2009, there were already about a million camels in Australia. Moreover, wild camel herds can now only be found in Australia - this is not even the case in Egypt and the UAE. In 2002, Australia began exporting camel meat, popular among Arabs, to the United Arab Emirates. Australian racing camels are valued in Arab countries.
Camels cause significant harm to the nature of Australia - in some areas they destroy up to 80% of all vegetation. For the local ecosystem to begin to disappear, it is enough for only a few camels to live on 1 square kilometer of territory! And when there is a drought in Australia, wild camels, in search of water, destroy fences, break unattended pumps, taps and even toilets.
It wouldn't take long for a herd of camels to drink all the water from an artesian spring, even if there was any water left behind, it would quickly go rancid. Of course, these animals consume a lot of water, and the remaining becomes rotten, and the fish cannot survive in it,” said Ian Ferguson, head of the Australian non-profit organization Ninti One, as quoted in the report. “The easiest, fastest and cheapest way is to shoot these animals from the air,” Turner said. As ABC explained, snipers will be sent to rural areas by helicopter. It is not known exactly how many animals are supposed to be slaughtered. In many places there are simply too many camels. In an interview with the Australian broadcaster ABC, Turner said that in some places farmers are reporting 200 animals congregating at one well. In agricultural areas, the number of camels has reached 60 thousand, and they often drink water intended for sheep and cows.
In addition, Ferguson pointed out that camels disable wind turbines and roam the roads, creating a safety problem for motorists.
The Australian government is currently implementing a program to reduce the number of wild camels in the country. So, since 2008, the authorities have shot 135 thousand of these animals from helicopters, and another 25 thousand were used for commercial purposes, for example, they were slaughtered for meat. According to experts, the current population of wild camels in Australia is about 140 thousand animals.
Back in 2011, Australian authorities decided to carry out a mass slaughter of camels. The population of these animals is growing too quickly and threatens the well-being of small cattle. Camels will be shot from the air.
Camels, apparently, repeated the fate of other animals brought to Australia. In all cases, the problem is the absence of predators that can restrain the uncontrolled reproduction of “guests”.
First, the Green Continent was faced with an invasion of rabbits, once brought by an English rich man who wanted to shoot in his spare time. Another sad lesson was taught to Australians by poisonous cane toads, introduced to control pests on sugar cane plantations.
Australian agricultural land surveyor Chris Turner estimates the camel population is increasing by 11% a year. In 2011, about half a million of these artiodactyls walked across the sands of central, northern and western Australia, swaying their humps.
However, environmental movements are concerned about the government's plans. Hugh Wirth, president of the Royal Australian Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, said: “You shoot while in motion, the animal is in motion. It is impossible to kill instantly, cleanly, humanely in such conditions.”
The group Animals Australia was even more critical in its comments, with its chief executive Glenys Ugyes calling the planned cull a "meat grinder". According to her, previous shootings - wild horses and goats showed that this is a very harsh activity towards animals. Animals are harmed mortal wounds, but it is not possible to kill them quickly.
“We have seen the horrendous cruelty inherent in these killings and, from the air, it is almost impossible to ensure that every animal is killed,” she said.
Every person knows that a camel is a “ship of the desert.” No one has yet been able to replace this beautiful animal in the vast sandy expanses. The main attribute of a camel is, of course, its hump. Many people mistakenly assume that the camel carries water in it; this is not true. In fact, fat accumulates in the humps (up to 190 kg), which the camel uses if necessary. A camel can exist without water and food long time and feel great, but at the same time he loses up to 40% of his body weight.
There are two types of camels: two-humped (Bactrians) and one-humped (dromedaries). Dromedaries live in Africa, Asia, Arabia, India, and Turkmenistan. They are used for transport in the desert and as a source of meat, wool and milk. Bactrians live in China, Mongolia, Kalmykia, and Kazakhstan. These camels are also used in households.
Camels live about 30-40 years and they live in harems, which makes it much easier to care for their offspring. When it comes to females, these cute animals become very aggressive. But not all camels live in harems; sometimes you can also find solitary camels.
Camels mainly live in deserts, and the question immediately comes to mind: what do camels eat? These animals feed on plants. At the same time, the camel’s body is designed in such a way that this animal can use thorny plants (for example, camel thorn), inedible for other animals, and even mimosa branches, the needles of which can easily pierce the sole of a boot. Camels can also drink bitterly salty water.
If you cross a Bactrian and a Dromedary, the resulting hybrids are called Nars. Such offspring are stronger and more resilient than their parents.
Perhaps not the best, but still a video about camels.
Bactrians:
Among the sands of the hot desert lives a beautiful, majestic animal - the camel. It's not called the ship of the desert for nothing. Since ancient times, people have noticed the camel's ability to easily move across the sands, withstand storms, drought and other harsh environmental conditions. People fell in love with the animal so much that it was domesticated and began to help in the household.
“God's gift” is how the name of the dromedary camel is translated from Arabic. The specific appearance of these animals delights visitors to zoos and circuses.
What types of camels are there?
Today there are two types of animals: the two-humped camel and the one-humped camel. In addition, there are individuals living in wild environment and domesticated. Scientific name the two-humped camel is the Bactrian, the one-humped camel is the dromedary. Often there is another name for the dromedary camel - jemmel, translated as “Arab camel”. According to species, they belong to a special family allocated for them - Camelidae.
Appearance of a two-humped and one-humped camel
So, dromedaries are slimmer individuals. People who are tall (2.5 meters) and have long slender legs, they weigh only 350-700 kilograms. In addition, their fur has an ash-yellow tint.
Another thing is the Bactrian camel, whose name is Bactrian. Their fur is thick and their height reaches 2.7 meters. Animals with two humps weigh up to 800 kilograms. The color is also different - in Bactrians it is gray-yellow.
Nevertheless, one-humped and two-humped camels have a large number of similar features, thanks to which they were included in a special order - Calloused. The point is the special structure of the foot, which allows them to walk unhindered on the sand.
When walking, a camel does not rely on its hoof, but on several phalanges of its toes, forming a unique cushion-callus. Camels have two such supporting toes. They are forked and in appearance resemble the hooves of artiodactyls.
Camels are also distinguished by their neck, which bends downward.
Adaptability to harsh desert conditions
To feel great in dry, hot desert conditions, animals have a number of features. The main thing in the desert is to retain as much fluid as possible and overcome overheating. The long hair of camels is designed to combat overheating. The dromedary camel has less hair. Most likely, this is due to the fact that these animals do not occur in nature. Another thing is the two-humped camel. His coat is long (winter) or middle length(summer). But in any case, it is very dense and thick. This creates an excellent barrier for the camel that does not allow hot or cold air to pass through.
In the desert, the differences between day and night temperatures are very large - for this, camels have another unique property: wide range of body temperature. The animal can withstand temperatures from minus 35 to 40 degrees Celsius. If an ordinary mammal with constant permissible temperature While the body turns on the mechanisms of thermoregulation with a slight change, the camel turns on these mechanisms (sweating) only at temperatures above 40 degrees. This not only creates comfort for the animal, but also helps retain precious moisture.
The animal's specific nostrils also help prevent wasting water reserves and conserving it.
They have a slot-like shape and close very tightly. In addition, a special partition in the nasal cavity accumulates steam, condenses it and directs it into the oral cavity. This way, not a drop of water is wasted.
The special design of the nostrils performs another important function - they help the camel breathe during a sandstorm. And large eyelashes protect the eyes from grains of sand getting there.
The kidneys and intestines help retain moisture. The former produce very concentrated urine, while the latter produces dehydrated manure.
How do camels accumulate moisture? Animals can absorb water phenomenally quickly: in 10 minutes up to 150 liters. Life-giving moisture accumulates in the stomach. In the heat, camels may not experience thirst for up to 5 days, and a dromedary camel - up to 10, if it does not perform heavy work. physical work. like this unique feature provides animals special structure red blood cells - they have oval shape, accordingly, retain moisture longer.
Why does a camel have a hump?
A distinctive feature by which even children can easily recognize a camel is its hump. It is a mistake to believe that it contains a supply of water. No. Adipose tissue is concentrated in the hump - it contains nutrients that the animal consumes when necessary as food or drink. After all, it is known that water is a by-product of the breakdown of fat.
It is interesting that the well-being of an animal is judged by its humps. If they stick up - the camel is in perfect condition physical fitness. Otherwise, the humps sag or disappear completely.
Habitat of two-humped and one-humped camels
Previously, the wild Bactrian camel lived throughout Asia, but nowadays it can only be found in the Gobi Desert. Domesticated Bactrian is still found in many Asian countries such as China, Turkmenistan, Pakistan, Mongolia, Kalmykia, Kazakhstan. Since the 19th century, the Bactrian camel has been used even in Siberia. Accustomed to the harsh climatic conditions, it is ideal for transporting goods.
The Bactrian camel is becoming increasingly rare in the desert. They are being actively domesticated.
The Arabian Peninsula and North Africa are the habitat of dromedary camels. In the wild, dromedaries are very rare. They do not have such a layer of wool as Bactrians, so they prefer warm climates. They can be found in Pakistan or India; dromedary camels also reach Turkmenistan. Dromedaries also liked Australia - they were brought there about a thousand years ago.
Camel lifestyle
The area where the two-humped camel lives (as well as the one-humped camel) is desert or semi-desert with low vegetation. They lead a predominantly sedentary lifestyle, although they can roam over impressive distances, because the territory of their territories is very vast. “Wandering a lot” - this is how “camel” is translated from the Old Church Slavonic language.
During the day, in the sweltering heat, the animals rest and lie down. They prefer to eat in the evening and morning. The usual walking speed of a camel is 10 km/h. If the animal is frightened, it can reach speeds of up to 30 km/h. It is worth noting that a camel can see danger at a kilometer distance.
They live in families. The number reaches 10 individuals. The family is headed by a male, with several females and cubs subordinate to him. There are males leading a solitary lifestyle. Camels are calm and calm animals. They do not waste energy on games and conflicts.
It is worth noting that camels are excellent swimmers.
The life expectancy of the animal is 40-50 years. The mating season occurs in autumn-winter. Moreover, males behave very aggressively at this time: they can attack domestic camels, lead away or kill females. The cub is born on average after a little over a year. Almost immediately the camel gets to his feet.
Until one and a half years, the female mother feeds him with her nutritious, fatty milk. The baby camel stays with its mother until puberty (3-5 years).
Adult camels have practically no enemies, but baby camels are attacked by wolves.
Animals are known for their ability to spit when in danger. It is worth noting that the Bactrian camel most often spits at another individual. A person rarely gets it. Only when, in the opinion of the animal, danger comes from it. When a camel defends itself, it kicks, bites, and can trample with its front legs.
Camel nutrition
Bitter, tough, low vegetation is what the one-humped and two-humped camels feed on. The name of the bush speaks for itself: “camel thorn.” Animals are absolutely unpretentious in their choice of food. Movable forked lips allow the camel to chew as little as possible, so thorny plants are not a hindrance for him.
Camels do not pass by any body of water: they drink copiously and with great pleasure.
Wild and domestic camels
Unfortunately, camels are becoming less and less common in the wild. One-humped animals are not found in the natural environment at all, and the number of two-humped animals is only 1000 individuals, which live in special reserves. We talked about the name of the Bactrian camel, listed in the Red Book - it is Bactrian.
Having no enemies among the desert inhabitants, the camel is in danger due to human activity. On the one hand, animals are caught for domestication and domestication, and on the other, their habitats are destroyed.
Domestic camels are wayward, proud animals with a sense of self-esteem. They cannot tolerate cruelty or neglect. A camel will never get to its feet at the owner’s request unless it decides for itself that it has had a good rest. The camel will not allow herself to be milked by a stranger. Must do this certain person and exclusively in the presence of a baby camel. Despite difficult communication with humans, camels are very loyal animals, they become attached to a good owner, and are capable of learning and training.
Benefits for humans
Man began domesticating camels quite a long time ago, almost 5 thousand years ago. In addition to physical assistance in transporting goods, animals provide valuable milk, high-quality leather, and warm fur. Even camel bone is used to make jewelry and household items for Bedouins. It’s not for nothing that animals are held in high esteem by those who breed them.
Many residents of tourist destination countries use camels to entertain visitors.
Without the participation of these hardy animals, trade in ancient times would not have taken place, and as a result, powerful civilizations would not have flourished. People would not have become acquainted with oriental spices or Chinese silk. Camels were also used in wars. By the way, there is still a camel regiment in India.
The camel also played a role in the development North America. It was with the help of these animals that goods were transported. With invention railway the camels were evicted to the natural environment deserts where they were destroyed by local farmers. That's why there are no animals left in America.