Camels are an iconic image of the red North African sands of the Sahara Desert.
But did you know that camels also make their homes in Cabo San Lucas?
Cabo is surrounding Baja Desert is the same latitude as the Sahara, with a similar climate,
making it a great home for camels.
Camels are gentle and friendly creatures.
Most people don’t get much of a chance to interact with them,
so they might have many questions about this interesting creature,
including what types of camels there are and what do camels eat.
Let’s take a look at some fun facts about camels.
Why do some camels have one hump and others two?
They are two different species. Asian camels, known as Bactrian camels, have two humps,
while Arabian camels, known as Dromedary camels, have one.
If a camel has not eaten in a while, its humps may droop as the fat stores start to empty!
They will stand up straight again once they find food and restock their fat supply.
The word “camel” comes from the Arabic word for “beautiful.”
While beauty might not be the first thing that comes to mind when you think about a camel,
there’s much to admire and appreciate about these animals.
Camels are native to Africa, the Middle East, and Asia,
where they have been used for centuries as work animals to carry people and gear
through the desert.
They can carry up to 600 lbs, run up to 25 miles an hour
and have earned the nickname of “ships of the desert.”
At birth they weigh between 57 to 100 lbs and an adult can reach up to 2500 lbs.
Where do camels live?
The one-humped camel resides in North Africa and the Middle East,
while the two-humped camel is commonly found in Central Asia.
No matter where they live, camels are usually found in desert-type climates.
Camels can also be found in cold weather climates as well, despite popular belief.
How big are camels?
Most camels are much larger than humans are.
The average two-humped camel grows to a shoulder height of 2 meters in length
and a body length of about 3 meters.
Adult males can weigh anywhere from 1,320 to 2,200 pounds (600 - 1000kg).
A one-humped camel is about 1.9 meters tall
and weigh anywhere from 880 to 1,325 pounds (400 - 600kg).
Camels Don't Store Water in Their Humps
The camel's hump is its most notable feature.
However, contrary to popular belief, it isn't used to store water.
Instead, the hump stores fat.
The fat releases both energy and water when resources are unavailable.
It also serves another purpose: By storing most of its fat in one place,
a camel is not covered in insulating fat and thus can stay cooler in the desert heat.
Healthy camels with significant fat stores can survive without food
or water for a couple of weeks.
Camels have oval-shaped red blood cells
that help continue blood flow during times when water is scarce.
They Are Built for the Desert
Camels have many adaptations for living in harsh desert environments.
To keep out dust and sand, they have three eyelids and two sets of eyelashes.
Camel's ears are furry. Hairs keep the sand and dust away from their ears.
Besides ears and eyes,
their nostrils prevent the sand from entering by closing in between two breaths.
Camels are animals with large eyes and nostrils which give them good sight and smell.
They also have extra thick lips that allow them to eat thorny plants that other animals can't.
Thick pads of skin on their chest and knees protect them from hot sand,
and large, flat feet allow them to walk without sinking into the sand.
Camel's foot consists of two toes that spread when animal touches the ground.
The bottoms of their feet are also padded to help them when in rocky or stony regions.
With their cream to brown coloured, short but thick fur
which not only protects their skin from the sun during the day,
but also helps to keep them warm when the temperature plummets at night.
They Can Hydrate Quickly
While camels don’t store water in their humps,
these desert animals are great at conserving water.
Dromedary camels use heterothermy to regulate their body temperature throughout the day.
This prevents them from sweating during daily increases in temperature, conserving water.
When a camel does come across water, it can fill up in a hurry,
drinking as much as 26 gallons in 10 minutes.
Camels Are Social Animals
Camels travel in herds and both dromedary and Bactrian camels are social creatures.
Groups are composed of as many as 30 individuals including a family unit
with one dominant male.
With the exception of males establishing dominance during breeding,
camels are not prone to aggressive outbursts.
They don’t just travel together;
camels also communicate with members of their group by making sounds like moans and bellows.
They Provide Nourishment
Camels have provided sustenance to humans for thousands of years in the form of meat
and milk.
Camel's milk is lower in cholesterol
and higher in vitamin C and minerals like sodium
and potassium compared with the milk of other ruminants.
Milk from camels is also considered to be more like human milk than milk from cows.
In the arid desert regions camels inhabit,
their meat is also an important source of protein.
They Do the Heavy Lifting
Camels have an impressive ability to carry a heavy load.
The Bactrian camel can carry up to 440 pounds in a day,
while the dromedary can haul up to 220 pounds.
Because the fat stored in their humps provides energy,
these herbivores are able to work without requiring frequent breaks for food or water.
What Do Camels Eat?
Camels are definitely not picky eaters,
which is a good trait as food and water can be scarce in the desert.
Typically, camels are fed grass, grains, wheat, and oats.
When food is scarce in the desert, camels can survive on dried leaves and seeds,
and they will even eat leather.
Camels can also eat thorny plants without getting injured,
thanks to their thick lips and their 34 teeth.
Their stomachs are also divided into three compartments to help them digest this unique diet.
One thing you will not catch them eating, though, is meat
camels are herbivores.
Do Camels Sleep?
Camels do sleep. They actually can sleep standing up,
which helps keep them safe from predators.
They sleep about six hours per night,
and can withstand major temperature changes from the sweltering heat of the day
to the cold desert nights.
Wild camels roam for food at night and rest during the hot day.
They appear very slow and laid back.
Wild camels work together when looking for food.
Digestion
Camels are ruminants but camels do not chew their food very well before swallowing.
The first stomach stores the food that is not completely chewed.
Later, this food returns to the camel's mouth, and the camel chews it again.
Then the camel swallows the cud
and it goes to the other parts of the stomach to be completely digested.
They are also known to consume plants that are high in salt
which again means there is less competition from other animals for food.
Threats
Nothing eats one-humped camels, because while plenty of them live in captivity,
they are extinct in the wild throughout their native range.
The main natural predator that kills and eats these two-humped camels is the wolf.
However, wild Bactrian camels are in much more danger from human hunters
than they are from wolves.
When they are provoked, they spit greenish substance from their stomach.
Also they can use all four legs to kick their opponent in self defense.
In fact, two-humped camels are in danger of going extinct in the wild
because people keep killing them for food.
The biggest threat to the Camel is drought.
Camels are smarter than horses.
Camels can live around 40 - 50 years.
Temperature of their body ranges from 34 (during the night)
to 41 degrees of Celsius (during the day).
They will start sweating when temperature rise over 41 degrees of Celsius.
Camels rest by lying down and do so by bending their front legs underneath them,
followed by the back.
They are also known to move in a different way to many mammals
by moving both left legs then both the right to make them walk.
Both female and male Camels come into heat during the breeding season
which usually lasts between November and March.
A camel’s gestation period lasts 13-14 months.
Within eight hours the young calf is able to stand
and is then nursed by its mother in the protection of the herd until it is big
and strong enough to become independent.
Baby camels are born without humps. They call to their mothers with a lamb-like “baa” sound.
Mother and child camel pairings are extremely close, staying together for several years.
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