Arabian Camel (Camelus Dromedarious)



Arabian Camel...or Camelus Dromedarious!!!

Camels...they're not just a cigarette! The Arabian Camel is found in large numbers in North Africa, the Middle East, and Australia. These camels are also known as the dromedary camel and are one of the most common species of the camel family. Two other members of the camel family are llama and alpaca, which are found in South America.

Dromedary camels have only one hump on their backs, while bactrian camels have two. Though most people think that camel humps are for storing water, they are wrong. Camel humps are actually the storing place of fatty tissue. The fat acts as energy to the camel, and the fat can hold up to 1 gram of water per 1 gram of fat. This is part of the reason why camels can survive a long time in the desert without water.

 Male dromedaries can measure from 1.8 meters - 2.0 meters, and can weigh up to 600 kilograms. The females measure from about 1.7 meters - 1.9 meters, and weigh 10% less than males.

Given that camels are so large and  well adapted to living in the desert, they are used by the Bedouins to carry cargo and people across the desert. Camel hair is also used by the Bedouins to produce their tents and garments.

 At one point, the U.S. army considered using the camel for transport in the South-Western North American deserts,but in the end the idea was turned down. A number of camels were actually imported for this purpose but once the Civil War broke out the idea was largely forgotten...likely because one of the main sponsors of the idea was Secretary of War, Jefferson Davis, who had then left the Union and became the president of the Confederate States! Till this day, there are still Arabian Camels running around in the South-Western U.S.