Monday, April 7, 2008

Camel: The Beast of Burden


This is a (psychotic flag wielding) bactrian camel!!! I know because it has two humps! There are only 1.4 million of these camels left compared to its one humped counterpart, the dromedary that numbers about 14 million. Currently, almost all camels have been domesticated. Like the buffalo, we will never see the majestic camel run wild and free (except for the 1000 wild bactarians in the Gobi desert. Apparently there is also a feral population of about 700,000 is Australia but they're subject to systematic extermination...just kidding, I don't know if that's true...actually yes, this is true.)

Both the dromedary and the bactrian can live for sixty to eighty years and stand 6 feet tall at the shoulders. They're found in the dry deserts of western, central, and eastern Asia although the dromedary is particular to western Asia. While the bacterian camels are more well equipped for the rugged cold, the dromedary prefers the arid heat and maintains a body temp of 106 F that would normally kill most animals!

Despite popular belief, the camel does not store water in its humps. I don't know where that rumor came from but I believed it until this very moment. It reminds me of the time my science teacher in 7th grade told us that pandas weren't bears but raccoons. Anyway, what really happens is a number of things:
1. Their blood cells are oval shaped instead of circular so they travel more easily in a dehydrated state.
2. Their nostrils magically trap water that is being exhaled and return it to the body.
3. The can stand 20-25% weight loss due to sweating unlike most animals who can only stay 3-4%.
4. A camel's coat reflects the sun. The more hair the better!
5. The kidneys and intestines are awesome at retaining water. Their urine comes out like molasses and you can make a fire with their shit!

Ok, I think that's about all I want to say about the camel. They're totally cool though and I have a new found respect for them. They've carried a lot of stuff for us humans and they truly are the "beast of burden." One word of caution though, it is said that if you eat raw camel liver you might catch the bubonic plague...no joke.

4 comments:

M said...

Wow. I had no idea they lived that long. But I totally knew there was no water in their humps.

fxr said...

I know you can ride the two hump camels. We even have a camel saddle in the house. What about the one hump? That would seem a bit precarious. Are there any theories about the evolutionary purpose of the humps? If not, would you please make some up.

Littlesisgrrr said...

purely for fasion I'm guessing. You know that song, "Mustang Sally"? I used to always imagine "Mustang Sally" as a femal camel when I was little. Weird.

ryangreenart said...

he is cute