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“TRUST IN ALLAH, BUT TIE YOUR CAMEL.”-ARABIAN PROVERB-
The Dromedary Camel
Kingdom: AnimaliaPhylum: ChordataClass: MammaliaOrder: ArtiodactylaFamily: BovidaeG. Species: Camelus Dromedarius
SCIENTIFIC CLASSIFICATIO
N
No, Really, WTF is a Camel?
Range
Its native range is still unclear but it was probably the Arabian Peninsula and the domesticated form occurs in Africa and Saudi Arabia. The only ‘wild’ camels are in Africa.
No, Really, WTF is a Camel? cont.
General Characteristic
s
Body Length: 10 ftShoulder Height: 6-7 ftWeight: 1320-2200 lbs.
Males are considerably larger than females
Coat is beige to light-brown with slightly lighter undersides.
Legs are long & slender with calluses on the knees
Upper lip is deeply spiltClosable nostrils & long eyelashes to
keep sand outTwo broad toes on feetCamels are known for having bad
attitudes to begin with, (biting, spitting, being smelly, etc.)
No, Really, WTF is a Camel? cont.
What’s With the Hump?
The hump does not store water!It stores fat that the camel is able
to break down into water and energy when none is available
The dromedary is considered the ‘one-hump’ camel but it actually has two humps The underdeveloped anterior hump sits
over the shoulders while the other one is in the center of the back, obviously.
Someone called camels the ‘ship of the desert’ because of their humps and that’s somehow supposed to make sense and be clever
No, Really, WTF is a Camel? cont.
Humble Beginnings
Became established in the Sahara region in the second millennium BC Disappeared again around 900 BC
Persian invasion brought domesticated animals to Egypt Used throughout North Africa
Romans kept a corps of camel warriors to patrol the desert
BUT these camels didn’t do
crap for the trade industry…
The History of the Dromedary Camel
The Better, Buffer Camel
More durable camels arrived in the 4th century Before then, the trips across the
desert were taken by horse-drawn carriage— these were dangerous.
These camels did not become common until some Islamic conquest made them common.
These heartier camels allowed substantial trade across the Sahara desert for the first time
The History of the Dromedary Camel cont.
The Camel’s Adventure to
Australia
In 1840 the first camels were shipped to Australia from a Spanish island off the coast of Africa Only one camel survived the voyage
It was kind of a fail for the Spaniards
The explorer John Horrocks was one of the first people to use camels to explore The Outback of Australia during the 1840’s.
Thanks to all this there are about 300,000 feral camels roaming around Australia Australian Feral camels are the only real
‘wild’ camels now
The History of the Dromedary Camel cont.
About Mom & Dad
Female camels are called cowsMale camels are called bulls
Bulls have an inflatable soft palate (like frog’s) that they fill with air to attract a cow
Cows reach sexual maturity when 3 or 4 years old
Bulls reach sexual maturity at 5 years old A fully mature bull really gets around:
‘covering’ 20–50 females in one breeding season
The gestation period is between 12 and 13 months
Only one calf is born Twins are wicked rare, FYI, so don’t get your
hopes up
Let’s Make Baby Camels!
The Finished Product
Called calvesNewborn stands about 3 feet tall
with long, thin legs So weak & wobbly it can barley walk
A day after birth it can follow its mother to graze If the mother is a member of a human-
lead caravan, the calf is put in a nifty hammock and carried on one of the super-buff camels so that the group can keep moving
Baby camels are born without a hump because the layer of fat doesn’t develop until they eat solid food
Let’s Make Baby Camels! cont.
Its Better When You’re
Together
Groups are called herds or caravans
Herds are not territorial and may join up during droughts
Family groups: a feral herd of females and young led by an adult male; usually fewer than 21 individuals
Other males, not in family groups, are solitary or travel in ‘bachelor groups’
Behavior and Survival
How To Get The Ladies Bulls splash urine on their tails
and flick them around to cover their backs— the AXE of the dromedary world —besides puffing up their soft palate
Males also gurgle their saliva to create foam
Behavior and Survival cont.
Its About To Get Violent Up In This
Piece!
Males become very aggressive during the breeding season, defending their women from the other guys
They snap, kick, and neck-wrestle to protect their harem
Camel neck-wrestling is no laughing matter! Suffocation of the loser may occur if
the winner falls on his throat
Behavior and Survival cont.
Survivor:Sahara
Aside from its eyelashes, closable nostrils, large padded feet, and hump here are a few other ways the camel survives in its harsh habitat: Its feeding behavior: it only eats a
few leaves from each plant as a method of conservation
It is capable of eating plants other herbivores can’t. (i.e. the thorns from acacia tree)
Herds will spread over a large area so they do not eat all the vegetation
Behavior and Survival cont.
The Many Uses of the Dromedary
Used mainly as a beast of burden In some cultures, wealth is based on the
number of camels a person owns
Camel hair is also a source camels can offer. You can use it to make belts, purses, shirts, tents, etc.
Dromedary meat is consumed a lot in the Arabian Peninsula, Somalia, Sudan, and Egypt (but only a little)
Some police/border guards ride camels when on patrol
Are Camels Useless?
And don’t forget Joe Camel!
I W O N ’ T A P O L O G I Z E I F I T WA S B O R I N G .
I L I K E C A M E L S .
THE END!