Three living species of humped desert animals: the one-humped dromedary (94% of the world’s camels), the two-humped Bactrian camel, and the endangered wild Bactrian camel. The humps store fat, not water.
This entry covers a whole group, so the answers describe a typical member. For a specific one, see Dromedary.
Quick answers
What is it?Mammal
Carnivore?No, herbivore
Dangerous?Can be
Its sheer size means it can hurt people, though with proper handling that is unlikely.
Domesticated?Yes
Dromedaries and Bactrian camels are domestic, but the wild Bactrian camel is a separate species, with only about 1,000 left.
Awake when?Daytime
Hibernates?No
Kept as a pet?No
Do people eat it?Yes
Kept as livestock for milk and meat as well as for work.
At a glance
Found inAfrica, Asia
HabitatDesert, Grassland
ColoursTan, Brown
SizeLarge
HeightAbout 1.85 m at the shoulder (dromedary)
Weight300–600 kg (dromedary); 300–1,000 kg (Bactrian)
Legs4
Covered inFur
Lives inherds
Lives for40–50 years
Can swim
In the wild
- Where it lives
- Mostly domestic. The dromedary comes from the hot deserts of the Arabian Peninsula and the Sahara; the Bactrian camel from the steppes of Central Asia.
- What it eats
- Desert plants. A thick, leathery lining to the mouth lets camels chew thorny ones.
Did you know
The humps are fat, not water.
A dromedary can go as long as 10 days between drinks, even in very hot weather.
Often confused with
- Llama
A llama is a South American relative of the camel but not a true camel, and it has no hump.
Compare side by side - Dromedary
The dromedary has one hump. The Bactrian camel has two and is up to a foot taller.
Compare side by side
On these lists
Sources
Play
Could you have guessed it?
A photo, a few hints, one guess. Same 438 animals.
