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Dromedary Camel

Common Name: Dromedary Camel

Scientific Name: Camelus dromedarius

Location: Africa, Middle East, Australia

Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Mammalia Order: Artiodactyla Family: Camelidae Genus: Camelus Species: C. dromedarius
Binomial name
Camelus dromedarius Linnaeus, 1758

Description or Interesting Fact

The Dromedary camel (Camelus dromedarius) is a large even-toed ungulate. It is often referred to as the one-humped camel, Arabian camel, or simply as the "dromedary".

The dromedary camel is arguably the best-known member of the camel family. Other members of the camel family include the llama and the alpaca in South America. The Dromedary has one hump on its back, in contrast to the Bactrian camel which has two.

Dromedaries have a cream to brown or black short-haired coat, which is longer on the head, neck, throat, rump and tail. They have a single hump, long legs and a long, curved neck. The hump stores fat, which they are able to draw upon for sustenance; and oxidation of the fat manufactures water.

Location

They inhabit South West Asia and North Africa. They are also feral in Australia after being introduced in the mid-19th century, principally as draft animals - about 500,000 survive wild in the outback.

Habitat

Its native range is unclear, but it was probably the Arabian Peninsula.

The domesticated form occurs widely in northern Africa and the Middle East; the world's only population of dromedaries exhibiting wild behavior is an introduced feral population in Australia.

They are desert animals and have have numerous adaptations for life in an arid habitat. They have webbed feet (to prevent sinking in the sand); they can close their nostrils and they have a double row of eyelashes to keep out the sand. They can endure long periods without drinking - up to 17 days. When they do drink, they can take up to 136 liters (30 gallons) at a time. By producing dry feces and little urine, they can conserve water. Their body temperature can rise 6-8 degree Celsius before sweating.

Lifespan?

40-50 years

Breeding or Reproduction

During competition for females, males threaten each other by making low noises with the fleshy fold of their mouths, stand as tall as possible, and repeat a series of head movements including lowering, lifting, and bending their necks backwards. Upon confrontation, fighting males attempt to bring their opponent to the ground by biting at his legs and taking the opponent's head in between his jaws. Copulation time ranges from 7-35 minutes, averaging 11-15 minutes.

Calves can move freely by the end of their first day. Maternal care, including lactation, generally lasts for 1 to 2 years. Calves typically experience a growth rate of .19-.31 kg/day for the first year.

Conservation Status

Common

Anatomy

Adult males grow to a height of 1.8-2.0 m, and females to 1.7-1.9 m. The weight is usually in the range of 400-600 kg for males, with females being 10% lighter. They show remarkable adaptability in body temperature, from 34 �C to 41.7 �C, this being an adaptation to conserve water.

Male dromedaries have a soft palate, which they inflate to produce a deep pink sack, which is often mistaken for a tongue, called a doula in Arabic, hanging out of the sides of their mouth to attract females during the mating season. Dromedaries are also noted for their thick eyelashes and small, hairy ears.

Domestication

Dromedaries were first domesticated in central or southern Arabia some thousands of years ago. Experts are divided regarding the date: some believe it was around 4000 BC, others as recently as 1400 BC. There are currently almost 13 million domesticated dromedaries, mostly in the area from Western India via Pakistan through Iran to northern Africa. None survive in the wild in their original range, although the escaped population of Australian feral camels is estimated to number at least 300,000. Around the second millennium BC, the dromedary was introduced to Egypt and North Africa. In the Canary Islands, the dromedaries were introduced recently as domesticated animals.

Although there are several other camelids, the only other surviving species of true camel today is the Bactrian Camel. The Bactrian camel was domesticated sometime before 2500 BC in Asia, well after the earliest estimates for the dromedary. The Bactrian camel is a stockier, hardier animal, being able to survive from Iran to Tibet. The dromedary is taller and faster: with a rider they can maintain 8-9 mph (13-14.5 km/h) for hours at a time. By comparison, a loaded Bactrian camel moves at about 2.5 mph (4 km/h).

Uses

Unlike horses, they kneel for the loading of passengers and cargo. Dromedaries have an ill-deserved reputation for being bad-tempered and obstinate creatures that spit and kick. In reality, they tend to be amiable, patient, and intelligent. A camel will show displeasure by stamping its feet and running. At many of the desert located tourist sites in Egypt, police mounted on camels can be seen.

History

Around the second millennium BC, camels had become established in the Sahara region but disappeared again from the Sahara beginning around 900 BC. The Persian invasion of Egypt under Cambyses introduced domesticated camels to the area. Domesticated camels were used through much of North Africa, and the Romans maintained a corps of camel warriors to patrol the edge of the desert. The Persian camels, however, were not particularly suited to trading or travel over the Sahara; rare journeys made across the desert were made on horse-drawn chariots.

The stronger and more durable Dromedaries first began to arrive in Africa in the fourth century. It was not until the Islamic conquest of North Africa, however, that these camels became common. While the invasion was accomplished largely on horseback, the new links to the Middle East allowed camels to be imported en masse. These camels were well-suited to long desert journeys and could carry a great deal of cargo. For the first time this allowed substantial trade over the Sahara.