A camel has more hair on its hump than the rest of its body, protecting its body cavity from heat. Their fat stores and thick shaggy coats act as insulators.
The Wild Bactrian camel can even survive on saltwater!Ī camel’s body has evolved to efficiently use its water stores and make them last as long as possible. This is possible because the camel has adapted so well to its environment.Ī thirsty camel can drink as much as 32 gallons of water in as little as 15 minutes. So, if camels don’t store water in their humps, how do they cope so well when water is scarce? They can, in fact, walk for days on end in the hot, arid desert weather without any food and go for a week or more without water. This has earned them the title of “ships of the desert.” It has also led to certain cultures and legends explaining that the camel’s hump contained water because the camel could survive without water in very harsh conditions. Although camels do have a few tricks to make the most of the water they drink, storing it in their humps is not one of them.Ĭamels have been convenient pack animals, carrying heavy loads across the Gobi Desert and the expansive Sahara Desert. Some people believe water is stored in the camel’s hump, making it possible for camels to travel so far without drinking water. The fatty tissue in the camel’s hump provides insulation and protection in these temperature extremes, thereby helping the camel to regulate its own body temperature. The temperature in the desert can be extremely hot during the day (up to 120 degrees Fahrenheit) and freezing cold at night (down to minus 20 degrees Fahrenheit). Camel Humps Help Regulate Body Temperature This makes it a very efficient and powerful fuel source for the camel. In fact, one tablespoon of camel fat has three times the oleic acid (a very healthy omega-9 fatty acid) as that of coconut oil. A well-fed camel’s hump won’t droop or look deflated.Ī camel’s hump is filled with incredibly nutritious fat reserves. The bigger the hump, the healthier the camel. People who buy and sell camels even use the size of the camel’s hump to determine how healthy the camel is. Camels use this fat for energy when and where food is hard to find. The camel’s hump is where the camel stores fat. What is the hump’s purpose? Although they’re handy for riders to hang onto as they travel to faraway lands, there must be a better reason for camels to have them. In this post, we’ll study the camel’s hump and explore its role in the camel’s bodily processes. One of the camel’s most distinctive features is its hump. Which brings us to the question, why do camels have humps anyway? What is the function of their hump? Does it really hold water? Keep reading to learn more. The camel, however, is known for its large hump. A tiger is a huge cat with stripes, and a zebra looks like a horse with stripes. A rhinoceros has a large horn on the front of its face. A giraffe has long legs and a really long neck.
The partially digested food is later regurgitated and chewed more thoroughly before passing down to the four chambered stomach.Every animal has unique characteristics that make it different from other animals.
Giraffes are ruminants and do very little chewing when they first eat and food is quickly swallowed. Because male giraffes are so much taller than females, they browse in a higher region of a tree, potentially reducing competition for food. Giraffes are able to feed at heights unreachable by all other browsers, except for elephants. Their saliva contains an antiseptic to help heal any wounds on their tongues if they happen to be damaged by thorns. The prehensile tongue allows them to draw their food into their mouths, and they then strip the leaves between their lower teeth and a hardened upper dental pad. The giraffes very long neck is an adaptation to feeding at high levels in the treetops. However, among the African big game species, the giraffe is believed to have the keenest eyesight, and its height gives it the greatest range of vision. Masai giraffe have a jagged oak leaf like pattern on their coat which characteristically continues all the way to the bottom of their legs.Ī giraffes sense of smell, hearing and vision are acute. The Masai giraffe is the largest subspecies of giraffe and is native to East Africa being found in central and southern Kenya and in Tanzania.
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