Camel

Camels are animals most known for travelling the desert and having humps.

There are three species of camel: Dromedary, Bactrian, and Wild Bactrian. The Dromedary is from the Middle East and is tall with only one hump, whereas the Bactrian and Wild Bactrian camels from Asia have two humps.

Camels can live for up to fifty years and are very fast, up to 65 km per hour in short bursts. This makes them popular for racing in the Middle East.

Camels humps do not store water, they store fat. Having one hump is much better than spreading fat across the body, as that would insulate the camel and make it warmer. Due to the hot conditions, camels can lose 25{6c082c8494c21a03d17f10d863ee8b06d7dc461388e432433da70d4d6afda271} of their body weight to sweating, but they only do this in exceptionally hot conditions.

The thick coats camels have actually keep them cool, not warm. This is because it takes a longer time for heat to reach their skin.

Camels live in deserts so sand can get everywhere. This is why camels have some handy defence features. Long eyelashes interlock meaning that sand cannot get into the eyes, and camels can completely close their nostrils!

Camels eat grasses and desert plants. These are often thick and have thorns, so camels have a leathery mouth that protects them from getting pricked.