Camel article. Features of camel nutrition. The main delicacy of a camel

Animal camel amazing and unique not only in terms of place of residence but also in some features. Camels are well adapted to survive in arid and desert areas, and can survive for several days without water. Desert dwellers keep camels instead of domestic animals because they are extremely useful and can carry heavy loads.

Description and features

Camel- a large animal living in deserts. The animal is very heavy and large, due to which it can carry heavy trunks. An adult camel can reach a weight of up to seven hundred kilograms. Camel in the desert survives thanks to a hump - one or two, in which it accumulates fat.

Protection from strong sandy desert winds are double and very long eyelashes, as well as narrow, “slamming” nostrils. They close very tightly, providing protection against sand getting into the lungs during storms.

Camel in the photo It may not seem big, but its height on average reaches two meters and above. Due to the feeding habits of the animal, the lips have become very rough - this is necessary so that the camel can pluck thorny vegetation and eat it. The camel's upper lip is divided into two parts.

The animal can land on very hot sand and lie on it for a long time. In this case, the camel rests on its calloused knees and elbows. The animal also has a cloven foot and a calloused claw.

This foot structure is ideal for an animal living in the desert - it can move not only on sand, but also on rocky terrain. The camel also has a small tail, about half a meter, at the end of which there is a large tassel.

Kinds

There are two main types of desert animals - dromedary camel(dromedary) and bactrian camel(Bactrian).

Distinctive features of Bactrian:

• two humps;
• covering most of the body with fur;
• massive body;
• short facial bones and wide eye sockets;
• curved but short neck;
• in the area of ​​the forearms, beard and head, the hair becomes stiffer, forming a kind of mane;
• short legs.

camel wool thin, but with a fleece, which allows the animal to survive in cold areas without suffering from cold and temperature changes. In Bactrians, the distance between the two humps is not filled with fat, and the sacral part of the body and shoulders are very poorly developed. Bactrians are practically not suitable for caravans.

Species features of the dromedary:

• one small hump;
• short hair;
• long legs;
• long facial bones and convex frontal part;
• mobile, thin lips, plump cheeks;
• small body;
• long and very agile neck;
• thin skin and light bones;
• Pregnancy in female dromedaries proceeds three weeks faster than in Bactrians.

In addition to the two types of animals, there are subspecies - hybrids bred in mountainous areas.

1. Nar and nar – maya (females). In appearance it strongly resembles a dromedary, but their hump is elongated. Camel offspring are larger than their parents. A special feature of the Nara is the ability to reproduce, which is not typical for hybrids, but the cubs of these camels usually do not survive; they are very sick and weak.
2. Iner. It is distinguished by a powerful body, good coat and a large, long hump. Iner females produce large amounts of milk.
3. Jarbay. This hybrid is extremely rare, which is associated with sickness and weakness of the offspring.
4. Kospak. Large hybrid, produces a large amount of milk.
5. Kurt and kurt - people. Hybrid, dromedary camels. The animal is distinguished by slightly drooping forearms and high production of low-fat milk.
6. Kama, an unusual hybrid, in the creation of which they used not only a camel, but also another animal similar in structure -. Outwardly, this camel looks more like a llama - it does not have a hump and has short, coarse hair. Kama can also carry a lot of weight.

IN camel caravan most often they take strong and strong animals, which not only easily carry large loads, but can also be on the road for a long time without falling.

Lifestyle and habitat

Camels lead a sedentary lifestyle, but move from one area to another. During such transitions, they have to overcome long distances and difficult terrain - deserts, rocky areas and foothills.

Camel speed not high, so caravans move slowly. But if they notice pursuit or surveillance, they can quickly flee for several days, until they are completely exhausted and feel that the enemy has been left behind. Most often, camels run away from the smoke of fires, tigers, etc.

Camels live in dry areas, but from time to time they move closer to water to replenish its supplies. These animals do not roam alone; a caravan or group includes at least five, and more often about twenty individuals. The main male is the leader for the entire herd.

Animals are most active during daylight hours, and at night they fall asleep or become lethargic and lazy. When a hurricane hits the desert, camels can lie down all day, and when it gets too hot, they hide in ravines and bushes, or walk against the wind to cool off.

Bactrians are somewhat cowardly, but calm and not aggressive towards people. Others, wild individuals, can be dangerous.

It is difficult to indicate exactly where camels live, since their habitat is quite extensive. It is generally accepted that these animals live mainly in arid, desert areas. However, you can meet a camel not only in the desert, but also in semi-deserts, as well as at an altitude of up to three thousand kilometers above sea level.

In recent years, the number of camels has been significantly reduced, and accordingly, their habitat has decreased. This is due to the fact that all the water sources in the desert have been occupied by humans, and wild camels - haptagai - because of this, they cannot approach the reservoir and replenish their supplies.

The Bactrian camel was introduced into Krasnaya. However, today you can still find these animals in the wild in several places:

• China - arid areas, mainly areas with salt marshes, for example, Lake Lop Nor;
• Mongolia;
• Gobi Desert - areas beyond Altai.

Throughout the planet, four small areas can be distinguished that are the habitat of the wild camel. The habitat of those animals that were domesticated by humans is much wider.

They live in desert and dry areas of Algeria, the Arabian Peninsula, Iran and other eastern countries. Camels also live in the Canary Islands, India and. The Bactrian, a domesticated Bactrian camel, lives primarily in Manchuria and parts of Asia Minor.

Nutrition

In terms of food, camels are completely unpretentious, because in the desert it is extremely rare to find the kind of food that wild animals primarily feed on. Camels are accustomed to eating plants of different shapes and colors, and can also go for several days without food at all.

Camels can eat the following types of plants:

• saxaul – branches;
• fresh and dry, burnt grass;
• barnyard;
• poplar leaves;
• sagebrush;
• camel-thorn;
• bushes.

Camels are able to digest even completely inedible food - for example, thorns. In addition, their digestive system processes incoming substances and releases nutritious fiber.

Animals begin to consume poplar leaves and reeds when cold weather sets in. In rare cases, when it gets too cold, Bactrians can eat not only plant food, but also the skins of dead animals.

Camels are also unpretentious in relation to water. For more than a week, the animal does not need to replenish its fluid reserves, provided that it eats fresh grass. But when a spring comes across the way, the camel absorbs a huge amount of liquid - up to 130 liters of water. Domestic camels look for fresh water, but wild khaptagai can even get by with the liquid they get from brackish water bodies.

The animal's diet may vary depending on where it lives. Animals domesticated by people, in addition to plant foods, began to eat some types of vegetables and fruits, as well as silage and grain.

The digestive system of camels is well developed and processes even the coarsest food. All food is swallowed whole, half digested, and then spat out, after which the camel begins chewing. Camel spits not so much saliva as particles of digested chewing gum.

It is believed that dromedaries are more picky eaters - they can only eat plant foods, while Bactrian camels eat animal skins and bones in cold periods.

Hunger is not a problem for these animals. During such periods, the survival rate of animals even increases. For an adult animal, the normal period for fasting is about 30 days. All this time, his body receives nutrients from reserves deposited in the humps.

Reproduction and lifespan

During the rutting period, which begins in the fall, camel males become too active and aggressive. They can cause serious injury to humans because they kick, bite, roar very loudly, and also rush from side to side. Camels engage in combat with their opponents, and most often one of them dies.

In caravans, in order to protect people, brightly colored bandages are put on the camel, warning about the aggressiveness of the animal, or the camel is put on a leash. Wild camels are characterized by extremely aggressive behavior towards their own relatives, but domesticated by humans.

They can attack a herd and take away several females, but this has happened before. Today people use deterrents.

After camels mate, the baby appears thirteen months later. Most often, birth rates in a herd peak in the spring - in the first and second months. Like camels, birth takes place in a standing position.

The baby that is born is very large - the average weight of a newborn animal is about 45 kilograms. 2-3 hours after birth, the baby follows his mother along with the herd.

Feeding occurs up to 1.5 years. Camels become adults only 3-5 years after birth, at which time they reach sexual maturity. Today it is necessary to increase the population of wild haptagai so that this animal does not disappear. In Mongolia and China, special protected areas have been created for this purpose and measures are being taken to breed haptagai.

Bactrians have been domesticated for a long time and their population is not under threat. These animals bring many benefits to humans; they not only carry loads, but also provide milk, skin and meat. In addition, Bactrians take part in circus performances.

The camel is a completely unpretentious animal, capable of surviving even in the harshest conditions. Not only can it go without water and food for a long time, but it is also able to survive severe sandstorms, reducing its activity to almost zero.

What a strange animal, you say! He lives in the desert, his feet have not hooves, but calluses, he wears a fur coat, and, most importantly, what strange humps on his back! In fact, all oddities, as always in nature, have their own rational explanation.

Both one-humped (dromedary) and two-humped (Bactrian) camels live in harsh desert conditions. Dromedaries live in North Africa and the Middle East, while Bactrians inhabit the deserts of central Asia. There are no wild dromedaries left in nature; a small number of wild Bactrians are still found in remote areas of the Gobi Desert. All other camels in the world are descendants of animals domesticated by humans more than 5,000 years ago.

Body length ranges from 2-3.5 m, tail length - 55-75 cm, height at withers - 180-210 cm. An adult camel can weigh 500-700 kg.

Pregnancy lasts more than a year. A newborn camel calf is completely helpless in front of predators, as it cannot move on its own. His life depends on the vigilance and care of his mother.

How to survive in the desert

It is not easy for such large animals to feed themselves in a barren area. But a camel is an extremely unpretentious animal. He can eat thorns, dried plants, and other inedible food. But in desert conditions, even such meager food is not always found. Then the camel's humps come to the rescue. They store food and moisture reserves in the form of fatty deposits. Thanks to their wonderful humps, camels are able to survive without water for up to two weeks, and without food for up to a month. This is not easy for them - a camel can lose 40% of its weight. But, having reached a watering hole, the animal is able to drink 50 liters of water at once! In addition, the camel does not sweat - this also helps to retain precious moisture in the desert.

Probably not everyone knows that during the day it is unbearably hot in the desert, but at night the temperature drops significantly. A camel's warm fur coat helps it withstand the cold. Wide two-toed feet with calluses instead of hooves - for walking on loose sand or small stones. Thick eyelashes on the eyes and closed nostrils protect from sandstorms. As you can see, the camel is perfectly adapted to the difficult life in the desert!

Camel in the service of man

Man has long noticed the unique endurance and unpretentiousness of the camel and began to use this quality for his own benefit. Animals have long been used to transport cargo and goods and travel through difficult areas. The Great Silk Road, which connected East and West, would hardly have been possible without camels, which transported countless goods over vast distances. In a day, a seemingly slow camel can walk about 100 km. Even today, modern technology cannot always successfully replace the “ship of the desert.” In addition, camel meat, milk, and wool are used.

The Arabs also used camels in military service. Hardy and tireless animals were able to help transport troops and necessary cargo over long distances. However, in the battle itself, the camels (usually an archer or warrior armed with a long sword sat on the animal) behaved unpredictably and did not obey commands, and soon the military refused their services. The "Ship of the Desert" became a peaceful animal again.

Camels are members of the artiodactyl family that have a characteristic hump or humps on their backs. They were domesticated over 3,500 years ago and are still used today for transportation and desert travel.
Depending on the species, camels have one or two humps. Camels inhabiting the Arabian deserts of the Middle East and North Africa have only one hump, while the Bactrian camel comes from the Gobi Desert in China, Bactria and the steppes of Mongolia.
Another species of camel, the Australian camel, is wild. They were once brought into this country to provide transport during the colonization of Australia. Over time, these camels became wild and became pests because they eat natural vegetation.
Camels are close relatives of the alpaca, llama guanaco and vicuna.
There is a wild Bactrian camel that is in extreme danger of extinction.
Camels were domesticated more than 3,500 years ago. Many people in eastern countries still depend on these “ships of the desert” for transportation. Camels can carry loads of more than 200 pounds 20 miles in the hot desert.
Camels are well adapted to the hot, dry desert climate. Their thick skin reflects sunlight, which helps protect their body from overheating. The camel has very long legs, which also helps to keep its body away from the hot ground.
Camels have a double row of eyelashes, which are very long, and a developed inner eyelid that protects the eye from sandstorms while still allowing it to receive enough light to see.
They also have hairs in the open part of the ear to prevent sand from getting into the ears during sandstorms.
Camels can adjust and close their nostrils.
Contrary to popular belief, camels do not store water in their humps. The hump is actually a reservoir of fatty tissue. When this fat is metabolized, it acts as a source of energy, and provides more than 1 liter of water for every 1 liter of fat that is processed by the body.
The camel's kidneys and intestines are capable of retaining water for a long time, and because of this ability, the camel can live in very dry and hot climates and go without water for long periods of time.
When camels walk, they first move both legs on one side of their body and then on the other. Their feet are flat and wide. Both of these features help them sink into the sand.
Camels are powerful runners and can reach speeds of 40 miles per hour in a short period of time. They can run at 25 miles per hour for several hours.
Bactrian camels grow shaggy hair in winter to protect them from frost. Then, during extremely hot summers, they lose their fur. Camels can survive from minus 29 degrees in winter to 49 degrees in summer.
Camels can reach 7 feet tall, including the hump. The hump itself can be 30 inches tall. Life expectancy is up to 80 years.
It is commonly believed that camels spit. In fact, they do not spit, but throw out the contents of their stomach along with saliva. They do this to frighten and distract everything that threatens them.

Camels can make a lot of noise. They may moan, bleat, roar and even growl.
Camels are herbivores. Since they live in the desert, they should be able to eat desert plants. Spiny cacti would be a big problem for other animals, but camels can eat them.
People used camels for their hair, meat, milk, leather and even dung as fuel. Camel milk is an important element in the diet of desert nomadic tribes. The camel can provide a large amount of meat. The camel's hump is considered a delicacy in these cultures.
A female camel gives birth to one baby every 12–14 months. When a baby camel is born, it weighs 80 pounds and is often pure white in color. It will take several hours before he can get up.
Male camels reach maturity between 6 and 8 years. Females reach maturity within 3 years.

Camels are a genus of mammals of the camelid family (Camelidae) of the suborder Camelidae of the order Artiodactyla. These are large animals adapted for life in arid regions of the world - deserts, semi-deserts and steppes.

There are two types of camels:

• Camelus bactrianus – Bactrian camel, or Bactrian;
• Camelus dromedarius - one-humped camel, or dromedary, or dromedary, or Arabian.

Desert inhabitants highly value camels and call this animal the “ship of the desert.”

Spreading

In the past, the wild camel apparently occurred over a wide area of ​​much of Central Asia. It was widespread in the Gobi and other desert regions of Mongolia and China, reaching to the east as far as the Great Bend of the Yellow River, and to the west to modern central Kazakhstan and Central Asia (remains of wild camels are known from kitchen waste found there during excavations of settlements 1500 - 1000 years BC).

Now the range of khaptagai is small and fragmented - there are 4 isolated areas in Mongolia and China. Specifically, in Mongolia, the wild camel lives in the Trans-Altai Gobi, including the foothills of the Edren and Shivet-Ulan ranges, to the border with China. In China, the main habitat of wild camels is in the area of ​​Lake Lop Nor. Until recently, the camel was found in the Taklamakan Desert, but it may have already become extinct there.

Camel - description, characteristics, structure

A camel is an animal that is quite large in size: the average height at the withers of an adult is about 210-230 cm, and the weight of a camel reaches 300-700 kg. Particularly large individuals weigh more than a ton. Body length is 250-360 cm for two-humped camels, 230-340 cm for one-humped camels. Males are always larger than females.

The anatomy and physiology of these mammals are a clear indication of their adaptability to life in harsh and arid conditions. The camel has a strong, dense build, a long U-shaped curved neck and a rather narrow, elongated skull. The animal's ears are small and round, sometimes almost completely buried in thick fur.

The large eyes of a camel are reliably protected from sand, sun and wind by thick, long eyelashes. The nictitating membrane, the third eyelid, protects the animal's eyes from sand and wind. The nostrils are shaped like narrow slits that can close tightly, preventing moisture loss and protecting during sandstorms.

A camel has 34 teeth in its mouth. The animals' lips are rough and fleshy, adapted for tearing off thorny and tough vegetation. The upper lip is forked.

Large calluses are located on the chest, wrists, elbows and knees of domestic animals, allowing the mammal to painlessly lower itself and lie on the hot ground. Wild individuals do not have calluses on their elbows and knees. Each camel's leg ends in a cloven foot with a kind of claw located on a calloused pad. Two-toed feet are ideal for walking on rocky and sandy terrain.

The camel's tail is quite short in relation to the body and is about 50-58 cm. At the end of the tail there is a tassel formed by a tuft of long hair.

Camels have a thick and dense coat that prevents moisture from evaporating in hot weather and provides warmth on cold nights. The camel's fur is slightly curly, and its color can be very diverse: from light to dark brown and almost black. On the back of the animals’ heads there are paired glands that secrete a special odorous secretion, with which camels mark their territory by bending their necks and wiping themselves on stones and soil.

Peculiarities

Contrary to popular belief, a camel's hump contains fat, not water. For example, the hump of a Bactrian camel contains up to 150 kg of fat. The hump protects the animal's back from overheating and is a reservoir for energy reserves. There are 2 closely related species of camels: one-humped and two-humped, having, respectively, 1 or 2 humps, laid down by evolutionary development, as well as some differences associated with living conditions.

Camels retain fluid in the scar tissue of the stomach, so they can easily tolerate long-term dehydration. The structure of camels' blood cells is such that during prolonged dehydration, when another mammal would have died long ago, their blood does not thicken. Camels can survive without water for a couple of weeks, and without food they can live for about a month. The red blood cells of these animals are not round, but oval in shape, which is a rare exception among mammals. Without access to water for a long time, a camel can lose up to 40% of its weight. If an animal loses 100 kg in a week, then after receiving water it will quench its thirst within 10 minutes. In total, the camel will drink more than 100 liters of water at a time and make up for the lost 100 kg of weight, recovering literally before our eyes.

All camels have excellent eyesight: they are able to spot a person a kilometer away, and a moving car 3-5 km away. Animals have a well-developed sense of smell: they sense a source of water at a distance of 40-60 km, easily anticipate the approach of a thunderstorm and go to where the showers will occur.

Despite the fact that the majority of these mammals have never seen large bodies of water, camels can swim well, tilting their bodies slightly to the side. A camel runs at an amble, and the speed of a camel can reach 23.5 km/h. Some individuals of wild haptagai are capable of accelerating up to 65 km/h.

Character and lifestyle of the Bactrian camel

In the wild, camels tend to be sedentary, but constantly move across desert areas, rocky plains and foothills within large marked areas.

Khaptagai move from one rare water source to another to replenish their vital supplies. Usually 5-20 individuals stay together. The leader of the herd is the main male. Activity manifests itself during the day, and in the dark the camel sleeps or behaves sluggishly and apathetically. During hurricane periods it lies for days; in hot weather they walk against the wind for thermoregulation or hide in ravines and bushes.

Wild individuals are shy and aggressive, unlike the cowardly but calm Bactrians. Khaptagai have keen eyesight and, when danger appears, they run away at speeds of up to 60 km/h.

They can run for 2-3 days until they are completely exhausted. Domestic Bactrian camels are perceived as enemies and are feared along with wolves and tigers. The smoke from the fire terrifies them.

Researchers note that size and natural forces do not save giants due to their small minds. When attacked by a wolf, they do not even think about defending themselves, they just scream and spit. Even crows can peck at animal wounds and abrasions from heavy loads; a camel shows its defenselessness.

In an irritated state, spitting is not a release of saliva, as many believe, but contents accumulated in the stomach.

The life of domesticated animals is subordinate to humans. In case of wildness, they lead the image of their ancestors. Adult sexually mature males can live alone. In winter, it is more difficult for camels than other animals to move through the snow. They also cannot dig up food under the snow due to the lack of true hooves. There is a practice of winter grazing, first of horses, which stir up the snow cover, and then of camels, who pick up the remaining food.

Bactrian camel feeding

Rough and low-nutrient food forms the basis of the diet of two-humped giants. Herbivorous camels feed on plants with thorns that all other animals will refuse.

Most species of desert flora are included in the food supply: reed shoots, leaves and branches of parfolia, onions, coarse grass. They can feed on the remains of animal bones and skins, even objects made from them, in the absence of other food. If the plants in food are succulent, then the animal can survive without water for up to three weeks. If a source is available, they drink on average once every 3-4 days. Wild individuals even drink brackish water without harm to their health. Pets avoid it, but they need salt consumption.

After severe dehydration, a Bactrian camel can drink up to 100 liters of liquid at a time. Nature has endowed camels with the ability to withstand long periods of fasting. The scarcity of food does not harm the condition of the body.

Excessive nutrition leads to obesity and organ failure. Camels are not picky about household feed; they eat hay, crackers, and cereals.

Reproduction

Autumn is the rutting season. At this time, males become overly aggressive. They begin to rush around, roar loudly and start violent fights, using their teeth and delivering powerful kicks. Sometimes this leads to the death of one of the opponents. At this time, the male can be very dangerous for humans, so for safety reasons they are put on a leash or put on red warning bands. There have been cases where wild camels killed males in domestic herds and took their females with them.

13 months after mating, only 1 cub is born. Typically, the peak birth rate occurs in March-April. Females give birth standing up, just like giraffes. A newborn baby can hardly be called a baby. His weight reaches 45 kg, and his height is 90 cm at the shoulders. Just a couple of hours after birth, he can calmly follow his mother.

The female feeds the cub until one and a half years old. Puberty in males and females occurs at approximately the same time - at the age of 3-5 years.

Bactrian camel population

Khaptagai is listed in the International Red Book as a species in critical situation. Now in the world there are no more than a couple of hundred wild camels. If the population decline continues at the same rate as now, then, according to researchers, by 2033 this species will disappear from the face of the earth.

As measures to protect and increase their numbers, nature reserves began to be created in Mongolia and China. In addition, in Mongolia there is a program for breeding haptagai in enclosures.

The bacterium is widely used on the farm as a pack and draft animal. Its meat, skin and milk are highly prized. In addition, sometimes Bactrian can be found in the circus arena and in zoo enclosures.

Natural enemies

Despite the fact that to date the ranges of the tiger and the Bactrian camel do not overlap anywhere, in the past, when tigers were more numerous and found in Central Asia, they could attack both wild and domestic animals. The tiger shared territory with a wild camel in the area of ​​Lake Lob Nor, but disappeared from these places after the start of irrigation. Large dimensions did not save Bactrians; There is a known case when a tiger killed a camel stuck in a salt marsh, from where even several people could not pull it out, and dragged the carcass 150 steps. Tiger attacks on domestic camels have been one of the reasons for the persecution of tigers by people in camel-breeding areas.

Another dangerous enemy of the Bactrian is the wolf. The population of wild camels loses several individuals every year from attacks by these predators. In the mentioned Lob-Nor reserve, wolves pose a danger to wild camels only in its southern part, where there are sources of fresh water; further north, where there is only brackish water, there are no wolves. Wolves also pose a significant threat to domestic camels. Some authors believed that the camel suffers from predators due to natural timidity: for example, the famous German naturalist Alfred Brehm, with reference to the works of Przhevalsky, wrote:

“If a wolf attacks him, he doesn’t even think about defending himself. It would be easy for him to knock down such an enemy with one kick, but he just spits on him and screams at the top of his lungs. Even the crows offend this stupid animal: they sit on its back and peck at half-closed wounds rubbed with packs, and even tear off pieces of meat from its hump, but the camel doesn’t know how to cope and just spits and screams.”

Domestication

Camels were domesticated 2000 BC. e. These are the most powerful pack and draft animals in the conditions of their distribution. Camels from 4 to 25 years old are used as draft force; they can carry up to 50% of their weight. A camel can travel 30–40 km per day on long journeys. A camel with a rider can travel up to 100 km per day, with an average speed of 10–12 km/h. Camels have long been used in armies, since antiquity and the Middle Ages, to transport goods and riders; combat camels were used directly in battle as part of combat cavalry and individually, often with the aim of intimidating the enemy.

In Russia, one breed of one-humped camel is bred - Arvana and three breeds of two-humped camels - Kalmyk, Kazakh and Mongolian. The most valuable breed is Kalmyk.

Camel meat is used as food, as well as milk, from which shubat, butters and cheeses are made. Milk yield for dromedaries averages 2000 kg per year (may exceed 4000 kg for Arvan) and 750 kg for Bactrians (according to other sources, 600–800 kg). At the same time, the fat content of milk is 4.5 and 5.4 percent, respectively, and the content of vitamin C is significantly higher than in cow's milk. Camel wool is of high quality (it is valued higher than sheep), which contains up to 85% fluff. The wool clipping is 5–10 kg for a Bactrian and 2–4 kg for a dromedary. Camels are sheared in the spring.

More about camel species

The camel genus (Camelus) is divided into two independent species: Bactrian camels (Camelus bactrianus) and one-humped camels (Camelus dromedaries).

Species features bactriana In addition to two humps, there is a long, massive body with relatively short legs and good hair growth, consisting of fine down and awns. It is the good hair growth that allows the Bactrian to exist in areas with harsh winters without suffering from the cold.

The facial part of Bactrian is wide in the eye sockets, with relatively short facial bones. The neck is shorter than that of the dromedary, but more arched. Along the upper edge of the mane reaches 40-60 cm in males, along the entire lower edge there is a beard, on the forearms there is a “breeches”. The distance between the bases of the front and rear humps is 20-40 cm. This gap is not filled with fat, even in well-fed camels. The base of the posterior hump ends at the line of the ilium. The shoulders and sacrum are poorly developed.

Bactrians often have such exterior defects in the positioning of the limbs as markings, sunken wrists, closeness of the hock joints, and sabering of the hind limbs. These animals are less adapted to pack caravan service than dromedaries.

Species characteristic dromedary is the presence of one compact hump, a short body on long legs and, compared to Bactrians, a weaker coat development. They have light bones and thinner skin.

Dromedaries are faster maturing animals; the pregnancy of the queens is three weeks shorter than that of Bactrians. The head of the dromedary has elongated facial bones, a convex forehead, a hook-nosed profile, lips are thin and mobile, and do not compress like those of horses and cattle. The lower lip is often drooping, the cheeks are greatly enlarged and a large amount of food is placed between them and the molars. The soft palate can protrude from the mouth and hang down by 30-40 cm. This is observed in males during the period of sexual arousal.

The dromedary's neck has well-developed muscles, is long, and mobile. Their bangs and mane are not developed, the beard grows only in the upper part of the neck, there is no “breeches”, but in the area of ​​the shoulder blade there are “epaulets”, consisting of long crimped hair, absent in Bactrian. The wool productivity of dromedaries is significantly lower. Adult male camels are sheared at about 4 kg (from the best - up to 5.5), from queens - 2 kg (from the best - up to 3.5), from young animals 1-2 years old - 1.5-2 kg.

The color of dromedaries is from light to dark brown.

Camel hybrids

Since ancient times, the population of countries such as Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan practiced interspecific hybridization of camels, that is, they crossed one-humped and two-humped camels. Hybrids are of great importance in the national economy of these countries.

Below is a description of the hybrids:

• Nar– a hybrid of first generation camels, crossed using the Kazakh method. When female Kazakh Bactrian camels are crossed with male Turkmen Bactrian camels of the Arvana breed, a viable cross is obtained. Hybrid females are called nar-maya (or nar-maya), males are called nar. In appearance, the bunk looks like a dromedary and has one elongated hump, which consists of 2 humps fused together. The offspring always exceeds the parents in size: the height at the shoulders of an adult bunk is from 1.8 to 2.3 m, and the weight can exceed 1 ton. The annual milk yield of a female Nara with a fat content of up to 5.14% can exceed 2000 liters, while the average milk yield for dromedaries is 1300-1400 liters per year, and for Bactrians no more than 800 liters per year. Nars, in turn, are capable of producing offspring, which is rare among hybrid specimens, but their young are usually weak and sickly.
• Iner (iner)- This is also a hybrid of first-generation camels obtained by the Turkmen method, namely: by crossing a female Turkmen one-humped camel of the Arvana breed with a male Bactrian camel. The hybrid female is called iner-maya (or iner-maya), the male is called iner. The iner, like the bunk, has one elongated hump, is distinguished by high rates of milk yield and wool clipping, and also has a powerful physique.
• Zharbay, or jarbay– a rare second-generation hybrid obtained by crossing first-generation camel hybrids. Experienced camel breeders try to avoid such reproduction, since the offspring are low productive, sickly, often with obvious deformities and signs of degeneration in the form of severely deformed joints of the limbs, a curved chest, and so on.
• Kospak– a camel hybrid obtained by crossing the absorption type of Nar-May females with a male Bactrian camel. Quite a promising hybrid in terms of increased meat mass and high milk productivity. It is also recommended for breeding for further crossing in order to increase the small population of another camel hybrid, kez-nar.
• Kez-nar– a group of hybrid camels, which are the result of crossing Cospak females with dromedary males of the Turkmen breed. As a result, individuals appear that exceed the cospaks in weight, and are ahead of the nar-may in height at the withers, milk production and wool clipping.
• Kurt– a group of hybrid camels obtained by crossing Iner-May with male Turkmen dromedary. Kurt is a one-humped hybrid; the animal's forearms are slightly pubescent. Milk productivity is quite high, although the fat content of the milk is low, and the kurt is not a record holder in terms of the amount of wool sheared.
• Kurt-nar– hybrid camels bred by crossing Kurt hybrid females and Bactrian males of the Kazakh breed.
• Kama- a hybrid of a dromedary camel and a llama. The resulting hybrid has no hump, the animal's fur is fluffy, very soft, up to 6 cm long. The kama's limbs are long, very strong, with double hooves, so the hybrid can be used as a hardy pack animal, capable of carrying loads weighing up to 30 kg. The kama has rather small ears and a long tail. Height at the withers varies from 125 to 140 cm, and weight from 50 to 70 kg.

Amazing facts about camels

The camel is a unique animal. Some consider him handsome, while others find him unattractive and even scary. There are a huge number of interesting facts about camels, which I will tell you about.

Let's check how broad your knowledge about camels is?

1. Let's start from the very beginning, with the word “camel” and its origin, and it comes from the Arabic word “beauty”
2. Contrary to popular belief, camels' humps do not store water. It stores fat, which helps lower the high temperature of the rest of the body.
3. The main reason that camels can go for long periods without water is the structure of their red blood cells. They are oval in shape and, once dehydrated, remain able to flow while human red blood cells collide with each other. The camel is the only mammal with oval red blood cells.
4. Camels can drink up to 200 liters of water at a time
5. The body temperature of these animals ranges from 34 degrees Celsius at night to 41 degrees during the day. They don't start sweating until the temperature exceeds 41 degrees.
6. The following photo shows the facial expression of a camel during mating, or sometimes to enhance the "spitting" effect.
7. If a camel has gone to bed or just rested, then getting him to get up is almost impossible until he himself wants it.
8. Camels' lips have a special shape, which greatly helps them graze.
9. They can eat anything, including thorny spines, without damaging their lips or mouth.
10. Camels can kick in all four directions with each of their legs.
11. They can completely close their nostrils from wind and sand when necessary.
12. The shape of their nostrils allows them to store water vapor and return it to the body as liquid.
13. Camels can lose 25% of fluids without dehydration. Most mammals can only lose 15%.
14. Camels are ruminants, like cows and goats.
15. They also get moisture from green plants, which allows them to live without drinking.
16. Their fur reflects sunlight and protects their bodies from the heat of the desert.
17. One of the camel's defensive abilities is spitting. Essentially, they pull up from the stomach and spit out a dirty, foul-smelling substance when provoked. Those who experienced this themselves will never forget this :)
18. Camel excrement is so dry that it is used as fuel, and their urine is thick like syrup.
19. In North Africa, the camel is a sacred animal
20. Camels were often used in warfare, especially in severely arid regions.
21. Camel milk is highly valued among the peoples of Asian countries. Its fat content is about 5-6%. Camel milk has a sweet taste, is quite nutritious and contains a large amount of vitamins and minerals. One camel can produce from 300 to more than 1000 liters of milk per year (depending on the breed).
22. The Bactrian camel is depicted on the coat of arms and flag of the Chelyabinsk region. In the “Complete Collection of Laws of the Russian Empire” for 1830, the following explanation is given for this: “A loaded camel as a sign that it is enough to bring them to this city with goods.”
23. A two-humped camel named Vasya appears at the beginning of the film “Gentlemen of Fortune.”
24. In 2003, a Mongolian-German team filmed the documentary drama “Tears of a Camel” (directed by D. Byambasuren). The film was nominated for the 2004 National Academy of Film Awards in the category "Best Documentary Feature". The film tells the story of a camel who refused to feed her baby camel, but then changed her mind under the influence of masterfully performed Mongolian music.
25. Among the works of the famous Bulgarian writer Yordan Radichkov there is a story “Bactrian”, the plot of which has a very distant relation to the real Bactrian camel.
26. Bactrian camels are depicted on Russian Kara-Kum sweets. At the same time, two-humped camels are rare in the Karakum Desert; in Turkmenistan, mostly one-humped camels are bred.
27. In Kazakhstan, multiple sambo champion of the Republic of Kazakhstan Olzhas Kairat-uly lifted a Bactrian camel and carried it 16 meters.

Camels are perfectly adapted for life in the desert and arid hot lands. They are a source of food, clothing, and means of transportation for most desert inhabitants. They are able to cross vast deserts, carrying heavy loads and passengers on their humps, bringing much more utility than trucks. These animals are amazing because they changed the course of civilization, helping people survive in extremely difficult conditions.

Types of camels

Prehistoric Alticamelus

These animals, of which today only fragments of skeletons remain, scattered throughout the globe, were one of the most numerous representatives of the “mammoth fauna”. The genus included similar species of camels, the names of which were given either by the names of the researchers (for example, Knobloch's camel) or by their habitat (Alexandrian camel).

In total, modern scientists identify up to ten species of extinct camels. All of them were larger than modern ones, had very long necks, and looked somewhat like giraffes (but the resemblance is exclusively convergent). Alticamelus were common in the Cenozoic.

Bactrian with two humps

Camel species differ not only in the number of humps, but also in body size. The presence of two humps is the main feature by which you can easily determine that this is a Bactrian, but the height and weight of the animal are also important. The Bactrian camel is larger and heavier than its one-humped relative and all other members of the family included in other genera.

This species tolerates heat well, but it is not afraid of moderate frosts. But high humidity is destructive for Bactrian. It is found in Central and Central Asia, in Mongolia and the neighboring regions of China and Russia. People have developed many breeds of Bactrian, which are widely used on the farm as draft power or pack animals. Camel meat and milk are very valuable, which is why they occupy an important place in the national cuisines of many nations. The thick wool of the Bactrian is of considerable interest. A large number of camels of this species are kept in circuses and zoos.

Khaptagay

Most sources name only such types of camels as one-humped and two-humped. But some scientists are inclined to classify haptagai as a separate species. The version is supported by the results of genetic studies and obvious external differences. Moreover, even the belief that Bactrian descended from the wild haptagai is questioned. Outwardly they are similar. But the wild camel is smaller than representatives of domestic meat breeds. The subspecies was first described by the famous researcher Przhevalsky. At the time of the scientist, the population of wild Bactrian camels was much larger than it is now.

Currently, there are only a few hundred haptagai. All kinds of studies of these animals allow us to better study them and determine measures that will help maintain the number of livestock. In addition, scientists are trying to establish the degree of relationship between Bactrians. Perhaps these are still different types of camels, but at present official science does not recognize this.

Dromedar - ship of the desert

The one-humped camel is common in the Middle East and North Africa, in Asia Minor. He is also unusually hardy, unpretentious, and strong. Man domesticated the wild dromedary camel several thousand years ago, and since then the dromedary has been an integral part of the world order of several nations. Like its two-humped brother, it is of great value on the farm.

Dromedaries are not found in nature. The ancestors of this animal, which did not lend themselves to domestication, became extinct at the dawn of our era. There is information about wild dromedaries, but these are not autochthons, but wild animals that once lived with humans. And such cases are rare. There is no talk of identifying dromedaries that are lost or have run away from home as a separate species.

By comparing the types of camels, photos of which are presented in this article, you can easily identify a dromedary by the presence of a luxurious hump.

Camels live in deserts, where the entire earth is covered with sand. The question arises naturally: what does a camel eat? Of course, in deserts, in addition to sand, there is also snow in winter, and in early spring, after the snow melts, moisture remains, thanks to which many small herbs and flowers grow, albeit for a short time.

Meals by season

When summer comes, the moisture evaporates and everything that grew in the spring dries up. But some of the water still manages to seep deep into the soil, exactly where groundwater accumulates. The roots of large trees, such as saxaul and sand acacia, reach groundwater, so they have the opportunity not to dry out.

There are places in deserts where there are huge thickets of these trees. This is what a camel eats in the desert. Having found such thickets, he begins to chew the branches of these trees with pleasure. But there is also a problem: sometimes food comes for a reason; before eating, camels sometimes have to work hard to reach their food. And yet the camel will not be satisfied with these branches alone. Saxaul has practically no leaves, you only have to eat green twigs, while acacia has very small leaves, and also very hard.

The main delicacy of a camel

In the desert, in addition to the above trees and shrubs, there is also grass called “camel thorn.” It does not grow very tall, about no more than one meter, but it has a very big plus: it branches very densely. Camel thorn grows leaves that are bright green in color and round in shape, the foliage is very juicy in taste, and the branches are prickly, which, in fact, justifies the name of the plant itself. The camel thorn provides itself with water due to the fact that it has huge roots, sometimes they can be longer than five meters. The roots freely reach groundwater, which is why the camel thorn foliage has such a bright color even in the hot summer.

But there can be competition for such a succulent plant in the desert, because not only camels, but also goitered gazelles, saigas, donkeys, horses, and gophers can also feast on it.

Camel thorn is from the legume family. In the spring, after its stems grow, small pink flowers grow on them, and in the fall, real beans appear from the flowers, containing seeds that disperse in winter and early spring. After moisture appears, the seeds begin to take root. If, while the ground is saturated with moisture, the root does not have time to germinate well, the camel thorn dies in the first year of life, but those seedlings that manage to take long roots delight camels with succulent leaves for many years to come. This is what a camel eats in the desert.

I would like to remind you that this is the main food that camels eat in the desert, and that for them this food is quite enough to live. We hope our article answered your question regarding what a camel eats in the desert.