Importance of Camels

What is the importance of camels to the nomads, and society at large? There are two kinds of camels; Dromedary and Bactrian. Dromedary camels only have a single hump compared to the double-humped Bactrian camels. The majority of the camels on earth are dromedaries, also called the Arabian camel. The Bactrian camels can be further divided into wild and domesticated ones.

Uses of camels

1. Carrying baggage

Camels are used as freight animals in different parts of the globe.

2. Food uses

Camels supply food in the form of both meat and milk. Approximately 3.3 million camels are slaughtered each year for meat globally. Desert nomads have depended on camel milk as a nutritious staple for a long time, and it is sometimes considered a meal itself. Camel milk can easily be made into yoghurt, it can be turned into butter only if it’s soured, and can also be used to make ice cream and cheese.

3. Riding

People enjoy camel riding as a recreational activity, and camel rides are usually exciting and enjoyable.

4. Textiles

Desert nomads and some desert tribes often use quite a bit of camel hair in their tents, yurts, clothing, bedding, and accessories.

5. Military uses

Military forces have used commandeering camel caravans in battles throughout the Sahara and the Middle East.

            How to take care of camels.

Ensure that your camel is well fed before running its daily activities in homesteads. This ensures that the camel is in good health; as the animal is taken good care of.

• Make sure they have access to salt.

Sodium is essential in a camel’s diet plan. You must find constant access to a salt lick, which you can purchase from any place that sells horse supplies.

• Give camels fresh, clean water to drink.

Camels are well known for their need for only a little water, but this is just for camels that have gone through desert living. The more clean water you can get them, the better.

• Ensure that your camel gets its necessary supplements.

You can give camels a vitamin supplement in the form of carrots, alfalfa, or apples.

• Set up regular veterinary visits whenever possible.

Have a yearly checkup, ensure the camels’ vaccinations are up to date and deworming.

            Interesting facts about camels

• Camels can go for weeks without drinking water. They can drink 32 gallons of water in one gathering when they encounter water!
• Camels have humps which store body fats that camels use as food when they are deprived of food for a long time.
• Camels’ lifespan is 40 years. Newborns are born with whitened skin colour. However, as a result of ageing, they acquire dark brown skin.
• Humps also act as heat regulators for camels.
• Camels have thick lips. These lips are suited to exploring food, especially for browsing nutritious vegetation such as salty and thorny plants. Like cattle, camels are ruminant animals.
• Camels have a thick layer of skin to sit on the scorching sand without getting scorched.
• Camels typically have a gestation period of 14 months.
• A camel is comparatively fast in its ability to move. A camel can run at speeds of up to 65 kilometres per hour and can sustain walking at speeds of 40 kilometres per hour.

    Adaptations of camels

Adaptations of camels to harsh climate

• The hump in a camel has fat tissues where it stores energy.
• Camels have bushy eyebrows with a double row of eyelashes to prevent dust from getting into their eyes during storms and also shield the eyes of a camel from the glare of the sun.
• Camels have a thin nictitating membrane on each eye, like a transparent inner eyelid that protects eyes from sandstorms; it’s like a third eyelid that sweeps sand from eyes.
• Camels can close their nostrils to prevent sand from entering their noses, preserving water.
• Camels have wide, almost no shoe hoof that prevents their feet from sinking.
• Camels have coats that help them cool down even when temperatures are extreme.

       Camels’ adaptations for preserving water and vegetation

• Did you know that camels can increase their body temperature when the environment temperatures go up? It prevents them from sweating and losing moisture.
• Camels have a brown viscous pee; this is because they have unique kidneys that ensure no water is lost when they urinate.
• Camels can change their breathing rate depending on how dehydrated they are because as you breathe, you lose a lot of moisture.
• Camels tolerate more than 30% body mass due to dehydration. At 30-40 degrees, they can stay without drinking water for 10-15 days
• Camels have oval-shaped red blood cells that facilitate blood flow during dehydration.
• Camels are adaptive feeders. Water and vegetation are scarce in the desert, so camels only eat small amounts of each plant so that they don’t kill the plant and come back to the plant and eat on a later day.
• Camels pose a specialized thick leathery lining in their mouths, allowing them to chew rough and thorny desert plants such as the acacia.
• As camels breathe, water vapour gets trapped in their nostrils and is evacuated back into their bodies to serve as a way to save water and stay hydrated.
• Camels eating green herbage can absorb enough water in milder circumstances to keep them adequately hydrated without requiring them to drink water.

Camels are an essential resource for human beings in arid climates. Although some cultures use them for milk, wool, and leather, they are mainly used for transportation. Camels could survive many days without food and, in some cases, go without water for several days. They can transport as much as two hundred pounds. They can travel approximately twenty miles in a day through the desert. This means they need to be taken good care of.

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