I admit to a fascination with camels and have come across them in many places through Asia and Africa and also Australia.
1. Camels are even-toed ungulates within the genus Camelus. The dromedary, one-humped or Arabian camel has a single hump, and the Bactrian camel has two humps. They are native to the dry desert areas of western Asia, and central and east Asia, respectively.
2. Camels have the reputation of being bad-tempered and obstinate creatures who spit and kick. In reality, they tend to be good-tempered, patient and intelligent. The moaning and bawling sound they make when they’re loaded up and have to rise to their feet is like the grunting and heavy breathing of a weight-lifter in action, not a sign of displeasure at having to do some work. Note - some do have bad breath!
3. Camels come in every shade of brown, from cream to almost black.
4. A camel’s ears are small. It has acute hearing. A camel’s ears are lined with fur to filter out sand and dust blowing into the ear canal.
5. Contrary to popular belief, a camel does not store water in its hump. It is in fact a mound of fatty tissue from which the animal draws energy when food is hard to find. When a camel uses its hump fat for sustenance, the mound becomes flabby and shrinks. If a camel draws too much fat, the small remaining lump will flop from it’s upright position and hang down the camel’s side. Food and a few days’ rest will return the hump to its normal firm condition.
6. Camels have broad, flat, leathery pads with two toes on each foot. When the camel places its foot on the ground the pads spread, preventing the foot from sinking into the sand. When walking, the camel moves both feet on one side of its body, then both feet on the other. This gait suggests the rolling motion of a boat, explaining the camel’s ’ship of the desert’ nickname.
7. A camel’s eyes are large, with a soft, doe-like expression. They are protected by a double row of long curly eyelashes that also help keep out sand and dust, while thick bushy eyebrows shield the eyes from the desert sun. Their eyelashes are very long and quite sexy actually! See the photo below - I got quite close and had a bird’s eye view.
8. After a gestation periods of 13 months, a camel cow usually bears a single calf. The calves walk within hours of birth, and remain close to their mothers until they reach maturity at five years of age. The normal life span of a camel is 40 years, although a working camel retires from active duty at 25.
9. Wild dromedaries are long extinct. Wild Bactrian camels still survive in the Gobi desert (between China and Mongolia), but they are endangered, the population being under 1,000. This wild Bactrian camels are not the race from which the domestic form comes. That type is believed to be extinct now in the wild. There are also wild camels in central and western Australia. They were released into the wild when they were no longer required as beasts of burden and have successfully bred. The camels I rode in Queensland were captured wild from central Australia and broken to saddle.
10. The camel’s mouth, stomach, and teeth have all developed to allow it to eat plants that are not palatable to other desert animals. The camel’s mouth is tough and rubbery so that thorns and branches won’t damage it. The thirty-four sharp teeth allow it to bite off tough bites of almost anything, and when forage is short a camel can subsist on meats, skin and bones. Camels are ruminants, similar to cows, with three stomachs. They don’t chew their food. They eat by swallowing their food whole and allowing it to be partially digested by the stomachs before being chewed as a cud later.
11. Throughout recorded history, the camel has been a helper to the desert dwellers. The camel assisted in providing transportation, shelter, fuel and food. The camel is able to carry loads as heavy as 900 pounds, although normally a camel will only carry a third of that. Camels were used on the Silk Road.
12. Fossil evidence indicates that the ancestors of modern camels evolved in North America during the Palaeogene period, and later spread to Asia. Humans first domesticated camels between 3,500–3,000 years ago.
13. This photo was taken in the Western Desert of Egypt.
This photo was taken near the St Simeon Monastery, Aswan, Egypt.
And this final photo of a pretty white camel was taken in Algeria - the Sahara Desert.
I’ve used some of my camel riding experiences in Wanderlust. Anna and her passengers go for a camel ride from the desert town of Jaiselmer in India. This ride was from personal experience and I remember having a sore ass afterwards and well into the next day. I wasn’t the only one who was walking like a duck either!
The camel I rode this particular time was called Michael Jackson and had a small plastic horn tied onto its saddle. This seems to be a very common name since the donkey I rode up to the Valley of the Kings in Egypt was also called Michael Jackson.
Have you ridden a camel? If so, whereabouts? Would you like to ride a camel?
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I never did get to ride a camel, but I paid for my daughter to at the county fair a while back.
I did my thirteen too
by Janice May 22nd, 2008 at 1:13 amI’ve never ridden a camel, and I’m not sure I’d want to try - they look mighty uncomfortable (to ride, I mean)!
It’d be a bad idea, anyway, what with my bad back. LOL!
Still, a very interesting T13! It seems I’ve labored under some misconceptions about these fine creatures. Thanks for setting me straight! :)
Ciao!
by MsMenozzi May 22nd, 2008 at 3:41 amHappy T13!
Fabulous pictures. I’d kill for the lashes on a camel. They really do have gorgeous eyes. Happy T13!
by Adelle Laudan May 22nd, 2008 at 3:54 amTHAT is a cool TT! Camels are very nifty creatures, and I did not know that they were found anywhere but Africa!
Thanks for stopping by, also!
by Bethanie May 22nd, 2008 at 4:34 amGood T13 Shelley! I love camels. I’ve never ridden one, but I have been on a donkey or two in my travels. Have a great day!
by J.K. Coi May 22nd, 2008 at 6:09 amThey are goofy looking!!
by December May 22nd, 2008 at 6:17 amExcellent post, Shelley! I love all the information on a subject I wouldn’t have bothered to research. Yay, you!
No, I’ve never ridden a camel. Not sure I’m interested. Horses are my preferred mode of animal transport.
by Debbie Mumford May 22nd, 2008 at 6:18 amI rode a camel at a circus. I know, not so exicting; but I tend to agree they are fascinating creatures.
They thrive in the harshest environments. I read somewhere during the gold rush that they used camels to cross the pass. Of course when the winter came … poor camels.
by Amy Ruttan May 22nd, 2008 at 7:32 amI want to hear more about how to sit on a camel. How do you sadle it? If it’s hard fora camel to get up, do you reall mount while it’s still down?
by Alice Audrey May 22nd, 2008 at 7:37 amI’d totally ride a camel. Camels, as you point out, are cool. I just wish their breed ancestors weren’t extinct…
by Susan Helene Gottfried May 22nd, 2008 at 7:58 amFascinating. I’ve never ridden a camel, but it’s definitely on my life “to do” list.
by Nina Pierce May 22nd, 2008 at 7:58 amI love the photos. Happy TT.
by Sarah @ pussreboots May 22nd, 2008 at 9:52 amWow! Awesome information! I had no idea there were two different species. This was all very interesting.
by Jennifer McKenzie May 22nd, 2008 at 10:07 amVery neat T13, Shelley! I admit I am leery of camels. They like to nibble and spit. Eek! LOL
CC
by Cassandra Curtis May 22nd, 2008 at 10:25 amOooh, I love camels! They’re so cute!
*hugs*
by Paige Tyler May 22nd, 2008 at 11:05 amPaige
A friend of my dad’s was a member of the Zor Shrine Camel Patrol. They used to stable them at the zoo and had camel rides twice a month in the summer, but I never rode one. Great TT, Shelley!
by Heather May 22nd, 2008 at 12:39 pmVery cool! I rode a camel at the Bronx Zoo once. I think I was ten. No doubt that camel’s long dead by now.
by Gina Ardito May 22nd, 2008 at 1:27 pmAlice - the saddles have ranged from woven blankets to leather saddles, some more comfortable. You always mount a camel when it’s seated on the ground then they climb to their feet and you’re thrown forward and back. I’ve never felt in danger of being thrown off but the camel handler has always been present.
by Shelley Munro May 22nd, 2008 at 1:44 pmYou dismount after the camel kneels on the ground. Once you’re used to the movement it’s not so bad. I’ve never felt seasick, although some people hate the side-to-side roll as the camel moves.
Cool camel pics and facts.
No, I’ve never ridden a camel. Yes, I’d like to.
I’d like to travel like you have. Sounds fab.
by Ashley Ladd May 22nd, 2008 at 3:27 pmFascinating blog, Shelley. Really enjoyed it. But could you imagine being pregnant for 13 months? Yikes!
by Sandra May 22nd, 2008 at 4:49 pmI love the first picture of you and the camel gazing in delight at one another. I’ve never ridden a camel…yet…
by julia May 22nd, 2008 at 6:06 pmI’ve ridden one, they’re REALLY uncomfortable to ride actually.
But darn convient to have in the desert!
by Dana May 22nd, 2008 at 7:20 pmSadly, the only camel fact I knew was about the spitting bit. Thanks for smartening me up :)
by Wylie Kinson May 22nd, 2008 at 7:28 pmOf course I’ve written a camel!!
The first one I rode was a retired racing camel who had recently given birth. She got a little testy about what was going on with her baby while I was having my ride so I got a small taste of her speed! Talk about a rush! (NOT!)
The second was during a desert safari dinner. The camels were all tied together in a long trail (trail riding camels) It was a long ride and my bum was a bit sore at the end but it was totally worth it.
Camels are goofy looking in the best possible way. I can never see one and not itch to take a picture of it!
by Jenyfer Matthews May 22nd, 2008 at 10:48 pmJulia - that camel was so dang cute. We were with a herd of camels - mothers and their young. This camel was quite young and curious.
Jenyfer - the retired racing camel sound dangerous. I’d like to see camel races one day. They sound like fun!
Wylie - glad to be of service.
by Shelley Munro May 23rd, 2008 at 1:30 am[...] [...]
by gobi desert June 4th, 2008 at 7:45 pm