Camels

The term camel is broadly used to describe any of the six camel like creatures in the family Camelidae, the two true camels, and the four South American camelids, the llama, alpaca, guanaco, and vicuña. The average height of a fully grown camel is approximately 1.85m (6 ft 1 inch) at the shoulder and 2.15(7ft 1 inch) at the hump and the average weight is between 250- 700kg. The average life expectancy of a camel is forty to fifty years. Camels do not store water in their hump as it is commonly believe. In fact, the hump is a reservoir of fatty tissue. When this tissue is metabolized, it acts as a source of energy.

Scientific Information

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum Chordata
Class:                Mammalia
Order Artiodactyla
Genus:         Camelus
Family: Camelidae
 

Reproductive System: After a gestation period of 11 months a female camel can give birth to one or two young ones. Newborns can walk after 2 hours and can follow their mothers after 24 hours. At least two years between births. Most births are in March and early April. Females generally give birth at the age of 5 years. A camel can live for 35 - 40 years.

Uses of a Camel: Camel is used for agricultural farming, riding, and transport. In some countries, camel is used to get milk as they can be feed on less and cheap food and can produce more milk. In other countries, camel meet is eaten and its bone can be used to make handicrafts. Camel can also be used to obtain wool and fiber.

Camel milk is known to be good for human health and to treat certain diseases. Many products can be made (curd, cheese, etc.), as demonstrated by NRCC research. Milk can be used to treat diabetes, TB, Jaundice, anemia. However, camel milk is not in high demand, mainly because of superstition

Breeds of Camels: There are basically six breeds of camel as follows:

Wild Bactrian Camels: As Compared to domestic camels, wild camels have smaller feet, smaller humps, shorter hair and a more slender body shape.
Dromedary Camels: This breed of camel is around 9.5-11 feet high and weighs around 700-1500 pounds. Their color ranges from white, brown, tan, red, black and spotted. They have longer legs which helps them to run easily.
Bactrian Camels: They are Asian camels, which come from desert of China and Mongolia . They have two humps and legs are shorter as compare to other breeds of camels. This is usually 6-7.5 feet high and weighs 1300-2100 pounds.
F2 Bactrian Camels: This breed is result of cross breeding between Bactrian and a F1 hybrid. These hybrids are found mostly in Kazakhstan .
F1 Camels: This breed is a result of cross breeding of Dromedary and Bactrian Camels. They are much heavier and therefore used for carrying loads and plowing.

F2 Dromedary Camels: The cross breeding between a Dromedary and a F1 hybrid results in F2 Dromedary Camels. They are very large and stronger.
 
Caring of Camels: Camels are very tuff and hearty animal, but like other animals they also require care and maintenance. However, it is very often to find a veterinarian to treat a camel when it gets sick. Camels are usually feed on thorny bushes which other grazing animals cannot eat and they can digest it very easily. If they fed on properly they do not get many diseases

 

Diet of a camel: Camels find a common interest in eating hay, twig, oats, grains and other dry fruits. Camels like to eat thorny twigs since it is easier for them to eat it as it does not hurt its mouth. Because of its peculiar designed mouth, the sharp thorns cannot push through the skin. Many different camels who travel in desert survive on eating seeds, dates, grass, and etcetera. A camel can eat up to three to four kilograms of food. But this is not always the case, those camels that live and travel in deserts find it hard many a times to find adequate amount of food. So, they just survive on whatever amount of grass or leaves or seeds they can find.

 

Steps to be taken for the prevention of Camel:
1.Camel grazing areas should be identified and protected. The Responsibility for their management should be given to camel herders.
2. There should be systematic camel health care through vaccinations.
3. There should be a ban on the slaughter of fertile and healthy female

 

 

 

Categories

Wild Bactrian Camels
Dromedary Camels
Bactrian camel
F2 Bactrian Camels
F1 Camels
F2 Dromedary Camels
Ships of the Desert
 

 

 

 

 

 


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