Camel

Camels

The Uses of Camels:
Millions of people in Africa and Asia depend on camels for all their needs. Apart from tourism, there are other products produced by camels, such as milk, wool, meat and hides for tanning for leather.
History of camel:
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 before 2000 BC. The dromedary and the Bactrian camel are both still used for milk, meat, and as beasts of burden—the dromedary in western Asia, and the Bactrian camel further to the north and east in central Asia.
Others say that Camels originated in North America about four million years ago (40,000,000) and about a million (1,000,000) years ago, they had spread across to South America, Africa and Asia. Belonging to the family of camelidae (artiodactyla order), there are only two species, camelus dromedarius (dromedary-one humped) and the camelus bactrianus (bactrian-two humped) which have survived.

The physical features of camel:
They are tall, funny to look at and smell. They tag along and do their own thing where food and water are concerned. They sport a personality, are cute and you might get a sloppy lick in return for a little petting. Their rolling gait and the ability to carry weight has given them the nickname the ‘Ship of the Desert’.
You will either love them or hate them. But the Arabs call them Ata Allah, which
means 'god’s gift’ for their good temperament, patience and intelligence, contrary to what people think of them. The average life expectancy of a camel is forty to fifty years. A fully grown adult camel stands 1.85 m (6 ft 1 in) at the shoulder and 2.15 m (7 ft 1 in) at the hump. The hump rises about thirty inches (75 cm) out of its body. Camels can run up to 65 km/h (40 mph) in short bursts and sustain speeds of up to 40 km/h (25 mph).
The dromedary (road in Greek) camel has always been used as a saddle animal, that can cover more than 100 miles a day. They can be found in arid regions from north-western India to the Arabian Peninsula, Somalia and across African deserts and are better known as Arabian camels. Herodotus’s book – Histories has referred to this particular camel. The bactrian are found all over the highlands of Central Asia, from Turkey to Mongolia. In comparison to the Arabian camels, these are able to maintain a steady pace for a longer time, normally averaging 50 km per day while carrying a heavy load.
Camels in India are mostly of the dromedary type. India is listed among the top ten camel countries with 1,520,000 camels. They have a long-curved neck, a deep chest and a single hump; hair is long, falling on the shoulder and hump and they vary in size according to the nutrition intake. Their approximate lifespan is 50 years and wherever you find them, they will be in a group of two to 20. Close to their human owners, they provide these desert dwellers with milk, meat, leather, hair and fuel (dried manure). A few double-humped camels can be found in the valley of Jammu and Kashmir.
Major Indian breeds are called bikaneri, which has draft capability, jaisalmeri a racing camel and the kachchhi, which is usually bred for milk. Bikaneri is the most popular and widely-used camel breed in India. Found in the Bikaner district, they are built heavily and have a larger body frame compared to others. Jaisalmeri camels are lightly built and medium sized. The kachchhi have a strong body and long thick neck. Marwari, mewari, bagri and mewati are some other breeds found in India.
The Thar Desert stretches infinitely into the horizon and is as harsh as it is beautiful. You may see the footprints of camel or hear the sound of the camel driver’s cry, for this is the transport here, the ship of the desert.

by: Mohammed AL-abri


SOME CAMEL FACTS:
* Camels were important even 7,000-years ago and this can be seen in an old painting found in the UAE. * Camels do not pant and perspire very little. Their body has a unique thermostat that raises their body temperature by six degrees and conserves body fluid. Their body temperature is less than the air temperature around, so they conserve body heat by pressing against each other.* They come in colours varying from brown to almost black.* Their ears are small, but have acute hearing and are fur lined to stop dust and sand from entering into their ears.* Their eyes are large with a doe-like expression and are protected by a double row of long curly eyelashes that keep out dust and thick eyebrows shield the eyes from the desert sun.* Their flat and leathery pads have two toes. While walking the pads spread and prevent their feet from sinking. They walk by moving both legs on one side, simultaneously hence the rolling motion gait. * They can carry a weight of 450 kg and can work 6 to 8 months in a year and need to take rest of the year off.* The gestation period before birth is 13 months and the newborn camels walk immediately on birth.* Camel hair is most sought-after for coats, garments and artists' brushes. They shed around 2.5 kg of hair every spring. Average height is six feet at the shoulder and seven at the hump.* A camel gulps its food without chewing and later regurgitates it in cud form. They can drink 100 litres of water in ten minutes and store it in the bloodstream. However, they need very little water, as camels get the required moisture from the rich pasture they eat. They weigh around 700kg and can run at speeds of 20kph at a gallop. * The hump does not store water but it is fatty tissue. From here, the camel draws its energy. The hump shrinks and hangs to the side on excess usage, which after a rest and good food returns to its normal position.* Their bones are replacing Ivory.


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