You've probably seen camels crossing endless deserts on television or in movies, resisting long walks at even extreme temperatures. The question then arises: how do camels survive in the desert, in such inhospitable conditions?
Types of camels
Before we talk about how camels survive in the desert, we must start by differentiating the types of camels that exist: the Arab camel, or dromedary, and the camel native to Asia, the Camelus bactrianus.
The main difference between these two animals is that the camel has two humps while the dromedary has only one. However, this is not the only difference. To get to know them all, we suggest you read the article in which we talk about them in-depth: Difference between camel and dromedary.
The camel and the dromedary and the climate
The morphology of all types of camels is suitable for extreme temperatures. Camels and dromedaries each withstand different extreme climatic conditions.
The dromedary is capable of surviving extremely hot temperatures. On the contrary, the camel (with two humps) has evolved to survive winters characterized by very cold temperatures. In fact, in the Gobi Desert, you can reach up to 40 degrees below zero.
How long can a camel last without drinking?
The data answering this question is incredible. In winter, in fact, the camel can stay for up to 50 days without drinking anything at all. In summer, however, a camel can stay from 5 to 10 days without drinking.
It must also be said that these data vary depending on the physical activity carried out by the animal and the energy it is consuming.
How camels resist in the desert
The common imagination sees the camel hump full of water, but this is not true because it is actually full of fat. In the hump, it can store up to 36 kilos of fat that the camel is able to metabolize to produce water, food, and energy.
A summary of what happens is as follows: the hydrogen of the camel mixes with the oxygen-producing water. For half a kilo of fat, the camel can produce half a liter of water. By completing this process, the camel loses weight. The hump shrinks so much that it slips to one side. When the camel starts eating again, the hump returns to the vertical position.
The camel's ability to feed itself is another of the secrets of its survival in the desert. In just 15 minutes a camel can drink up to 140 liters of water: from this moment on, it will begin to produce fat again.
Another of the most important aspects of metabolism in terms of water supply is blood. As we have seen, the camel gets water from the fat of the humps. On the contrary, other mammals, even if they have accumulated fat, die dehydrated because they hydrate with the water they have in their blood. The blood of the camels, however, has two very particular characteristics:
When the camel is dehydrated, its blood becomes less dense in order to circulate more easily. When the animal gets better, even the blood returns to normal.
The blood of the camel is able to resist low temperatures, of 6 degrees.
Curiosities about the camel
To know how camels survive in the desert, it is necessary to delve into some curiosities that make it such a peculiar animal.
The shape of the camel's body, with its slender neck and long legs, helps it to stay cool. Moreover, due to its height, it is farther away from the heat of the sand and the ground.
The characteristics of the hair also help it to withstand temperatures. The camel has short, uniform hair all over its body. Thanks to it, the sun doesn't hit it directly and, moreover, when the external temperature is higher than that of its body, the hair does not give it heat but, on the contrary, helps to reduce its temperature.
Another feature that helps the camel to save water is the fact that it hardly sweats. The outside temperature must be above 40 degrees for the camel to sweat.
One of the greatest dangers of the desert is the storm. The camel is also ready for this eventuality. In addition to having long eyelashes that protect their eyes, they also have muscles that close their nostrils so that no sand can enter. Are they or are they not incredible animals?