One hump or two?

I must admit that camels fascinate me. They are aloof and distant and although I saw many herds (or caravans, trains or flocks) along the roads when we went out of Dubai, they were too far away for me to take a decent photo. I had to make do with the odd road sign.

Camels ahead!

However, a few days before I left to fly to Madrid, I was lucky enough to get up fairly close but not too personal with a small group. We had gone to the vet to collect two cats that had been neutered (my daughter works unceasingly to trap, neuter and release feral cats), and there, as we turned off the tar, were the camels! The farmer was more than happy to let me take a few photos, and I was more than happy to finally have them in my sights!

A caravan of camels. What a wonderful collective noun!

I did some research on camels. They are fascinating animals! And, it turns out that the Middle East camel is, in fact, a Dromedary as it only has one hump, not two! The two humped variety are called 'Bactrian' and hail from Central Asia. They are both even-toed ungulates within the genus 'Camelus', bearing fatty deposits known as humps! And, contrary to popular belief (or the belief I had when I was little), they do not store water in the hump. They are reservoirs of fatty tissue. They do not have other deposits of fat anywhere though, (lucky things, no 'spare tyre' or 'middle age spread') and this minimizes heat being trapped in the rest of their body.
The average life span of a camel is 40 to 50 years, an adult is approximately 1.85  metres at shoulder height and 2.15 metres at hump height! It can run at approximately 65 kph in short bursts but can sustain a speed of 40 kph for longer. Their ability to go without water for long periods is due to their red blood cells being oval instead of round, that means their blood will flow even when the camel is becoming dehydrated. They can drink up to 100 litres of water in one go and can withstand changes in temperature that would kill most animals! Their body temperature ranges from 34 deg C at night, to 41 deg C during the day. Only above 41 deg do they sweat! And, they can withstand 20-25% weight loss due to sweating, before cardiac failure occurs due to dehydration. Their huge nostrils trap large amounts of water vapour as they exhale, and this is returned to their body fluids! The last fascinating fact to do with their ability to retain water is this; their urine is like a thick syrup and their feces is dry enough to fuel fires!

Beautiful creatures.

Have you ever looked closely at a camels' eye? Me neither, but their long eyelashes, ear hairs (charming) and sealable nostrils are all effective barriers against sand that is always blowing around. And their wide feet prevent them from sinking into the sand. The term 'ship of the desert' comes from the fact that camels lift their legs on the same side of their body when they walk, giving them a rolling motion that makes people feel a little seasick when riding them!

We stayed out of spitting range. The camel, not us!

Camels provide hair for certain textiles e.g felted pouches and their milk is low in both fat and cholesterol. Although it can be made into yoghurt, it will not curdle without the addition of calcium phosphate, so cheese is fairly costly to produce. As for camel meat, it too is low in fat and cholesterol but can be dry and tough, so it's best prepared by slow cooking! Camel burgers are popular, but they usually have lamb added for extra fat.

And the hump? It is white and sickly fat.

Enough said!