Camels By: Shelby

Scientist believe that the ancestors of the modern camel lived in North America about 40 million years ago. All camels are alike with all having 37 chromosomes. Camels evolved in a semi-desert environment, they have developed sophisticated physiological adaptations for coping with both heat and dehydration. Wild camels became extinct in North Africa before historic times (3000 B.C.), leaving only the domesticated stock.

The Bedouin name for Camelus dromedarius, is the "one-hump" dromedary, also known as the Arabian camel. In Asia, the two main types of camels are the one- humped or Dromedary and two-humped or the Bactrian camel. One-humped camel come from the Arabian deserts and two-humped camels are from the Asiatic. Lamas migrated to South America, and all camel died out in North America.

The camel went on to become the desert dweller's primary source of transport, shade, milk, meat, wool and hides. All camels have a complex, 3-compartmented stomach. Dromedaries did not become important until the rise of the Arabian culture. They became important domestic animals only with the Moslem conquests of Egypt in the 7th to 11th centuries A.D.

Camels have been known to lose safely body water equivalent to 40% of its body weight. Camel urine can become as thick as syrup and have twice the salt content of sea water. Camels have the ability to have a large fluctuation in body temperature (from 97.7 to degrees F). These days, camels are valued more as thoroughbred racing animals and sentimental images of the past.

The best camel meat comes from young male camels. It is regarded as a delicacy in the Arabian diet. Camel's milk is much more nutritious than that from a cow. It is lower in fat and lactose, and higher in potassium, iron and Vitamin C. Most Saudi Arabian camels are females reared for their milk in dairy herds. Camels come in every shade of brown, from cream to almost black.

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