For millions of people in the arid regions of Asia and Africa, the camel is the most important animal. It provides food, clothing and protection and acts as the main means of transport and as a draft animal for agricultural work.
Camels pull plows, turn water wheels for irrigation or travel through the desert with heavy loads. They are a source of milk and cheese, and the fat from their lumps is used to make butter. Young camels can be slaughtered for meat-like meat. Camel hair is woven into fabrics and used in clothing, blankets and curtains. Various leather goods are made of leather, including shoes and saddles. The legs are not neglected either. When dry, they can become a work of art. Animal feces can be used as fuel.
Of the two basic types of camels, the two-haired bacterial camel is the strongest. Bactrian has longer, hairier hair than the Arabian camel with a single hump and tolerates cold better. With a load of 181 kilos, this animal can travel a distance of 48 kilometers per day at a speed of 3 or 5 kilometers per hour.
The dromedary, a long Arabian camel for walking and running, can travel through the desert at speeds of up to 10 miles per hour and up to 100 miles per day. . Since the camel moves both right legs forward at the same time and both legs forward, it is quite uncomfortable to drive at a fast pace. The rocking motion can cause dizziness. Therefore, it was not for nothing that camels were called "the ship of the desert."
These creatures do not have very pleasant dispositions. Woe to the man who abuses this animal! Although several days may pass, you should not be surprised to find the battered camel spitting in your face. When charged, it can moan and growl and moan loudly as it gets up.
Suitable for desert areas
These animals are perfectly adapted to life in desert areas. Thick hair provides a subtle protection against the glowing sun during the day and cold at night. From birth, there are bald spots on the camel's breasts and knees, which turn into thick leather pillows within a few months. When the animal rests on these pillows, they protect the knees and chest from injury. The camel's feet consist of large pillows, each of which extends over two toes. As the animal walks, these pillows expand and this prevents the feet from sinking into the warm, soft sand of the desert.
Camels are not disturbed by the explosion of dust and sand. Why is it like that? The animal can close its long, narrow noses at will. Long eyelashes and heavy eyelids protect the eyes. And the ears? Can they be easily filled with sand? No. The ears are small, far behind the head and covered with hair on the outside and inside.
Eating is not a problem for the camel either. The oral mucosa is so strong that the animal can eat the thinnest plants without harming itself. So its strong teeth allow it to eat almost anything.
The camel bolt, which weighs about 36 kg or more, is mostly greasy. It works as a kind of portable pantry. If the animal is too dependent on this food supply, the hump will be smaller. Eventually it can fall off and hang on the animal's side like an empty bag. As soon as the camel eats and rests, the hump fills.
It's a tough animal