Camels are a genus of artiodactyl animals, which is represented by two species - one-humped and two-humped. The first species lives in Africa, and the second - mainly in Asia. Animals are distinguished by high endurance and the ability to do without water for a long time.
Characteristic features of a camel that help him live in the desert
When mentioning the place where camels live, the image of an animal surrounded by endless dunes of sand arises. This amazing creature got its second name - the “ship of the desert” for a reason, since from time immemorial it lives in hot and waterless territories.
The camel manages to live in this way thanks to its characteristic features. Firstly, the animal has a thick layer of thick wool, which protects its body from overheating, and its body perfectly regulates temperature. Secondly, thanks to a special metabolism, a camel can get by with a small amount of food and live for more than two weeks without a single sip of water. In addition, nature endowed the animal with a special body structure, which allows it to live in the desert. This is the distinctive functionality of the legs, as well as the presence of thick eyebrows, eyelashes and special muscles located near the nostrils, whichprotect the animal from sandstorms.
Unique body functions
The main places where camels live are deserts and semi-deserts. An animal can exist in such harsh climatic conditions due to the unique functioning of its body.
One of the most important points is the presence of a thick coat, thanks to which the camel can withstand fantastic temperatures - from -29 to +38 degrees. Another important fact is the ability to adjust body temperature depending on the environment. At night, it drops sharply and slowly rises towards the middle of the day. Thanks to this camel, it is not hot, even if the temperature around it is much higher.
Features of the drinking regimen
Due to the unique processes of thermoregulation of the body, the camel practically does not sweat, as a result of which it loses moisture several times slower than other animals in the same climatic conditions. But, of course, the most fantastic feature of this creature is the ability to do without water for about a crescent. This is especially important, given the special environmental conditions where camels live. During a long stay without fluid, the body of this animal loses almost a third of its mass. For any other living creature, this would be tantamount to death, but the camel has the unique ability to quickly regain lost weight. In just a few minutes, he can drink about 15 liters of water.
There are several explanations for why a camel can take so longgo without water. Some scientists point to the retention of fluid in the animal's stomach, others to the fact that the fat reserves in the creature's humps can gradually melt and release water from itself. Relatively recently, a new theory has appeared, according to which the camel receives additional fluid from the blood. The animal has a special structure of electrocytes, which can freely move through the blood vessels, even when, due to dehydration, its blood becomes thicker. It is also important that these animals can drink s alt water, which is especially important given the regions where camels live.
Features of food
Animals are very undemanding to food. They can eat almost anything - thorny grass, old leaves and other food that is inedible for other animals. This serves as another proof of why the camel lives in the desert, where other living creatures have little chance of surviving. Most often, various shrubs that have long roots that can reach groundwater get into his diet.
Of course, in the presence of juicy green food, the animal will not eat dry grass, especially since in this case it does not need water either. However, observations have shown that with long-term quality nutrition, the camel feels much worse.
How long do camels live
A newborn baby camel is born sighted and covered with hair, and after a few hours begins to walk. The animal feeds on mother's milk for about one and a half years, and reaches pubertyaround 3-5 years old. As for how long camels live, the average duration is about 35-40 years, and some individuals even live up to 70. It is also interesting that one-humped animals live longer and outlive their two-humped counterparts by about 5-10 years.
Camels are unique animals that, due to their special structure, functionality of the body and distinctive ways of feeding, can live in deserts and semi-deserts. The animals have strong physical endurance and the ability to go without water for about two weeks, which is a death sentence for other animals. Despite living in harsh climatic conditions, these creatures grow to a considerable size and live long enough.
