Camels (DOC)

							                   Camels: Ships of the Desert


     Of all the animals that live in the desert, camels probably are the most
famous. They have been used for transporting goods across deserts for
thousands of years. In fact, camels are the only desert animals that can carry
heavy goods and travel for a long period of time without food or water.
Transportation, however, is not the only benefit that camels can offer us.
Desert people also use camels’ milk, meat, and fur.

     Camels can reach a height of 6 feet at their shoulders and 7 feet at their
humps. Camels have two toes on each foot. When they walk, they spread
their toes as wide as possible to prevent their feet from sinking into the sand.
Camels are named "ships of the desert" because they walk like the motion of
a boat - move both feet on one side of their bodies, then both feet on the
other.



             A camel has large eyes on the sides of its head. Each eye is
             protected by long eyelashes that keep out sand. In the daytime,
when the sun is high, the eyes do not allow over light in. The camel's small,
rounded ears are located far back on its head. The ears are covered with hair,
even on the inside. The hair helps keep out sand or dust that might blow into
the animal's ears. A camel can hear well, but, like the donkey, it often pays
no attention when given an order.

     The camel has a large mouth and 34 strong, sharp teeth. The hump of a
camel includes fats. The hump of a healthy camel may weigh 35 kilograms
or more. Most kinds of animals store fat in their bodies, but only camels


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keep most of their fat in a hump. If food is hard to find, the fat in the hump
provides energy for the animal. The hump is not a storage place for water, as
many people believe.

    A camel can go without water for days or even months. The amount of
water a camel drinks varies with the time of year and with the weather.
Camels need less water in winter when the weather is cold. Camels can go
all winter without water and may refuse to drink if water is offered to them.
But a large, thirsty camel can drink as much as 200 litres a day. This water is
not stored in the camel's body but replaces water previously used up.

    Camels have long, strong legs. Powerful muscles in the upper part of
the legs allow the animals to carry heavy goods for long distances. A camel
can carry as much as 450 kilograms, but the usual load weighs about 150
kilograms. While working, the animals travel about 40 kilometres a day, at a
speed of 5 kilometres an hour. Camels usually walk, especially if it is hot,
but when they must go faster they either run or pace. The pace is a medium-
speed movement in which both legs on the same side rise and fall together.

    There are two kinds of camels: (1) the Arabian camel which has one
hump, and (2) the second kind of camels which has two humps. Arabian
camels may once have lived in Arabia. There are several million Arabian
camels, and most of them live with the desert people of Africa and Asia. The
two-humped camels probably lived in Mongolia.

    Camels are considered one of the most useful animals. It can be used as
a transport means for desert people. It can be used by farmers in their fields.
Even for fun, there are many races that use camels by modern people.



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