Camels are animals that create curiosity, although they are known throughout the world, especially for being the transport of the Magi, being in stories and folk tales and for being part of the idea that we have when we think of some African and Asian countries. Although we have a clear image of these animals, there are many doubts that some people still have about them, for example, what is the difference with dromedaries, since it can be difficult to differentiate them if you do not have a clear idea. Did you know that the easiest key is in the number of humps?
In fact, this is one of the parts that generates the most doubts and therefore, in this oneHOWTO article, we are going to answer the question about what do camels have in their hump, as well as questions about other details of these.
How many humps do camels have
This is undoubtedly one of the most frequently asked questions, since it is easy to confuse these animals with dromedaries and, as we have mentioned, this is a key to differentiate them. Thus, the answer is very simple: camels have two humps and dromedaries have one.
Now why does the camel have two humps and the dromedary one? Simply put, we can say that evolution generated this difference so that each animal better adapted to the conditions of the climate in which it lives. Something that we will explain better below, in the next section.
Although this is, without a doubt, the easiest way to know which of these two related species we have in front of us, there are others differences between a camel and a dromedary:
- Origin and habitat: Although both species are desert, they come from deserts with different environmental conditions. Camels are from central Asia while dromedaries are from the Arabian Peninsula. In the case of the former, nature has prepared them to withstand really low temperatures such as those that can be found in the Gobi desert, while the latter has prepared them to withstand very high temperatures, such as those of the Sahara desert.
- The size: dromedaries are taller than camels, the former can reach up to two meters in height and the latter usually do not exceed a meter and a half. Regarding weight, camels are normally heavier than dromedaries.
- The fur: the camel has long fur, to better regulate the temperature in very cold areas, and the dromedary has short hair, to be able to survive better in the hot areas where it lives.
- The character: camels are much calmer than dromedaries.
What do camels have on their humps
Surely you have ever heard that camels store water in their humps, however, this is one of the most heard camel legends around the world. Actually, for those who wonder what they have or what the camels store in the humps, these animals accumulate reserve fat.
Thus, if you were wondering what the humps of camels are, now you can see that they are sacks located on the back that have the function of accumulating and storing fat, coming from the camels’ diet. When a camel feeds, its body uses part of the nutrients throughout the day and the rest converts them into fat accumulated in these sacks.
For this reason, a camel with fallen hump or with both of them in this state, like the image below, he is not sick or anything strange happens to him, but simply has used up fat stores accumulated in that part of the body causing it to decrease in size. As soon as the animal eats food and rests, the hump fills up again and becomes straight. In case of verifying that this does not happen even while feeding, we can think that it could be a symptom of illness, something that a veterinarian will have to confirm.
Why do camels have humps and what are they for?
Now that we know what is in the humps of these animals, another common question about them can be answered well: why do they have humps and what are they for?
Due to the climatic and environmental conditions to which they are exposed, that is, both due to the extreme temperatures and the long distances they must travel in the desert, with hardly any water and food at their fingertips, it is understandable and logical that these animals have evolved. creating these fat deposits.
The fat reserve in the humps is used for the camels to have enough power to withstand extreme conditions of their habitat. Thus, when they have not eaten or drunk for several kilometers, but must continue walking and enduring desert temperatures, then their body extracts the necessary energy from the fat accumulated in the humps.
If you liked knowing the answer to these questions about camels, you may also be interested in knowing information about another curious and less known animal: the platypus. Find out in this other oneHOWTO article what the platypus eats and where it lives.
If you want to read more articles similar to What do camels have on the hump – find out the answer, we recommend that you enter our category of The Animal World.