Information on Camels Page 3

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Water Conservation

Camels have adapted to conserve water and withstand body temperature extremely well.  They only sweat above a certain temperature, and their sweat evaporates from the skin, not the fur.  This gives camels the power to control their body temperature and preserve 5 liters of water a day.  During the hottest part of the year, a camel can go for a week or more without taking a drink.  In the cooler months, they sometimes go for six months without drinking.

The Future of the Camel

Today there are approximately fourteen million camels around the world, and as long as there are nomadic peoples wandering the deserts and mountains, there will be a use for camels.  Unfortunately nomadic life is in decline.

To protect camels’ future, scientists are investigating raising camel like cattle or work horses.

The Asian Bactrian camel population has dwindled to a few hundred due to lack of water.  Austalian camels are feral and viewed as dangerous to the public.

South American camels (vicunas and guanacos), once hunted for their hides and wool are now protected, and their numbers are increasing. The same can be said for the domestic llamas and alpacas, for they are useful to the people of that region.  Domesticated dromedaries and Bactrian camels are safe and stable with their human caregivers.