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A common myth is that camels store water in their humps. In reality, the humps are reservoirs of fat, a great energy source when food is scarce. In addition, as a camel becomes increasingly dehydrated, hump fat is broken down. The fat allows the camel to survive without water for up to two weeks, and without food for almost a month.

STATUS: Although the domestic subspecies of Bactrian camel seen at the Los Angeles Zoo is not endangered, fewer than 1,000 of its close relatives, the wild Bactrians (Camelus bactrianus ferus), remain in parts of the Gobi Desert in China and Mongolia. These wild camels are critically endangered, largely due to over-hunting and habitat destruction by humans, and the wild camels’ competition with other domestic camels and livestock for food and water resources. Bactrian camels can live up to 50 years in captivity, however their lifespan is normally less in the wild.

HABITAT: The Bactrian or two-humped camel has evolved to live in one of the harshest deserts in the world: the dry Gobi Desert of China and southern Mongolia, where extreme temperatures may range from -52 °F in winter to 113 °F in summer. They also inhabit China’s Lop Nor nature reserve and were introduced to Central Asia’s deserts by humans.

DIET: Camels mainly eat shrubs, leaves, grasses, and branches. The camel's long neck allows it to spot distant oases and to reach tall vegetation, and its large, tough lips enable it to eat dry and thorny plants. However, a camel can survive on whatever it finds, including bones, skin, seeds, fish, or flesh. Wild Bactrians may even drink brackish or salt water. The camel has a three-chambered ruminating stomach, so it can swallow food without chewing it first, then later regurgitate and chew the undigested food like cud. This helps the camel obtain maximum nutrition from the vegetation in its diet while allowing it to eat on the move, covering large stretches of desert in search of food and water.

PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS: A male Bactrian camel can measure up to 9 feet from head to tail, stand 6 feet tall at the shoulders, and weigh up to 1,500 pounds. Females are typically smaller. The Bactrian’s long hair and massive body make it well-adapted to eastern Asia’s cold Gobi desert. To stay warm during cold winters and nights, the stocky Bactrian camel grows a heavier, double-layered coat consisting of a dense inner layer and a long and woolly outer layer, which is normally dark-brown and sometimes dusty-gray or blond. This thick coat is shed in the spring when temperatures warm up.

Some other physical adaptations make the camel better equipped for desert life. For example, the camel's ears and nasal passages are lined with hair and its large muscular nostrils can be closed to keep out sand and dust. Double rows of long eyelashes protect the eyes against debris, while bushy eyebrows shield the eyes from the bright sun. Calluses on the knees and chest protect the camel when kneeling on hot, rough, or sandy terrain. To conserve a little extra moisture, a groove from each nostril to the cleft upper lip drains from the nostrils into the mouth. Camels’ feet are broad and flat, and do not have hooves, but consist of two toenail-covered digits on each foot. Thick, calloused footpads protect them on hot or rough terrain. As the feet land on the ground, the pads spread, preventing them from sinking into the sand.

One Hump or Two?

While the Bactrian camel has two humps, the dromedary camel of western Asia, the Middle East, and Africa has one. An easy way to remember this is to turn the first letter of each camel’s name on its side. When you turn the letter “B” for Bactrian on its side, you see two humps for the two-humped Bactrian camel. When you turn the letter “D” for dromedary on its side, you just see one hump. Research has shown that in their embryonic stage, dromedary camels have a small second hump that does not develop further. So, it may be that the ancestors of all camels looked like the wild Bactrians we have today.