Does a Camel's Hump Hold Water?
What’s Inside the Humps of the Arabian Camel and Bactrian Camel?
Jul 29, 2009
Camels are well adapted to survive in harsh environments. Their toes spread apart to help with walking on sand and they have protective hair around their ears, two rows of eyelashes and they can close their nostrils in the event of a dust storm. They are able to retain water and their thick fur actually acts as a heat shield.
There are Two Species of Camels
Arabian Camels which have one hump and can run for up to 18 hours at 16kph. Arabian camels reside in Africa, the Middle East, Pakistan and India. There are also some in Central Australia that were imported approximately 150 years ago due to their ability to cope with desert climates.
Bactrian Camels which have two humps and reside in Central Asia, are known for being able to carry heavy loads. These camels can cover 50 km a day carrying a load, though they only travel at approximately 3-5kph.
The Current Taxonomy of the Camel
- Kingdom: Animalia
- Phylum: Chordata
- Class: Mammalia
- Order: Artiodactyla
- Family: Camelidae
- Genus: Camelus
- Species: Camelus dromedaries (Arabian Camels) and Camelus bacterianus (Bactrian Camels)
What’s in a Camels Hump?
A camel's hump does not store water; the humps actually store the camel’s fat, which can be up to 35kg. The camel's hump acts as a food reserve and camels can lose up to 25% of their body fat without becoming ill or weakened. Camels don’t sweat and therefore don't lose water by excessive sweating like other animals can.
They also allow their body temperature to rise during the day, then during the night, when it is cooler, their body temperature drops. Due to the camel’s large size, its temperature only rises again slowly the next day. Large desert mammals like the camel, orient their bodies in a way that minimizes surface exposure to sunlight and their limbs are highly vascularised and have large surface area to aid in heat dissipation.
When a camel needs water, it removes it from all over its body with the exception of its bloodstream. The camel’s blood continues to flow normally despite dehydration. This is a unique adaptation in the camel; no other mammal can do this.
When a camel does have a chance to drink, it can consume 80-100 liters of water in 10 minutes. The camel’s gut releases this water slowly over time so as not to overload the camel’s metabolism.
Resource and further reading:
Randall, Burggren & French, 2002, 'Ionic and Osmotic Balance’, in Eckert Animal Physiology: Mechanisms and Adaptations, W.H. Freeman & Company, New York, chap 14.
Kruszelnicki, K, 2004, ‘Camel Hump’ in Great Myth Conceptions, ed. Harper Collins Publishers, Sydney, NSW.
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