home » fashionable dresses » An animal with two humps. Bactrian camels, their name, how much they weigh

An animal with two humps. Bactrian camels, their name, how much they weigh

The largest representative of the callosopod suborder.

Taxonomy

Russian name - Bactrian camel
Latin name - Camelus bactrianus
English name - Domestic bactrian camel
Order - artiodactyla (Artiodactyla)
Suborder - callosopods (Tylopoda)
Family - camelids (Camelidae)
Genus - camels (Camelus)

There are wild and domestic Bactrian camels. The wild camel in Mongolia, its homeland, is called haptagai, in contrast to the domestic one - bactrian (the word comes from the name of the ancient region in Central Asia, Bactria).

Conservation status of the species

The domestic Bactrian camel is a common animal in Central Asia, Mongolia and China. In Russia, the largest number of camels are kept in Buryatia and Kalmykia. The world population exceeds 2 million animals.

The wild Bactrian camel is a very rare animal, listed in the IUCN Red List, in the CR category - a species in critical danger of extinction. The population of these animals numbers only a few hundred individuals. According to some reports, the wild camel is the eighth most endangered mammal in terms of threat.

Species and man

The domestic Bactrian camel has long been an important pet in many areas of Asia. First of all, it is a reliable vehicle in desert conditions. People use milk, meat, skin, and camel wool, from which they make a wide variety of knitted and felted products. Even the dung of this animal is very valuable: it serves as an excellent fuel.

The domestication of camels dates back to ancient times. The earliest archaeological information about the breeding of Bactrians dates back to the 7th–6th millennia BC. e. A number of sources indicate that domestic camels appeared about 4,500 years ago. The discovery of a vessel with dung from a Bactrian camel and the remains of the camel’s hair, made during excavations of ancient settlements in eastern Iran, dates back to 2500 BC. e. One of the oldest images of a domestic camel being led by the bridle by a man dates back to the 9th century BC. e. It is carved on the famous Black Obelisk of the Assyrian king Shalmaneser III and is now in the British Museum. Another image was discovered on the ruins of the Apadana Hall of the palace of the Persian kings in Persepolis, dating back to the 5th century. BC e.

The Bactrian camel has survived in the wild and was first described as a species in 1878 by the famous Russian explorer N. M. Przhevalsky in Mongolia. Currently, the population of the “savage” continues to decline, mainly due to poaching and competition with livestock.

The domestic camel is somewhat different from the wild one, which gives some scientists reason to distinguish them as separate species, or at least subspecies. The question of the direct origin of Bactrian from the modern wild camel also remains open.

The largest representative of the order Callopods

Distribution and habitats

The wild camel in the past apparently occurred over a vast area of much of Central Asia. Now the range of khaptagai (as the locals call it) is small and is represented by four broken areas in Mongolia and China.

The domestic Bactrian camel is bred primarily in the steppe and semi-desert regions of eastern Central Asia, Mongolia and neighboring territories of Russia and China; The world population of Bactrians exceeds 2 million. Breeds of domestic camels have been bred: Kazakh, Kalmyk and Mongolian, which differ in size, quality of coat, shape and size of humps.
As for the modern life of wild Bactrian camels, they constantly migrate from one area to another, but mainly their habitats are rocky, desert plains and foothills with sparse and rough vegetation and rare sources of water. However, camels need water to survive; groups of camels in their habitats are strongly attached to reservoirs and springs. After the rains, groups of camels gather on the banks of rivers or at the foot of mountains, where temporary floods form. In winter, camels make do with snow to quench their thirst. Wild camels are also found in mountainous areas, and they move so well on steep slopes that they are not much inferior to mountain sheep.

In the hot season, haptagai rise quite high - it was noted that they are found at an altitude of 3300 m above sea level. In winter, animals migrate 300–600 km to the south and often stay in mountain valleys, which protect them from the wind, or along dry watercourses. If oases with poplar groves are not occupied by humans, the haptagai spend the winter, and especially autumn, near them. Wild camels are characterized by wide migrations during the day, even with an abundance of food, which is sometimes associated with watering places. Thus, observations have shown that camels can travel 80–90 km or even more per day.

Appearance and morphology

The appearance of the Bactrian camel is so unique and characteristic that it cannot be confused with any other animal. Bactrians are very large animals - the height at the withers often exceeds 2 meters and can reach 2.3 meters, the height of the body with humps is up to 2.7 m. An adult male camel weighs on average about 500 kg, but often much more - up to 800 and even 1000 kg. Females are smaller: 320–450 kg, in rare cases up to 800 kg.

A barrel-shaped body on long knobby legs, with the hind legs as if attached to the general contour of the body, a long curved neck, a rather large head with expressive eyes, pubescent double rows of eyelashes and, of course, humps - this is a camel. In a well-fed camel, the humps stand straight, and their shape is individual for each animal; in a thin camel, the humps completely or partially fall to one side, but rise again when the animal eats itself. The name of the suborder - callosalfoot - is due to the structure of the leg, ending in a forked foot resting on a callus pad, which in Bactrian is very wide, allowing the animal to walk on loose soil. On the front of the foot there is a kind of claw or small hoof. The tail is quite short, with a tuft of long hair at the end. The lips of camels are unusual - they are very mobile, at the same time fleshy, tough, adapted to tearing off the coarsest and thorniest vegetation. The upper lip of all camelids is forked. The ears are round and very small, almost indistinguishable from a great distance. On the back of the head there are paired glands, especially developed in the male, the black, viscous and odorous secretion of which is used for marking territory.

The color of the camel is brown-sand of various shades, from almost white to dark chestnut. The coat is very thick and long (about 7 cm on the body, and up to 30 cm or even more on the bottom of the neck and on the tops of the humps). The structure of the Bactrian's fur is similar to that of the inhabitants of the North - the polar bear and the reindeer: the guard hairs are like tubes, hollow inside. Together with the thick undercoat, this contributes to the low thermal conductivity of the camel's coat. Moulting in camels is also unique - it begins with the onset of warm days and proceeds very quickly. The old fur falls out, coming off the body in large tufts, or even layers, and the new one does not have time to grow during this time, so at the end of May - June the camel in the zoo is practically “naked”. However, 2-3 weeks pass, and the handsome Bactrian is covered with smooth, thick, velvety hair, which will become especially long by winter.

Camels have several morphological and physiological features that allow them to survive in extremely harsh conditions. The camel suffers dehydration that is fatal to all other animals. This animal can survive by losing up to 40% of water in its body (other animals die with a loss of 20% of water). A camel's kidneys can absorb much of the water from urine and return it to the body, so the urine produced is extremely concentrated. The erythrocytes (red blood cells) of camels are oval (in all other mammals they are round), so the blood maintains normal fluidity even with severe thickening, since the narrow oval erythrocytes pass through the capillaries without obstruction. In addition, camel red blood cells have the ability to accumulate liquid, increasing in volume up to 2.5 times. Bactrian manure is much more concentrated than cattle manure - it contains 6–7 times less water and consists of a mixture of coarse, almost dry plant fibers (Bactrian manure is well formed in the form of oblong pellets measuring 4x2x2 cm). When severely dehydrated, a camel noticeably loses weight, but when given access to water, it restores its normal appearance literally before our eyes.

A number of features of the external structure also make it possible to maximize the savings of water reserves in the body. Water evaporation is minimized because the camel keeps its nostrils tightly closed, opening them only during inhalation and exhalation. The camel's ability to thermoregulate is also known. Unlike other mammals, a camel begins to sweat only if its body temperature reaches +41 °C, and its further increase becomes life-threatening. At night, a camel’s body temperature can drop to +34 °C.

The fat contained in the humps is not broken down into water, as was believed for a long time, but plays the role of a food supply for the body. It also serves to insulate the camel's body, accumulating primarily on the back, which is most exposed to the sun's rays. If fat were evenly distributed throughout the body, it would prevent heat from leaving the body. Both humps can contain up to 150 kg of fat.

Lifestyle and social organization

The Bactrian camel is an animal that is active during daylight hours. At night he either sleeps or is inactive and busy chewing gum. During hurricanes, camels can lie motionless for several days. In inclement weather, they try to hide in bushes or ravines; in extreme heat, they willingly walk, fanning themselves with their tails, against the wind with their mouths open, lowering their body temperature.

As for social organization, the maintenance of domestic Bactrian camels is under the control of a person who comprehensively determines their life. If camels happen to go wild, they restore the social structure characteristic of their wild ancestor. Wild Bactrian camels live in small herds of 5–20 heads (sometimes up to 30), mainly consisting of females and young animals; the leader is the dominant male. Adult males are often found alone. A herd of camels can also include young, sexually mature males, but only outside the rutting period.

Nutrition and feeding behavior

The Bactrian camel is a herbivore and can feed on the roughest and least nutritious food. It is able to eat plants with such spines that no other animal is able to eat. The camel's diet is quite varied. Of course, they love cereals, they eat camel thorn with pleasure, but they also quite willingly eat shrub and semi-shrub saltworts, onions, barnyard grass, parsifolia with its juicy large leaves, they eat ephedra and young shoots of saxaul, and in the fall in the oases - poplar leaves and reeds. When camels are hungry, they can eat animal bones and skins, and even objects made from them. The Bactrian camel is able to withstand very long periods of fasting. It is so adapted to meager food that for the health of a domestic camel, constant underfeeding may be better than abundant nutrition.

Camels show equally high endurance in relation to water. For example, wild camels come to springs no more than once every few days. If they are disturbed there, they can go without water for two or even three weeks - especially in the summer, when there is a lot of moisture in the plants after the rains. The Bactrian camel is notable for its ability to drink brackish water from desert reservoirs without harm to health. This, however, apparently applies only to wild camels - domestic ones avoid drinking salt water. In general, the animal's need for salt is very high - for this reason, domestic camels need to ensure the constant availability of salt bars. Camels in general, and Bactrian camels in particular, are known for their ability to drink huge amounts of water at once. In case of severe dehydration, Bactrian can drink up to 100 liters at a time.

If there is a good food supply, both wild and domestic camels become very fat by autumn. But camels suffer more than, for example, horses in winter from deep snow and especially ice, since due to the lack of real hooves, they cannot, like horses, dig out the snow and feed on the vegetation underneath it.

Vocalization

Camels are not particularly talkative creatures. However, during the rut, males are characterized by a loud roar, which is heard very often. Excited animals make sounds similar to muttering and loud whistles. Cubs calling their mothers roar in higher voices; mothers respond with the same sounds, but lower in frequency.

Reproduction and raising offspring

Female camels become adults at the age of 2–3 years, males somewhat later, sometimes at 5–6 years. The rut of Bactrian camels occurs in the fall. At this time, males behave very aggressively. They attack other males and even try to mate with them, constantly roar loudly, run and rush about; foam comes out of their mouth. Animals make sounds similar to muttering and a sharp, drawn-out whistle. During the rut, dominant males herd females into groups and do not allow them to disperse. In this state, a male camel can be dangerous to both humans and animals. Male domestic camels are often tied or isolated when signs of the rut occur for safety reasons. In Mongolia, rutting camels kept on free grazing wear warning red bands around their necks.

Rutting males often engage in fierce fights with each other, during which they crush the enemy with their necks, trying to bend them to the ground and knock them down. Usually calm and submissive male camels at the moment of sexual arousal become dangerous, vicious, they can attack using their fangs, and beat with their front and hind legs. If teeth are used (usually they grab the opponent’s head with their teeth) or legs, then serious injuries are possible, including the death of one of the fighters. In herds of domestic camels, sometimes only the intervention of shepherds saves the weaker camel from severe injuries. It happens that wild camels attack herds of domestic camels, kill the males and take away the females - therefore, Mongolian shepherds in the Trans-Altai Gobi drive herds of domestic camels away from the desert, into the mountains during the rut, in order to protect them from the raids of the haptagai.

During the rut, males actively use their occipital glands to mark territory, arching their necks and touching their heads to the ground and stones. They also spray their own urine on their hind legs and spread the urine over the back of their body using their tail. The female does the same. Mating in camels occurs while lying down. At the moment of mating, the male Bactrian foams from his mouth, loudly grinds his teeth, and throws his head back. After 13 months of pregnancy, the female gives birth to one camel. It weighs between 35 and 45 kg, which is approximately 5–7% of the mother's weight. Interestingly, a Bactrian camel weighs much less at birth (both absolutely and relative to the mother) than a one-humped camel, which weighs about 100 kg.

A newborn camel is able to follow its mother almost immediately (after about two hours). It has small rudiments of humps without internal fat, but already at the age of one or two months the humps take on a vertical position and become rounded at the base. The cub feeds exclusively on milk until 3–4 months, at which time it begins to try plant foods, but sucks for a long time. Lactation in a female lasts 1.5 years, and there are cases when grown cubs suckled their mothers at the same time as their younger newborn brothers. Camel cubs grow quickly; after reaching maturity, growth slows down, but stops only at the age of 7 years.

At the age of 3–4 years, males leave the maternal herd, form bachelor groups, and later acquire their own harem. A camel gives birth, as a rule, once every 2 years.

Lifespan

Camels live quite a long time, up to 40–50 years.

Keeping animals at the Moscow Zoo

Camels are not only one of the most common animals in zoos, but also one of the most beloved. What child would leave the zoo without seeing a camel! In the history of the Moscow Zoo, it seems, there was no period when we lived without camels, and both two-humped and one-humped camels were kept. Each had their own character, their own habits. The one-humped camel Pan was a feisty one and always tried to grab a person passing by by the head. And the two-humped giant Senya, who came to us from VDNKh, was, on the contrary, an amazing kind person.

When the zoo was being reconstructed, animals were transferred from one area to another. The camel Manka, Senya’s friend, was completely tame and simply followed the call of a familiar person who was holding a piece of bread in his hand. And a funny thing happened to Senya. The staff did not know that he had been bridle trained before and expected the camel to move away from the accessory. Senya, joyfully, but rather sharply moved his huge forehead head towards the man with the bridle, which caused quite a strong fright. It turned out that he was simply delighted with an object familiar from childhood and, happily putting on the bridle, calmly crossed Bolshaya Gruzinskaya Street.

Now the camel can be seen in the New Territory of the zoo; its enclosure is located opposite the entrance to the Exotarium. This is a female, more than 20 years ago she came from the Astrakhan region and now lives with Przhealsky horses, and this company suits everyone quite well. The animals do not show the slightest hostility towards each other, but if the horse presses its ears back (and this is a sign of dissatisfaction), the camel moves away. The camel often approaches visitors, who run away exclaiming: “Oh, he’s about to spit!” There is no need to be afraid, this peace-loving animal spits extremely rarely, only at veterinarians when it is being vaccinated. You don’t need to feed him either; all the animals in the zoo receive the food they need and is healthy for them. The camel is given hay, branches (which it prefers to hay), a mixture of cut vegetables and oats. Be sure to have a salt lick with a special set of salts in the feeder. The beast comes to talk to you. Smile at him!

A camel is a large mammal that belongs to the placental infraclass, superorder Laurasiatheria, order Artiodactyla, suborder Callopods, family Camelidae, genus Camels ( Camelus).

In a number of foreign languages, the word “camel” sounds similar to its Latin name: in English a camel is called camel, the French call it chameau, the Germans call it Kamel, and the Spaniards call it camello.

The origin of the Russian-language name of the animal has two versions. According to one of them, in the Gothic language a camel was called “ulbandus”, but, interestingly, this name applied to an elephant. And the confusion arose from the fact that the people who named the large animal that way had never seen either elephants or camels. Then the Slavs adopted the word, and “ulbandus” turned into “camel”. A more plausible version identifies the name of the animal with its Kalmyk name “byurgyud”. But no one doubts the fact that the camel is a real ship of the desert, covering hundreds of kilometers across vast expanses of sand.

Camel - description, characteristics, structure

A camel is an animal that is quite large in size: the average height at the withers of an adult is about 210-230 cm, and the weight of a camel reaches 300-700 kg. Particularly large individuals weigh more than a ton. The body length is 250-360 cm for two-humped camels, 230-340 cm for one-humped camels. Males are always larger than females.

The anatomy and physiology of these mammals are a clear indication of their adaptability to life in harsh and arid conditions. The camel has a strong, dense build, a long U-shaped curved neck and a rather narrow, elongated skull. The animal's ears are small and round, sometimes almost completely buried in thick fur.

The large eyes of a camel are reliably protected from sand, sun and wind by thick, long eyelashes. The nictitating membrane, the third eyelid, protects the animal's eyes from sand and wind.

The nostrils are shaped like narrow slits that can close tightly, preventing moisture loss and protecting during sandstorms.

Taken from the site: ephemeralimpressions.blogspot.ru

A camel has 34 teeth in its mouth. The animals' lips are rough and fleshy, adapted for tearing off thorny and tough vegetation.

The upper lip is forked.

Each camel's leg ends in a cloven foot with a kind of claw located on a calloused pad. Two-toed feet are ideal for walking on rocky and sandy terrain.

The camel's tail is quite short in relation to the body and is about 50-58 cm.

At the end of the tail grows a tassel formed by a tuft of long hair.

On the back of the animals’ heads there are paired glands that secrete a special odorous secretion, with which camels mark their territory by bending their necks and wiping themselves on stones and soil.

Contrary to popular belief, a camel's hump contains fat, not water. For example, the hump of a Bactrian camel contains up to 150 kg of fat. The hump protects the animal's back from overheating and is a reservoir for energy reserves. There are 2 closely related species of camels: one-humped and two-humped, having, respectively, 1 or 2 humps, laid down by evolutionary development, as well as some differences associated with living conditions.

Camels retain fluid in the scar tissue of the stomach, so they can easily tolerate long-term dehydration. The structure of camels' blood cells is such that during prolonged dehydration, when another mammal would have died long ago, their blood does not thicken. Camels can survive without water for a couple of weeks, and without food they can live for about a month. The red blood cells of these animals are not round, but oval in shape, which is a rare exception among mammals. Without access to water for a long time, a camel can lose up to 40% of its weight. If an animal loses 100 kg in a week, then after receiving water it will quench its thirst within 10 minutes. In total, the camel will drink more than 100 liters of water at a time and make up for the lost 100 kg of weight, recovering literally before our eyes.

All camels have excellent eyesight: they are able to spot a person a kilometer away, and a moving car 3-5 km away. Animals have a well-developed sense of smell: they sense a source of water at a distance of 40-60 km, easily anticipate the approach of a thunderstorm and go to where the showers will occur.

Despite the fact that the majority of these mammals have never seen large bodies of water, camels can swim well, tilting their bodies slightly to the side. A camel runs at an amble, and the speed of a camel can reach 23.5 km/h. Some individuals of wild haptagai are capable of accelerating up to 65 km/h.

Enemies of camels in nature

The main natural enemies of the camel are wolves. Previously, when tigers were found in camel habitats, they also attacked both wild and domestic animals.

Camel lifespan

On average, a camel lives about 40-50 years. This applies to both one-humped and two-humped species. Life expectancy in captivity ranges from 20 to 40 years.

What does a camel eat?

Camels are able to digest very rough and non-nutritious food. Bactrian camels eat various shrub and semi-shrub vegetation in the desert: saltwort, camel thorns, barnyard grass, parfolia, sand acacia, wormwood, onions, ephedra, and young branches of saxaul. With the onset of cold weather in rare oases, animals feed on reeds and eat poplar leaves. In the absence of main sources of food, Bactrians do not disdain the skins and bones of dead animals, as well as any products made from these materials. The dromedary camel feeds on any plant foods, including rough, hard and salty foods.

By consuming succulent grass, a camel can live without water for up to 10 days, obtaining the necessary moisture from the vegetation. Desert animals visit springs once every few days, and the camel drinks a lot at a time. For example, a Bactrian camel is capable of drinking 130-135 liters of water at a time. A notable feature of khaptagai (wild Bactrian camels) is their ability to drink brackish water without harm to the body, while domestic camels do not drink it.

All camels can withstand prolonged hunger, and it has been scientifically proven that overfeeding has a much worse effect on the health of these animals. By autumn, in years of abundant food supply, camels noticeably gain weight, but in winter they suffer much more than other animals: due to the lack of real hooves, they are not able to dig through snowdrifts in search of suitable food.

Domestic camels are extremely indiscriminate in their food and are practically omnivorous. In captivity or in a zoo, animals happily eat fresh grass and silage, any compound feed, vegetables, fruits, grain, branches and foliage of trees and shrubs. Also, the diet of domestic camels must include salt bars to satisfy the body's need for salt.

The three-chambered stomach helps the animal digest food. The mammal swallows food without first chewing, then regurgitates the partially digested food, the cud, and chews it.

Types of camels, photos and names

The camel genus includes 2 species:

Bactrian camel.

Below is a more detailed description of them.

Dromedary camel (dromedary, dromedary, arabian) ( Camelus dromedarius)

The dromedary, or one-humped camel, has survived to this day exclusively in its domestic form, not counting newly feral individuals. “Dromedary” is translated from Greek as “running,” and the animal was nicknamed “Arabian” in honor of Arabia, where these camels were domesticated. Dromedaries, like Bactrians, have very long, calloused legs, but are more slender in build. Compared to two-humped camels, one-humped camels are much smaller: the body length of adult individuals is 2.3-3.4 m, and the height at the withers reaches 1.8-2.1 m. The weight of a one-humped camel ranges from 300 to 700 kg.

The head of the dromedary has elongated facial bones, a convex forehead, a hook-nosed profile, and the lips are not compressed like those of horses or cattle. The cheeks are enlarged, the lower lip is often drooping. The neck of the dromedary camel has developed muscles. A small mane grows along the upper edge of the neck, and at the bottom there is a short beard that reaches the middle of the neck. The forearms have no edges. In the area of the shoulder blade there is an edge in the form of “epaulettes”, which consists of long curled hair and is absent in Bactrian camels.

Also, the one-humped camel differs from the two-humped camel in that the first does not tolerate frost at all, while the second is adapted to existence at extremely low temperatures. The coat of dromedaries is dense, but not particularly thick and long; such fur does not warm, but only prevents intense loss of fluid. On cold nights, the body temperature of a dromedary camel drops significantly; in the sun, the body warms up extremely slowly, and the camel sweats only when the temperature exceeds 40 degrees.

The longest hair grows on the animal's neck, back and head. The color of dromedaries is predominantly sandy, but dromedary camels are dark brown, reddish-gray or white.

Bactrian camel (Bactrian) ( Camelus bactrianus)

This is the largest representative of the genus and the most valuable pet for most Asian peoples. The Bactrian camel got its name from Bactria, the area in Central Asia where it was domesticated. A small number of wild Bactrian camels, called haptagai, have survived to this day: several hundred individuals live in China and Mongolia, preferring the most inaccessible landscapes.

The Bactrian camel is a very large and heavy animal: the body length reaches 2.5-3.6 m, and the average height of adult individuals is 1.8-2.3 meters. The height of animals, including humps, can reach up to 2.7 m. The length of the tail is 50-58 cm. Typically, a mature camel weighs from 450 to 700 kg. Male camels of the valuable Kalmyk breed, fattened over the summer, can weigh from 800 kg to 1 ton, the weight of females ranges from 650 to 800 kg.

The Bactrian camel has a dense body and long limbs. Bactrians are distinguished by a particularly long, curved neck, which first bends down and then rises again, so the animal's head is in line with its shoulders. The humps of a camel are located at a distance of 20-40 cm from each other (meaning the distance between the bases of the humps), forming a saddle between them - a place where a person can sit. The distance from the saddle to the ground is about 170 cm, so before climbing onto the camel's back, the rider must order the animal to kneel or lie down on the ground. The space between the humps is not filled with fat even in the most well-fed individuals.

An indicator of the health and fatness of a Bactrian camel is its elastic, evenly standing humps. In emaciated animals, the humps completely or partially fall to the side and dangle while walking. The Bactrian camel has extremely thick and dense hair with developed undercoat, ideal for living in the harsh conditions of a continental climate with its sultry summers and cold, snowy winters. It is noteworthy that in the usual biotopes of Bactrians in winter the thermometer drops below -40 degrees, but the animals tolerate such frost painlessly.

The structure of the fur of a Bactrian camel is very unique: the hairs are hollow inside, which significantly reduces the thermal conductivity of the coat, and each hair is surrounded by thin hairs of undercoat, between which air accumulates and is well retained, also reducing heat loss.

The length of the Bactrian's coat is 5-7 cm, but on the lower part of the neck and the tops of the humps the hair length exceeds 25 cm. The longest hair grows on these camels in the fall, and in the winter the Bactrians look the most pubescent. With the onset of spring, Bactrian camels molt: the hair begins to fall out in clumps and then the Bactrians look especially unkempt and shabby, but by summer the short coat takes on a normal appearance.

The usual color of the Bactrian camel is brown-sand of varying intensity, sometimes very dark, reddish or very light. Among domestic Bactrian camels, the most common individuals are brown in color, but gray, white and almost black specimens are also found.

Light-colored camels are the rarest and make up only 2.8% of the total population.

What is the difference between domestic and wild Bactrian camels?

There are some differences between domestic and wild Bactrian camels:

Wild camels (khaptagai) are slightly smaller in size than domestic camels and are not as dense, but rather lean; their footprints are thinner and more elongated;
Khaptagai have a much narrower muzzle, shorter ears, their pointed humps are not as large and voluminous as those of their domestic relatives;
The body of khaptagai is covered with reddish-brown-sandy fur. In domestic animals, the coat may be light, sandy yellow or dark brown;
The wild camel haptagai runs much faster than the domestic one;
But the main difference between a domestic camel and a wild one is that khaptagai have completely absent callous formations on the chest and knees of the front legs.

Camel hybrids, photos and names

Since ancient times, the population of countries such as Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan practiced interspecific hybridization of camels, that is, they crossed one-humped and two-humped camels. Hybrids are of great importance in the national economy of these countries. Below is a description of the hybrids:

Nar– a hybrid of first generation camels, crossed using the Kazakh method. When female Kazakh Bactrian camels are crossed with male Turkmen Bactrian camels of the Arvana breed, a viable cross is obtained. Hybrid females are called nar-maya (or nar-maya), males are called nar. In appearance, the bunk looks like a dromedary and has one elongated hump, which consists of 2 humps fused together. The offspring always exceeds the parents in size: the height at the shoulders of an adult bunk is from 1.8 to 2.3 m, and the weight can exceed 1 ton. The annual milk yield of a female Nara with a fat content of up to 5.14% can exceed 2000 liters, while for dromedaries the average milk yield is 1300-1400 liters per year, and for Bactrians no more than 800 liters per year. Nars, in turn, are capable of producing offspring, which is rare among hybrid specimens, but their young are usually weak and sickly.

Iner (iner)- This is also a hybrid of first-generation camels obtained by the Turkmen method, namely: by crossing a female Turkmen one-humped camel of the Arvana breed with a male Bactrian camel. The hybrid female is called iner-maya (or iner-maya), the male is called iner. The iner, like the bunk, has one elongated hump, is distinguished by high rates of milk yield and wool clipping, and also has a powerful physique.

Zharbay, or jarby– a rare second-generation hybrid obtained by crossing first-generation camel hybrids. Experienced camel breeders try to avoid such reproduction, since the offspring are low productive, sickly, often with obvious deformities and signs of degeneration in the form of severely deformed joints of the limbs, a curved chest, and so on.

Kospak– a camel hybrid obtained by crossing the absorption type of Nar-May females with a male Bactrian camel. Quite a promising hybrid in terms of increased meat mass and high milk productivity. It is also recommended for breeding for further crossing in order to increase the small population of another camel hybrid, kez-nar.

Kez-nar- a group of hybrid camels, which are the result of crossing Cospak females with dromedary males of the Turkmen breed. As a result, individuals appear that exceed the cospaks in weight, and are ahead of the nar-may in height at the withers, milk production and wool clipping.

Kurt- a group of hybrid camels obtained by crossing the iner-may with males of the Turkmen dromedary. Kurt is a one-humped hybrid; the animal's forearms are slightly pubescent. Milk productivity is quite high, although the fat content of the milk is low, and the kurt is not a record holder in terms of the amount of wool sheared.

Kurt-nar- hybrid camels bred by crossing Kurt hybrid females and Bactrian males of the Kazakh breed.

- a hybrid of a dromedary camel and a llama. The resulting hybrid has no hump, the animal's fur is fluffy, very soft, up to 6 cm long. The kama's limbs are long, very strong, with double hooves, so the hybrid can be used as a hardy pack animal, capable of carrying loads weighing up to 30 kg. The kama has rather small ears and a long tail. Height at the withers varies from 125 to 140 cm, and weight from 50 to 70 kg.

Camels live exclusively in natural areas such as dry steppes, semi-deserts and deserts. Areas with a humid climate are destructive for animals.

Previously, camels inhabited most of Central Asia, the Gobi and Taklamakan deserts, and were widespread in Mongolia and China. In the east, the habitat of these animals reached the great bend of the Yellow River, and in the west it bordered the countries of Central Asia and Kazakhstan. Over time, the area of its range has greatly decreased. Today, wild Bactrian camels live in 4 isolated areas in countries such as Mongolia and China. On Mongolian territory, Bactrian camels live in the southeast, in the Trans-Altai Gobi up to the border with China. The Chinese camel population is concentrated in the west of the country, in the area of the dry salt lake Lop Nor. The wild Bactrian camel is listed as critically endangered on the IUCN Red List.

Domestic dromedary camels are widespread in northern Africa, in the territories of Central and Asia Minor and in the countries of the Middle East as far as India.

Dromedary camels have also been introduced to the Balkans, southwestern Africa, the Canary Islands and Australia.

Lifestyle of wild camels

Khaptagai, wild camels, live in small groups of 5 to 9 individuals. The herd consists of camels with cubs, led by a dominant male. Sometimes young, sexually mature males live in the herd and leave the herd during the breeding season.

Khaptagai never stay in one place, but constantly migrate, but do not go beyond their usual biotopes, sandy and rocky areas, where there are always springs or other sources of water. After heavy rains, gigantic concentrations of camels can be observed at watering places in flooded rivers. To quench their thirst in winter, camels rely on snow. With the onset of winter, camels move to the southern border of their range and remain in wind-protected foothills or oases with poplars.

Khaptagai are active during the day, and at night they sleep or chew cud. Animals wait out the storm, lying motionless on the rocks, in bad weather they take refuge in ravines, and in the heat they walk around, fanning themselves with their tails, against the wind and with their mouths open, thus reducing their body temperature.

Compared to their domestic counterparts, wild camels are more aggressive and quarrelsome, but at the same time cautious and even cowardly. According to researchers, they are frightened even by domestic camels, and when they see a person or car, they stop grazing, stretch their necks and look intensely towards danger. True, during the rutting season they can attack herds of domestic camels, kill males and drive away females.

Camel breeding

The mating season of dromedary camels occurs during the winter months and the accompanying rainy season. The rut of Bactrian camels also occurs in winter, but a little later than that of dromedary camels. Sexual maturity occurs at the age of 3 years in females and not earlier than 5 years in males.

During the breeding season, male camels become especially aggressive and dangerous, rushing about, roaring, whistling and muttering, and rushing at male relatives in an attempt to mate. Many males foam from their mouths. Rutting males start bloody fights with each other: opponents kick each other, bite each other on the head, try to bend each other to the ground and knock them down. Particularly brutal fights between males end in the death of the weaker opponent.

Before mating, individuals of both sexes pour urine on their legs and smear it over the body with their tail; males actively mark the territory with the secretion of the occipital glands. The female camel, ready for mating, kneels down and lies down in front of the chosen one, who immediately after copulation runs away in search of the next female.

In a one-humped camel, pregnancy lasts 13 months, in a two-humped camel it lasts 14 months. Childbirth occurs while standing, and usually only one baby is born; twins in most cases end in miscarriage. The weight of a newborn Bactrian camel is 36-45 kg, and the height at the withers is about 90 cm. Bactrian camels, oddly enough, weigh almost 100 kg at birth. Newly born camel cubs, two hours old, are already able to follow their mother.

Lactation lasts about 1.5 years, but pure milk feeding lasts about 6 months. During the day, a female Bactrian camel produces 4-5 liters of milk, a female Bactrian camel produces up to 8-10 liters of milk. These animals have a strong concern for their offspring, and the camel calf remains under the care of its mother until it reaches puberty. The males then leave and join bachelor groups, while the females remain with their mother.

According to experts, Bactrian camels were the first to appear evolutionarily, and this fact is proven by intrauterine development: the embryos of all camels are initially Bactrian, and in the later stages one hump disappears in the baby dromedary.

For the first time, humans tamed camels 2-4 thousand years BC. e., and since then they have been considered the most hardy and irreplaceable workers in their usual biotopes. Individuals of both sexes aged from 4 to 25 years can transport luggage amounting to up to half their weight, covering a distance of up to 80-90 km per day.

Domesticated forms of camels are widespread in large parts of Asia and Africa, as well as in Australia, where they were introduced and perfectly adapted to the local climate.

Since ancient times and to this day, camels have been used as draft power and bred for meat, milk, leather, wool and dung. Camel meat is eaten, it is quite suitable for consumption and tastes a little sweet due to the presence of glycogen in it. Beshbarmak is prepared from camel meat, and the fat from the humps is consumed warm, immediately after slaughter, then it is distilled.

Camel skin is thick and durable, so it is used to make belts, whips and shoe tops.

Unique camel wool is thin and unusually warm, so it is used to make clothing for polar explorers, astronauts and divers. Camels are groomed after spring shedding, the undercoat is combed out, and to preserve its unique qualities, camel fur is never dyed. Due to the fact that only 6-10 kg of wool can be obtained from one Bactrian, and even less from a Dromedar (about 2-4 kg), the wool of these domestic animals is the most expensive.

Camel dung is so dry that it is perfect for heating residential premises: its flame is even, smokeless and has high heat transfer rates.

Camel milk is highly valued among the peoples of Asian countries. Its fat content is about 5-6%. Camel milk has a sweet taste, is quite nutritious and contains a large amount of vitamins and minerals. One camel can produce from 300 to more than 1000 liters of milk per year (depending on the breed).

Enraged camels have the ability to spit their cud quite accurately. Camel spit is not saliva, but foul-smelling stomach contents.
It is no secret that many armies around the world used camels during military operations. Thus, in the city of Akhtubinsk there is a military monument dedicated, among other things, to the camels Mashka and Mishka, who served during the Great Patriotic War in the 902nd Infantry Regiment and carried a gun, which was one of the first to fire a volley at the Reich Chancellery building.

Camels belong to the genus of mammals of the camelid family (Camelidae) of the suborder Camelidae of the order Artiodactyla. These large animals are perfectly adapted to life in deserts, semi-deserts and steppes. Residents of the arid regions of the world highly value camels and call them “ships of the desert.”

Description

The height of the Bactrian camel exceeds 2 m, together with the humps it reaches 2.7 m. The saddle between the humps is located at a height of about 1.7 m, which makes it difficult to climb onto a standing camel and requires it to kneel or lie down. The distance between the humps is about 30 cm. The weight of an adult male reaches 500 kg or more. Females weigh less, from 320 to 450 kg. A young camel grows up to 7 years.

The Bactrian camel has a dense build, a rounded body, long legs with cloven feet that rest on a callus pad. No hooves. The neck is long, strongly curved, at first it bends down and then rises up in a U-shape. The tail is relatively short, up to 0.5 m in length, with a tassel at the tip. The coat is thick and dense, forming a long dewlap at the bottom of the neck. Long hair also grows on top of the humps, on the head and scruff of the neck. The Bactrian camel is painted brown-sand in different shades. Among domestic camels, brown, gray, black, white, and cream camels are common. The Bactrian camel is characterized by long and thick eyelashes and fleshy lips. The ears are round and small. A healthy camel has smooth humps and stands straight. On the back of the head there are paired glands that secrete a viscous and odorous black secretion for marking territory.

The Bactrian camel is an exclusively herbivore, feeding even on rough and poorly nutritious food. May eat plants with thorns.

The diet of wild camels consists of shrub and semi-shrub saltworts, onions, barnyard grass, parfolia, ephedra, saxaul, poplar and reed leaves. In the absence of such food, camels feed on animal bones and skins. In general, it tolerates fasting well.

The role of the camel's body's food supply is played by the fat contained in its humps. It does not split into water, but serves for thermal insulation. Two humps contain up to 150 kg of fat.

Camels come to water sources once every few days. They can easily survive without water for 2-3 weeks, especially in the summer, when moisture accumulates in the plants after rains. A camel survives even if it loses 40% of its body water. In addition, the Bactrian camel can drink salt water from desert reservoirs. At the same time, a camel can drink a lot of water at one time. For severe dehydration – more than 100 liters.

Previously, wild camels were found throughout a wide area of Central Asia. They lived in the Gobi, desert regions of Mongolia and China: from the Yellow River to Kazakhstan and Central Asia.

At the moment, there are several isolated areas where wild camels live, which are located in Mongolia and China.

Common camel species

The most ancient representatives of the camelid family, according to the research of scientists, lived in North America, from where some of them moved to South America, where they survived as llamas, and the second went along the Bering Isthmus to Asia.

Today there are two types of camels:

According to fossil finds, the separation of two-humped and one-humped camels occurred approximately 25 million years ago. At the same time, Bactrian camels appeared first, since the embryo of Bactrian camels initially develops two humps, one of which disappears as it develops.

The relationship between the two-humped and one-humped camels is evident in the fact that when crossed they produce a cross called a nar. Outwardly, the bunk resembles a one-humped camel; it is distinguished by one wide hump, the size of which is equal to two Bactrian humps. Nars are very large and strong animals, they are often bred in Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Kyrgyzstan, Afghanistan, Iran and Turkey.

Male and female Bactrian camels differ in size. The difference in weight can reach 100 kg or more in favor of males.

Camels live in herds of 5-20 individuals, which consist of a dominant male leader, females and young animals. Adult males often live alone.

Under natural conditions, wild camels move from one area to another, preferring to live in rocky, desert areas, plains and foothills, near springs or reservoirs. They can climb mountains. During the day, camels travel 80-90 km. In winter, they migrate 300-600 km to the south.

Camels are active during daylight hours. They usually sleep at night. In bad weather they hide in bushes and ravines.

Wild camels are aggressive, unlike the calmer domestic species. But at the same time, they are alert and extremely timid; in case of danger, they run away at speeds of up to 65 km/h.

Female and male camels reach sexual maturity at 3-5 years. The rut begins in the fall. Males are very aggressive during this period. They attack each other, roar loudly, and run. In this state, the male poses a danger to humans and animals.

Once every two years, a female camel gives birth to one baby camel. Pregnancy lasts 13 months. Camel cubs are born in the spring, in March-April, with a body weight of approximately 36 kg and a height of about 90 cm. After a few hours, they can follow their mother. Feeding lasts from 6 months to 1.5 years.

Bactrian camels are very attentive to their offspring. The baby camel lives with its mother until it reaches puberty, after which the males begin to live separately, and the females remain in the maternal herd.

Under natural conditions, camels live from 40 to 50 years.

In the past, camels were actively hunted by tigers, but today the habitats of these animals do not overlap. Another dangerous enemy for both wild and domestic camels is the wolf.

The domestication of the Bactrian camel occurred before 1000 BC. e. Thus, a camel, which is led by a man by the bridle, is depicted on the Black Obelisk of the Assyrian king Shalmaneser III (IX century BC). In Europe, the Bactrian camel remained an exotic and little-known animal for a long time.

The domestic Bactrian camel is common in Central Asia. It is the main domestic animal of Mongolia and China (about 2 million individuals), and is also common in Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Central Asia. In addition to countries with traditional breeding, domestic Bactrian camels are found in New Zealand, the USA, Iran and Pakistan. In the breeding regions of the Bactrian camel, it is of economic importance as a pack and draft animal, and as a source of milk, meat and leather.

The working Bactrian camel is very hardy and resistant to extreme conditions: high and low temperatures, lack of food and water. During the day he is able to walk 30-40 km a day with packs of 250-300 kg. The rider travels more than 100 km per day, at a speed of 10-12 km/h.

It is more difficult to control a camel than a horse, as it can be very stubborn. The animal is also quite whimsical in its maintenance.

The meat of the Bactrian camel is edible; that of young camels is tasty. The taste is similar to game meat, but with a sweetish aftertaste. Camel meat is mainly used as food in countries where camels are traditionally bred. National meat dishes are prepared from it (for example, beshbarmak).

Camel hump fat is also an important food product. It is eaten raw and warm after slaughter, which is considered a delicacy, and the cooled fat is used for melting.

Asian peoples also highly value camel milk. It is fattier than cow milk, tastes sweet, but produces less milk. A well-known drink based on sour camel milk is shubat, an analogue of kumis.

Camel wool is a valuable raw material, as products made from it are very warm. It is used to make clothing for astronauts, polar explorers, and divers.

Thick and rough camel skin is used for various crafts (shoe uppers, whips, belts).

The dung of domestic camels is used as fuel for fireplaces; it does not require long drying and produces a small, even, hot and smokeless flame.

The Russian name “camel” comes from the Proto-Slavic, in its very borrowed Gothic word “ulbandus”, which translates as “elephant”. Camels were mentioned in the Tale of Bygone Years.
In Mongolia and China, nature reserves have been created to preserve the population of wild camels.
The Bactrian camel is depicted on Russian Kara-Kum sweets, although they are rare in the Karakum Desert, where Bactrian camels are bred.
Multiple Sambo champion Olzhas Kairat-uly (Kazakhstan) lifted a Bactrian camel and carried it 16 meters.

In 2003, the International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature decided to separate the wild and domesticated forms of the Bactrian camel. The Latin name Camelus bactrianus was retained for domestic animals, while wild camels were given the name Camelus ferus. The active development of natural gas and oil production, the development of new fields, general environmental pollution, sport and commercial hunting are not all the factors that led to a sharp drop in the number of the Bactrian camel. Over the past three generations, the global population has declined by about 80%. Crossing with the domestic camel also played a negative role. Scientists estimate that the wild population of the Bactrian camel declines by 25–30 individuals every year. As of 2002, only 800 Bactrian camels remained in the wild.

WHERE DOES IT LIVE?

The Bactrian camel lives in Central and Central Asia, Mongolia, and some areas of the Asian part of Russia. Another name for the Bactrian camel is Bactrian, it comes from the name of the ancient Asian region of Bactria and is used mainly in cases where they talk about domestic Bactrian camels.

HOW TO FIND OUT

The two-humped camel is larger and more massive than the one-humped camel. Its height, including humps, reaches 2.7 m, and its average weight is 500–600 kg. He has a dense, wiry build. Elastic, erect humps are a good sign of the animal’s fatness. The distance between the humps is usually within 30 cm, so a person can easily fit in this comfortable hollow. A camel does not have hooves as such; its limbs end in calloused claws. The wool has a brownish-sandy tint. It is quite long and thick. Due to the fact that each wool is hollow inside, wool has low thermal conductivity. Twice a year, in spring and autumn, the Bactrian changes its fur outfit. At this time he looks very sloppy and unkempt.

LIFESTYLE AND BIOLOGY

The Bactrian camel is a very hardy and resilient animal. It perfectly tolerates temperature changes characteristic of a sharply continental climate, can go without water for a long time and be content with rough, low-nutrient food. The only thing that is not suitable for an animal is dampness. They live in herds of 5 to 20 animals. Each herd has a male leader, several females and young animals.

Puberty occurs at the age of five to eight years. The rut occurs in the fall; during this period, males demonstrate their strength and superiority in every possible way, herd females into groups and constantly control their behavior. On the back of the camel's head there are glands, with the secretion of which it marks the territory by bending its neck and touching the ground with the back of its head. A female can give birth to a baby once every two years, with pregnancy lasting about 13 months. From the first moments of life, the baby camel follows its mother; it remains next to her, breastfed, for about another year and a half. Interestingly, two-humped and one-humped camels can interbreed with each other, producing viable offspring. However, males born from representatives of two different species are no longer capable of becoming parents.

The Bactrian camel is perfectly adapted to feeding on steppe and desert plants. Ephedras, solyankas, onions - this is not the entire list of what Bactrian tastes. Animals need water to live; in their habitats they are strongly attached to reservoirs and springs. Large groups of camels accumulate after rains on the banks of rivers or at the foot of mountains, where temporary floods form. In winter, animals make do with snow to quench their thirst, thus restoring fluid reserves in the body. Wild individuals, unlike domestic ones, can drink salt water.

The main enemies of the Bactrian camel are the tiger and the wolf. In addition, he is highly susceptible to various diseases.

The Bactrian camel was domesticated around 2500 BC, with the process occurring independently in several countries. Its exceptional endurance has made it the main pet of many Asian peoples. The wild camel was first described as a species in 1878 by the famous Russian explorer N. M. Przhevalsky.

A BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF

Kingdom: Animalia.

Phylum: Chordata.

Class: Mammals (Mammalia).

Order: Artiodactyla (Artiodactyla).

Family: Camelids (Camelidae).

Genus: Camels (Camelus).

Species: Bactrian camel (Camelus ferus).

Camels are a genus of mammals of the camelid family (Camelidae) of the suborder Camelidae of the order Artiodactyla. These are large animals adapted for life in arid regions of the world - deserts, semi-deserts and steppes.

There are two types of camels:

Camelus bactrianus – Bactrian camel, or Bactrian;
Camelus dromedarius - one-humped camel, or dromedary, or dromedary, or Arabian.

Desert inhabitants highly value camels and call this animal the “ship of the desert.”

Spreading

In the past, the wild camel apparently occurred over a wide area of much of Central Asia. It was widespread in the Gobi and other desert regions of Mongolia and China, reaching to the east as far as the Great Bend of the Yellow River, and to the west to modern central Kazakhstan and Central Asia (remains of wild camels are known from kitchen waste found there during excavations of settlements 1500 - 1000 years BC).

Now the range of khaptagai is small and fragmented - there are 4 isolated areas in Mongolia and China. Specifically, in Mongolia, the wild camel lives in the Trans-Altai Gobi, including the foothills of the Edren and Shivet-Ulan ranges, to the border with China. In China, the main habitat of wild camels is in the area of Lake Lop Nor. Until recently, the camel was found in the Taklamakan Desert, but it may have already become extinct there.

Camel - description, characteristics, structure

The large eyes of a camel are reliably protected from sand, sun and wind by thick, long eyelashes. The nictitating membrane, the third eyelid, protects the animal's eyes from sand and wind. The nostrils are shaped like narrow slits that can close tightly, preventing moisture loss and protecting during sandstorms.

A camel has 34 teeth in its mouth. The animals' lips are rough and fleshy, adapted for tearing off thorny and tough vegetation. The upper lip is forked.

Large calluses are located on the chest, wrists, elbows and knees of domestic animals, allowing the mammal to painlessly lower itself and lie on the hot ground. Wild individuals do not have calluses on their elbows and knees. Each camel's leg ends in a cloven foot with a kind of claw located on a calloused pad. Two-toed feet are ideal for walking on rocky and sandy terrain.

The camel's tail is quite short in relation to the body and is about 50-58 cm. At the end of the tail there is a tassel formed by a tuft of long hair.

Camels have a thick and dense coat that prevents moisture from evaporating in hot weather and provides warmth on cold nights. The camel's fur is slightly curly, and its color can be very diverse: from light to dark brown and almost black. On the back of the animals’ heads there are paired glands that secrete a special odorous secretion, with which camels mark their territory by bending their necks and wiping themselves on stones and soil.

Peculiarities

Character and lifestyle of the Bactrian camel

In the wild, camels tend to be sedentary, but constantly move across desert areas, rocky plains and foothills within large marked areas.

Khaptagai move from one rare water source to another to replenish their vital supplies. Usually 5-20 individuals stay together. The leader of the herd is the main male. Activity manifests itself during the day, and in the dark the camel sleeps or behaves sluggishly and apathetically. During hurricane periods it lies for days; in hot weather they walk against the wind for thermoregulation or hide in ravines and bushes.

Wild individuals are shy and aggressive, unlike the cowardly but calm Bactrians. Khaptagai have keen eyesight and, when danger appears, they run away at speeds of up to 60 km/h.

They can run for 2-3 days until they are completely exhausted. Domestic Bactrian camels are perceived as enemies and are feared along with wolves and tigers. The smoke from the fire terrifies them.

Researchers note that size and natural forces do not save giants due to their small minds. When attacked by a wolf, they do not even think about defending themselves, they just scream and spit. Even crows can peck at animal wounds and abrasions from heavy loads; a camel shows its defenselessness.

In an irritated state, spitting is not a release of saliva, as many believe, but contents accumulated in the stomach.

The life of domesticated animals is subordinate to humans. In case of wildness, they lead the image of their ancestors. Adult sexually mature males can live alone. In winter, it is more difficult for camels than other animals to move through the snow. They also cannot dig up food under the snow due to the lack of true hooves. There is a practice of winter grazing, first of horses, which stir up the snow cover, and then of camels, who pick up the remaining food.

Bactrian camel feeding

Rough and low-nutrient food forms the basis of the diet of two-humped giants. Herbivorous camels feed on plants with thorns that all other animals will refuse.

Most species of desert flora are included in the food supply: reed shoots, leaves and branches of parfolia, onions, coarse grass. They can feed on the remains of animal bones and skins, even objects made from them, in the absence of other food. If the plants in food are succulent, then the animal can survive without water for up to three weeks. If a source is available, they drink on average once every 3-4 days. Wild individuals even consume brackish water without harm to their health. Pets avoid it, but they need salt consumption.

After severe dehydration, a Bactrian camel can drink up to 100 liters of liquid at a time. Nature has endowed camels with the ability to withstand long periods of fasting. The scarcity of food does not harm the condition of the body.

Excessive nutrition leads to obesity and organ failure. Camels are not picky about household feed; they eat hay, crackers, and cereals.

Reproduction

Autumn is the rutting season. At this time, males become overly aggressive. They begin to rush around, roar loudly and start violent fights, using their teeth and delivering powerful kicks. Sometimes this leads to the death of one of the opponents. At this time, the male can be very dangerous for humans, so for safety reasons they are put on a leash or put on red warning bands. There have been cases where wild camels killed males in domestic herds and took their females with them.

13 months after mating, only 1 cub is born. Typically, the peak birth rate occurs in March-April. Females give birth standing up, just like giraffes. A newborn baby can hardly be called a baby. His weight reaches 45 kg, and his height is 90 cm at the shoulders. Just a couple of hours after birth, he can calmly follow his mother.

The female feeds the cub until one and a half years old. Puberty in males and females occurs at approximately the same time - at the age of 3-5 years.

Bactrian camel population

Khaptagai is listed in the International Red Book as a species in critical situation. Now in the world there are no more than a couple of hundred wild camels. If the population decline continues at the same rate as now, then, according to researchers, by 2033 this species will disappear from the face of the earth.

As measures to protect and increase their numbers, nature reserves began to be created in Mongolia and China. In addition, in Mongolia there is a program for breeding haptagai in enclosures.

The bacterium is widely used on the farm as a pack and draft animal. Its meat, skin and milk are highly prized. In addition, sometimes Bactrian can be found in the circus arena and in zoo enclosures.

Natural enemies

Despite the fact that to date the ranges of the tiger and the Bactrian camel do not overlap anywhere, in the past, when tigers were more numerous and found in Central Asia, they could attack both wild and domestic animals. The tiger shared territory with a wild camel in the area of Lake Lob Nor, but disappeared from these places after the start of irrigation. Large dimensions did not save Bactrians; There is a known case when a tiger killed a camel stuck in a salt marsh, from where even several people could not pull it out, and dragged the carcass 150 steps. Tiger attacks on domestic camels have been one of the reasons for the persecution of tigers by people in camel-breeding areas.

Another dangerous enemy of the Bactrian is the wolf. The population of wild camels loses several individuals every year from attacks by these predators. In the mentioned Lob-Nor reserve, wolves pose a danger to wild camels only in its southern part, where there are sources of fresh water; further north, where there is only brackish water, there are no wolves. Wolves also pose a significant threat to domestic camels. Some authors believed that the camel suffers from predators due to natural timidity: for example, the famous German naturalist Alfred Brehm, with reference to the works of Przhevalsky, wrote:

“If a wolf attacks him, he doesn’t even think about defending himself. It would be easy for him to knock down such an enemy with one kick, but he just spits on him and screams at the top of his lungs. Even the crows offend this stupid animal: they sit on its back and peck at half-closed wounds rubbed with packs, and even tear off pieces of meat from its hump, but the camel doesn’t know how to cope and just spits and screams.”

Domestication

Camels were domesticated 2000 BC. e. These are the most powerful pack and draft animals in the conditions of their distribution. Camels from 4 to 25 years old are used as draft force; they can carry up to 50% of their weight. A camel can travel 30–40 km per day on long journeys. A camel with a rider can travel up to 100 km per day, with an average speed of 10–12 km/h. Camels have long been used in armies, since antiquity and the Middle Ages, to transport goods and riders; combat camels were used directly in battle as part of combat cavalry and individually, often with the aim of intimidating the enemy.

In Russia, one breed of one-humped camel is bred - Arvana and three breeds of two-humped camels - Kalmyk, Kazakh and Mongolian. The most valuable breed is Kalmyk.

Camel meat is used as food, as well as milk, from which shubat, butters and cheeses are made. Milk yield for dromedaries averages 2000 kg per year (may exceed 4000 kg for Arvan) and 750 kg for Bactrians (according to other sources, 600–800 kg). At the same time, the fat content of milk is 4.5 and 5.4 percent, respectively, and the content of vitamin C is significantly higher than in cow's milk. Camel wool is of high quality (it is valued higher than sheep), which contains up to 85% fluff. The wool clipping is 5–10 kg for a Bactrian and 2–4 kg for a dromedary. Camels are sheared in the spring.

More about camel species

The camel genus (Camelus) is divided into two independent species: Bactrian camels (Camelus bactrianus) and one-humped camels (Camelus dromedaries).

Species features bactriana In addition to two humps, there is a long, massive body with relatively short legs and good hair growth, consisting of fine down and awns. It is the good hair growth that allows the Bactrian to exist in areas with harsh winters without suffering from the cold.

The facial part of Bactrian is wide in the eye sockets, with relatively short facial bones. The neck is shorter than that of the dromedary, but more arched. Along the upper edge of the mane reaches 40-60 cm in males, along the entire lower edge there is a beard, on the forearms there is a “breeches”. The distance between the bases of the front and rear humps is 20-40 cm. This gap is not filled with fat, even in well-fed camels. The base of the posterior hump ends at the line of the ilium. The shoulders and sacrum are poorly developed.

Bactrians often have such exterior defects in the positioning of the limbs as markings, sunken wrists, closeness of the hock joints, and sabering of the hind limbs. These animals are less adapted to pack caravan service than dromedaries.

Species characteristic dromedary is the presence of one compact hump, a short body on long legs and, compared to Bactrians, a weaker coat development. They have light bones and thinner skin.

Dromedaries are faster maturing animals; the pregnancy of the queens is three weeks shorter than that of Bactrians. The head of the dromedary has elongated facial bones, a convex forehead, a hook-nosed profile, lips are thin and mobile, and do not compress like those of horses and cattle. The lower lip is often drooping, the cheeks are greatly enlarged and a large amount of food is placed between them and the molars. The soft palate can protrude from the mouth and hang down by 30-40 cm. This is observed in males during the period of sexual arousal.

The dromedary's neck has well-developed muscles, is long, and mobile. Their bangs and mane are not developed, the beard grows only in the upper part of the neck, there is no “breeches”, but in the area of the shoulder blade there are “epaulets”, consisting of long crimped hair, absent in Bactrian. The wool productivity of dromedaries is significantly lower. Adult male camels are sheared at about 4 kg (from the best - up to 5.5), from queens - 2 kg (from the best - up to 3.5), from young animals 1-2 years old - 1.5-2 kg.

The color of dromedaries is from light to dark brown.

Camel hybrids

Below is a description of the hybrids:

Nar– a hybrid of first generation camels, crossed using the Kazakh method. When female Kazakh Bactrian camels are crossed with male Turkmen Bactrian camels of the Arvana breed, a viable cross is obtained. Hybrid females are called nar-maya (or nar-maya), males are called nar. In appearance, the bunk looks like a dromedary and has one elongated hump, which consists of 2 humps fused together. The offspring always exceeds the parents in size: the height at the shoulders of an adult bunk is from 1.8 to 2.3 m, and the weight can exceed 1 ton. The annual milk yield of a female Nara with a fat content of up to 5.14% can exceed 2000 liters, while for dromedaries the average milk yield is 1300-1400 liters per year, and for Bactrians no more than 800 liters per year. Nars, in turn, are capable of producing offspring, which is rare among hybrid specimens, but their young are usually weak and sickly.
Iner (iner)- This is also a hybrid of first-generation camels obtained by the Turkmen method, namely: by crossing a female Turkmen one-humped camel of the Arvana breed with a male Bactrian camel. The hybrid female is called iner-maya (or iner-maya), the male is called iner. The iner, like the bunk, has one elongated hump, is distinguished by high rates of milk yield and wool clipping, and also has a powerful physique.
Zharbay, or jarbay– a rare second-generation hybrid obtained by crossing first-generation camel hybrids. Experienced camel breeders try to avoid such reproduction, since the offspring are low productive, sickly, often with obvious deformities and signs of degeneration in the form of severely deformed joints of the limbs, a curved chest, and so on.
Kospak– a camel hybrid obtained by crossing the absorption type of Nar-May females with a male Bactrian camel. Quite a promising hybrid in terms of increased meat mass and high milk productivity. It is also recommended for breeding for further crossing in order to increase the small population of another camel hybrid, kez-nar.
Kez-nar– a group of hybrid camels, which are the result of crossing Cospak females with dromedary males of the Turkmen breed. As a result, individuals appear that exceed the cospaks in weight, and are ahead of the nar-may in height at the withers, milk production and wool clipping.
Kurt– a group of hybrid camels obtained by crossing Iner-May with male Turkmen dromedary. Kurt is a one-humped hybrid; the animal's forearms are slightly pubescent. Milk productivity is quite high, although the fat content of the milk is low, and the kurt is not a record holder in terms of the amount of wool sheared.
Kurt-nar– hybrid camels bred by crossing Kurt hybrid females and Bactrian males of the Kazakh breed.
Kama- a hybrid of a dromedary camel and a llama. The resulting hybrid has no hump, the animal's fur is fluffy, very soft, up to 6 cm long. The kama's limbs are long, very strong, with double hooves, so the hybrid can be used as a hardy pack animal, capable of carrying loads weighing up to 30 kg. The kama has rather small ears and a long tail. Height at the withers varies from 125 to 140 cm, and weight from 50 to 70 kg.

Amazing facts about camels

The camel is a unique animal. Some consider him handsome, while others find him unattractive and even scary. There are a huge number of interesting facts about camels, which I will tell you about.

Let's check how broad your knowledge about camels is?

Let's start from the very beginning, with the word “camel” and its origin, and it comes from the Arabic word “beauty”
Contrary to popular belief, camels' humps do not store water. It stores fat, which helps lower the high temperature of the rest of the body.
The main reason that camels can go for long periods without water is the structure of their red blood cells. They are oval in shape and, once dehydrated, remain able to flow while human red blood cells collide with each other. The camel is the only mammal with oval red blood cells.
Camels can drink up to 200 liters of water at a time
The body temperature of these animals ranges from 34 degrees Celsius at night to 41 degrees during the day. They don't start sweating until the temperature exceeds 41 degrees.
The following photo shows the facial expression of a camel during mating, or sometimes to enhance the "spitting" effect.
If a camel has gone to bed or just rested, then getting him to get up is almost impossible until he himself wants it.
Camels' lips have a special shape, which greatly helps them graze.
They can eat anything, including thorny spines, without damaging their lips or mouth.
Camels can kick in all four directions with each of their legs.
They can completely close their nostrils from wind and sand when necessary.
The shape of their nostrils allows them to store water vapor and return it to the body as liquid.
Camels can lose 25% of fluids without dehydration. Most mammals can only lose 15%.
Camels are ruminants, like cows and goats.
They also get moisture from green plants, which allows them to live without drinking.
Their fur reflects sunlight and protects their bodies from the heat of the desert.
One of the camel's defensive abilities is spitting. Essentially, they pull up from the stomach and spit out a dirty, foul-smelling substance when provoked. Those who experienced this themselves will never forget this :)
Camel excrement is so dry that it is used as fuel, and their urine is thick like syrup.
In North Africa, the camel is a sacred animal
Camels were often used in warfare, especially in severely arid regions.
Camel milk is highly valued among the peoples of Asian countries. Its fat content is about 5-6%. Camel milk has a sweet taste, is quite nutritious and contains a large amount of vitamins and minerals. One camel can produce from 300 to more than 1000 liters of milk per year (depending on the breed).
The Bactrian camel is depicted on the coat of arms and flag of the Chelyabinsk region. In the “Complete Collection of Laws of the Russian Empire” for 1830, the following explanation is given for this: “A loaded camel as a sign that it is enough to bring them to this city with goods.”
A two-humped camel named Vasya appears at the beginning of the film “Gentlemen of Fortune.”
In 2003, a Mongolian-German team filmed the documentary drama “Tears of a Camel” (directed by D. Byambasuren). The film was nominated for a 2004 National Academy Award in the category "Best Documentary Feature". The film tells the story of a camel who refused to feed her baby camel, but then changed her mind under the influence of masterfully performed Mongolian music.
Among the works of the famous Bulgarian writer Yordan Radichkov there is a story “Bactrian”, the plot of which has a very distant relation to the real Bactrian camel.
Bactrian camels are depicted on Russian Kara-Kum sweets. At the same time, two-humped camels are rare in the Karakum Desert; in Turkmenistan, mostly one-humped camels are bred.
In Kazakhstan, multiple sambo champion of the Republic of Kazakhstan Olzhas Kairat-uly lifted a Bactrian camel and carried it 16 meters.

Camels are perfectly adapted for life in the desert and arid hot lands. They are a source of food, clothing, and means of transportation for most desert inhabitants. They are able to cross vast deserts, carrying heavy loads and passengers on their humps, bringing much more utility than trucks. These animals are amazing because they changed the course of civilization, helping people survive in extremely difficult conditions.

Types of camels

Prehistoric Alticamelus

These animals, of which today only fragments of skeletons remain, scattered throughout the globe, were one of the most numerous representatives of the “mammoth fauna”. The genus included similar species of camels, the names of which were given either by the names of the researchers (for example, Knobloch's camel) or by their habitat (Alexandrian camel).

In total, modern scientists identify up to ten species of extinct camels. All of them were larger than modern ones, had very long necks, and looked somewhat like giraffes (but the resemblance is exclusively convergent). Alticamelus were common in the Cenozoic.

Bactrian with two humps

Camel species differ not only in the number of humps, but also in body size. The presence of two humps is the main feature by which you can easily determine that this is a Bactrian, but the height and weight of the animal are also important. The Bactrian camel is larger and heavier than its one-humped relative and all other members of the family included in other genera.

This species tolerates heat well, but it is not afraid of moderate frosts. But high humidity is destructive for Bactrian. It is found in Central and Central Asia, in Mongolia and the neighboring regions of China and Russia. People have developed many breeds of Bactrian, which are widely used on the farm as draft power or pack animals. Camel meat and milk are very valuable, which is why they occupy an important place in the national cuisines of many nations. The thick fur of the Bactrian is of considerable interest. A large number of camels of this species are kept in circuses and zoos.

Khaptagai

Most sources name only such types of camels as one-humped and two-humped. But some scientists are inclined to classify haptagai as a separate species. The version is supported by the results of genetic studies and obvious external differences. Moreover, even the belief that Bactrian descended from the wild haptagai is questioned. Outwardly they are similar. But the wild camel is smaller than representatives of domestic meat breeds. The subspecies was first described by the famous researcher Przhevalsky. At the time of the scientist, the population of wild Bactrian camels was much larger than it is now.

Currently, there are only a few hundred haptagai. All kinds of studies of these animals make it possible to better study them and determine measures that will help maintain the number of livestock. In addition, scientists are trying to establish the degree of relationship between Bactrians. Perhaps these are still different types of camels, but at present official science does not recognize this.

Dromedar - ship of the desert

The one-humped camel is common in the Middle East and North Africa, in Asia Minor. He is also unusually hardy, unpretentious, and strong. Man domesticated the wild dromedary camel several thousand years ago, and since then the dromedary has been an integral part of the world order of several nations. Like its two-humped brother, it is of great value on the farm.

Dromedaries are not found in nature. The ancestors of this animal, which did not lend themselves to domestication, became extinct at the dawn of our era. There is information about wild dromedaries, but these are not autochthons, but wild animals that once lived with humans. And such cases are rare. There is no talk of identifying dromedaries that are lost or have run away from home as a separate species.

By comparing the types of camels, photos of which are presented in this article, you can easily identify a dromedary by the presence of a luxurious hump.

Views