How are camels adapted to the desert environment?
Hump: Camels store fat in their humps. They can go for 5 – 7 days without eating or drinking. When they haven’t eaten for a while, the hump shrinks in size and flops over to one side. Bactrian camels (found in the Gobi Desert of China) have two humps. Dromedary camels (found in Arabia and elsewhere in the Middle East) have one hump. Eyes: A camel has two rows of thick long eyelashes to keep out blowing sand. Eyelids: Camels have a translucent (light can go through) second lid that allows light to go through, but protects the eye in mild sand storms. Most of this information is found in ArabNet: A-Z of Arabian Camels and ZooNews magazine (San Diego Zoo) Stomach: Camels have three-part stomachs. After eating without much chewing, the food goes into the first stomach. Then, like with cows and other grazers, the “cud” is regurgitated (spit up), chewed, and goes into the second and then third parts of the stomach for complete digestion. Feet: The feet of camels are large, flat, and round. T
