Mammals · Artiodactyla · Camelidae

One-Humped Camel

Camelus dromedarius

Not Evaluated

It has not yet been assessed against the IUCN criteria. See full glossary

It can lose more than 30% of its body water without fatal consequences, a tolerance that would kill most mammals at a loss of just 15%.

Weight

300 kg – 690 kg

Size

1.7 m – 2.4 m

Lifespan

40 years

Diet

Herbivore

Feeds mainly on plants.

Activity

Diurnal

Active mainly during the day.

Social structure

Herd

Lives in large groups as a strategy against predators.

Sighting difficulty

Unknown

DesertHerbivore Diurnal In herds Desert Mammal

37countries5same family

Fun facts

It can drink as much as 100 litres of water in only 10 minutes to rehydrate.
It can lose more than 30% of its body water without fatal consequences.
It is adapted to the arid and semi-arid country of North Africa and the Middle East.
fisiologíaIts red blood cells are oval rather than round, which keeps its blood flowing even when badly dehydrated.

Life cycle & biology

Skeleton type: Vertebrate - internal bony skeleton (mammal)
Habitat & environment: Arid and semi-arid country of North Africa and the Middle East, with introduced populations in Australia
Birth weight: ~37 kg (a documented range of 34-37 kg across different genetic studies)
Size at birth: Able to move freely by the end of its first day
Sexual maturity: Female: 3-4 years | Male: 5-6 years (though full physiological maturity may be delayed to 6)
Gestation / incubation: 12-15 months (13 months most often given)
Litter / clutch size: 1 young (twins extremely rare); 2 years between births
Lifespan in captivity: Documented record of 28.4 years in captivity

Sources consulted: SeaWorld/Busch Gardens; Ultimate Ungulate; AnAge (genomics.senescence.info); Animal Diversity Web; Altina Wildlife Park; Wikipedia (Dromedary); PMC (birth weight genetics study)