Page 37 - World of Animals - Issue #41
P. 37
Top 10 Extreme Animal Survivors
Camel
Hump
Distributing fat evenly
around the body would
cause camels to overheat, Where water is rare, camels thrive
so their fat reserves are
stored on their backs. Ask people what camels store in their humps, and many
will tell you that it’s water. But contrary to the common
myth, the protrusions on camels’ backs have nothing to
do with keeping these gangly mammals hydrated. Camel
humps are simply stores of fat, which they use to fuel
their bodies when food is scarce.
As for getting enough water, camels call upon a
wealth of impressive adaptations to keep their bodies
from drying out in the arid desert. Unlike humans, camels
Mouth barely sweat at all – their thick coats help to insulate
A thick, leathery lining their bodies in the scorching sun, so they can withstand
protects the camel’s
mouth while eating the temperatures up to 49 degrees Celsius (120 degrees
thorny plants found in Fahrenheit) without losing excessive water through their
the desert. sweat glands. And while other mammals expel moisture
in their breath, the camel’s nostrils have evolved to trap
water vapour and reabsorb it into the body.
Eyes Legs When they do get a chance to drink, camels really go
Long eyelashes form The camel’s long legs for it – an average-sized, 600-kilogram (1,300 pound)
a barrier to protect the keep its body away from
camel’s vision, while the hot desert sand, which camel can consume 200 litres in around three minutes.
their transparent third can reach temperatures Other mammals might rupture their blood cells by
eyelids are useful for of 70 degrees Celsius (158 drinking so much, but the camel’s unusual oval-shaped
dislodging sand particles. degrees Fahrenheit). blood cells mean they’re capable of withstanding
extreme variations in water content.
DROMEDARY CAMEL
Camelus dromedarius
Class Mammalia
Territory Northern Africa and
Middle East
Diet Desert vegetation
“The camel’s nostrils have Lifespan 40-50 years
Adult weight 600kg (1,300lb)
evolved to trap water vapour Conservation status
and reabsorb it into the body” NOT EVALUATED
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