King Of The Desert
                       

Camels are found in the hot and cold deserts of the world. Those found in hot deserts have one hump and those inhabiting cold deserts have two humps. Also related are the South American llama and the graceful Vicuna, both of which have no hump, and are smaller in size than the camel. All four have common roots, and are placed in a common family, the Camelidae.

It is in the hot desert climes that, over time, the camel developed its hump and its ability to store water--two adaptations that were crucial to its survival in hot and dry
conditions.

The one-humped camel is known as the Dromedary--a word derived from the Greek word meaning "animal that runs fast". The single- humped Dromedary is the camel we know in India.

The cold deserts of Afghanistan, Iran, Central Asia and Mongolia are home to the longer-haired, two-humped camels know as Bactrian camels. The two humps evolved as a mechanism to enable greater stores of fat to sustain the animals through the long cold, dry spells of their habitat.

A curious fact is that if a one-humped and two-humped camel are mated, the offspring is invariably single-humped. Scientists believe that this gives further credence to the theory that both Bactrians and Dromedaries belong to the same genus, and the Arabian one-humped camel is the ancestor species.

Admirably Adapted

Whether one or two, it is the camel's hump that is its most characteristic feature. The hump is an accumulation of fatty flesh which is concentrated in one place rather than being distributed as an even layer of fat over the entire body as is the case with other mammals.

It is this fat collected in the hump, and not water as is commonly believed, that serves as the camel's emergency energy supply when food and water are scarce. When the feed is scarce, the stored fat is restored into the camel's system, and the hump becomes a floppy sagging sack.

Contrary to popular belief, it is not just the hump that makes a camel a camel. Every part of the Dromedary is adapted to life in a dry hot habitat. The broadened feet have only two toes connected by skin. When walking, the toes splay out, and with a web between them, do not sink into the sand. The long eyelashes protect eyes from windblown sand, and the nostrils are equipped with muscles so that the camel can close them during sandstorms. Thick hair inside the ears helps keep out dust and sand. Lips are thickened to withstand even the coarsest of desert vegetation. The thick wooly coat provides insulation. It heats up on the upper surface, but at skin surface the temperature may be lower by 80 degrees Centigrade than an top, keeping the camel cool. Even the hump does more than act as a store; it serves as additional protection against the blazing sun.

Cool Character

The camel's internal mechanism too is designed for most efficient water conservation. Kidneys function in a way that minimizes water loss through excretion. The body temperature also fluctuates to keep pace with fluctuating desert temperatures by day and night. In humans a raised temperature or fever is considered dangerous, but a camel can comfortably raise its
temperature by as much as six degrees Centigrade along with rising day temperatures. The temperatures returns to normal during the relatively cool night-time. Even with a high temperature, the camel does not sweat, further conserving precious water. In most animals if water is lost from vital areas, the blood becomes viscous and is unable to circulate properly. Consequently body heat cannot be dissipated, leading to heat death.

Camels have an amazing versatility in coping with this problem. They draw on water from their body tissues, and the water content of the blood does not alter drastically. By the time the human body has lost about 10 per cent of its weight, death is inevitable. Camels have the capacity to lose up to a third of their body weight which they can replenish rapidly by drinking great volumes of water at one go.

Versatile Values  

The camel is much more than its popular designation as ship of the desert. But for camels, desert areas of the world would have remained unnhabited and unexplored by humans. Camels are a vital part of life and living in desert and semi-desert areas. They are used for carrying and pulling loads,
and for transporting people and goods. They are an integral part of agricultural operations-pulling the plough, drawing water from wells, transporting produce from fields to market or to the farmer's house. They are used as mounts by the army and police in desert areas, as also by smugglers and dacoits. Special camels
are bred for riding and racing. Rajasthani camels are said to be the fastest runners of al camels. Camels are very much a part of desert culture, featuring in cameos of desert folklore, whether carrying lovers to their trysts or as stately steeds for legendary heroes.

Despite their slightly hostile and aggressive appearance, camels are generally docile and tolerant. They are gregarious creatures, usually following the leader of the herd. They are more disease resistant as compared to many other domestic animals perhaps another adaptation to the harsh conditions to which they have to
acclimatize in every way. They are good navigators and are said to be able to sniff out water, or a predator, even at long distances.

At present, of the estimated 105 million camels in the world, India has 17 to 20 million. They are found throughout the arid areas of Rajasthan, Gujarat, Haryana, and Punjab. In the cold dry highlands of Ladakh the local people have domesticated the two- humped Bactrian camel.

Information on the India camel is still scarce. To study various aspects of camels and camel breading the National Research Centre on Camels (NRCC) has been set up near Bikaner in Rajasthan. They only one of its kind in Asia, this Centre will be doing pioneering work on many aspects of camels. Surely, it would worthwhile to learn more about camels. After all which other creature can so successfully live on one's hump?