Camelus

Camelus is a genus of artiodactyl mammals of the Camelidae family that includes the three living species of the family originating from the Old World, which are popularly known as camels and dromedaries. Like all camelids, camels are artiodactyls, or ungulates with an even number of hooves. Two or three living species of camel are distinguished: the one-humped dromedary, which makes up 94% of the world's camel population; the two-humped Bactrian camel which accounts for only 6% and, finally, the wild camel, in danger of extinction, sometimes classified together with the domestic Bactrian and other times separated from it. The word reached Spanish and other Romance languages through the Latin camēlus and this from the Greek kámēlos.

Camels came to Asia from North America across the Bering Strait. Originally from the deserts of Asia, they have spread to Africa for thousands of years, particularly in the Sahara desert. In much more recent times, they have been introduced by humans to the arid regions of central Australia, where there are feral populations. They are especially famous for their characteristic humps, which are stores of adipose tissue and help them better resist high temperatures. and for its great ability to survive for a long time without water. Camels were domesticated relatively recently, around 2000 BC. C..

Although there are about 15.5 million camels today, they are nearly extinct as wild animals. The world's 14 million dromedaries are all domestic, while of the approximately 1.5 million Bactrian camels, only about 1,000 are believed to be wild, living in the Gobi desert in China and Mongolia.

Species

There are three current species of camels and three other fossils:

• Camelus ferus: the wild camel or wild bactrian camel, the only one that was never domesticated.
• Camelus bactrianus: the domestic bactrian camel. This and the former are provided with two humps, while from this and the next have not survived wild populations.
• Camelus dromedarius: the dromedary or arabic camel, which has a single hump.
• † Camelus gigas: the giant camel
• † Camelus sivalensis
• † Camelus moreli: the Syrian camel

According to mitochondrial DNA studies, Camelus ferus and Camelus bactrianus diverged from a common ancestor around 700,000 years ago, in the Pleistocene.

They are ruminants without horns, without a snout, with the nostrils forming oblique openings, the upper lip divided and movable separately and extensible, without hooves (they have two differentiated toes), the abdomen elevated and long and thin legs. Contrary to popular belief, the camel stores fat instead of water in its hump, which tends to droop to the side when it is empty.

Taxonomy

Camels make up a genus within the camelid family, in which they are the sister taxon of llamas (Lama) and vicuñas. Dromedaries and Bactrian camels can interbreed. The resulting hybrids, known as tulus or bukhts, are larger in size than their 'pure' parents. It has also been possible to cross llamas with camels through artificial insemination. Their progeny are known as cama.

Evolution and Fossil Record

Camels belong to the camelid family. This group appeared during the Lutecian period (middle Eocene). The oldest known fossils of the family have been discovered at the Laguna Riviera quarry (California, United States).

Camels proper appeared and spread during the middle Pliocene. Camels today developed adaptations to the arid conditions in which they lived (humps, digestion and metabolism, absorption of large amounts of water, consumption of food with a lot of salt, etc.). These adaptations probably arose at a late stage in camelid evolution, that is, they were not typical of basal camelids, and allowed them to spread where other herbivores could not thrive.

Hybridization

Karyotypes of different camelid species have been previously studied by many groups, but no agreement has been reached on the nomenclature of camelid chromosomes. More recent studies using flow cytometry determine the chromosomal karyotype of camels to be (2n =74), consisting of one metacentric autosome, three submetacentric autosomes, and 32 acrocentric autosomes. The Y chromosome is a small metacentric chromosome, while the X is a large metacentric chromosome.

According to molecular data, the Old World and New World camelids diverged about 11 million years ago. Despite this, these species have retained sufficient genetic closeness to be able to generate hybrids and produce live offspring, as is the case with the cama). Interspecific hybrids between the dromedary and the guanaco provide the ideal platform for comparing the karyotypes of Old World and New World camels.

The cama is a hybrid of a dromedary and a llama created by artificial insemination, by scientists who wanted to see how close the relatives were to genetically related species. The dromedary is about six times heavier than a llama and artificial insemination therefore has to be done on the female llama; the union between a male llama and a female dromedary has not been successful so far. The individual, when born, is smaller than a baby llama. The bed has short ears and a long tail like a camel's; it has no hump, like the llama, and has cleft hooves more similar to those of llamas.

At the age of four, the bed reached sexual maturity and was attracted to female llama and guanaco. A second female litter was produced by artificial insemination. Since both camels and llamas have 74 chromosomes, scientists hope the bed will be fertile. If so, there is the possibility of increasing the animal's capacities, with a specimen with a greater quantity of meat and wool and with a capacity as a transport animal in accordance with the performance of South American camelids. The bed, apparently, has inherited the poor temperament of both parents.

A special case are the hybrids of a dromedary and a Bactrian camel called bukhts; these hybrids are found in Kazakhstan. They are larger than either of their parents (up to 1,000 kg and 230 cm tall), single-humped and very strong, and good animals for transport or agricultural work such as tilling. The Ottomans used it as a war animal. Females can be re-paired with a Bactrian camel to produce a smaller animal, about three-quarters the size of a dromedary, and usually with two humps. It is faster than a Bactrian camel and stronger than a dromedary. A much rarer type is the crossing of a female bukht with a dromedary.

Systematics

Camels make up a genus within the camelid family, in which they are the sister taxon of llamas (Lama) and vicuñas (Vicugna). Dromedaries and Bactrian camels can interbreed. The resulting hybrids, known as tulus or bukhts, are one size larger than their "pure" parents. It has also been possible to cross llamas with camels through insemination. Their progeny are known as cama.

Domestication

Sikh camel body during the Nile expedition (1884)

The camel was domesticated around 2000 BC, probably because it was the largest and strongest pack animal in its range. Pack camels are used between 4 and 25 years and are capable of bringing up to 50% of their body weight. A camel can travel 30–40 km in a day if it goes alone and up to 100 km if it has someone on it, at an average speed of 10–12 km/h. Camels have also had military use since ancient times, both to transport supplies and soldiers and directly in armed confrontations, either together with the rest of the cavalry or separately. They were often used to intimidate the enemy.

Camels can also be used for their meat and for their milk, from which shubat, butter and cheese are made. A dromedary provides about 2,000 kg of milk per year (4,000 if it is of the arvana variety) and a Bactrian camel about 750 kg per year. Their milk contains between 4.5% and 5.4% fat.

Some significant differences between camel milk and cow milk are:

• camel milk has less lactose, but contains more potassium, magnesium, iron, copper, manganese, sodium and zinc
• camel milk has less cholesterol than cow milk (or goat)
• camel milk provides triple vitamin C
• camel milk has more unsaturated fatty acids and B vitamins, but less vitamin A and vitamin B2
• camel milk contains more fat and protein

Camel hair is characterized by its high quality and is more precious than sheep's wool.

On the other hand, one of the main features of camels are their eyelids. They are one of the most curious characteristics of this animal, since thanks to this physiognomy, they adapt perfectly to the conditions of the environment in which they live.

The first eyelids are human-like, with long enough lashes to protect them from, for example, sandstorms. The third eyelid, on the other hand, is translucent and is called the nictitating membrane, closing horizontally and allowing the camel to see even if its eyes are closed.

Biology

Camel Cranium.

Their life expectancy is around 40 to 50 years. An adult camel measures 1.85 m at the shoulders and 2.15 m at the hump. The hump protrudes about 75 cm. Camels can run 65 km/h in sprints and maintain a speed of 40 km/h.

Male camels have an organ called a doula in their neck, which is a large inflatable sac that protrudes from their mouth when in heat, to enforce dominance and attract females. It looks like a long swollen pink tongue sticking out of the side of its mouth.

The camel family is native to the Americas and migrated to Eurasia and Africa thanks to the ice ages. This is verified by the extensive fossil record of camelids in America. The oldest camelid fossil was found in Kansas in the mid-1930s.

Behavior

Camels are generally passive. But, for their defense, they often use kicks or throw saliva, which burns when in contact with the eyes.

They are normally used as pack animals, although their skin, milk and meat are also used. You can drink 180 liters of water at one time and move without drinking water for more than 10 days. Traditionally, the milk of the females helped survive the man during long journeys through the desert. Camel hair can be spun into clothing and rope. The skin is made into sandals and water bottles, and the dung is useful as fuel for cooking.

In North Africa there are "dancing dromedaries" and competition, which amuse the public during the festival known as "the day of the camel". They are also used to transport tourists through the desert.

Camel Farms

Over the past few decades, camels have regained recognition for their potential food production in arid and semi-arid areas of Sudan. After being scorned as uneconomic by the Sudanese government, their vital role in supporting human populations in some of the world's poorest and most drought-stricken areas has now been recognized. Africa's devastating drought between 1984 and 1985 showed that camel ownership could give herders an excellent chance of survival. While all the herds of sheep and goats succumbed to the arid conditions, the camel population survived relatively unscathed. Consequently, some groups of pastoralists with deep roots in herding, such as the Samburu of northern Kenya, began to acquire camels (Sperling, 1987), a development that attracted the attention of development agencies and international organizations.

Health

Camels, like all other animals, can suffer from a wide variety of diseases. The most common in African and Asian camels, which represent the majority of the world's population, are gastrointestinal helminths, mange, and trypanosomiasis. In fact, the helminthic fauna that infects camels is one of the richest of all. animals. A study with dromedaries found 77 species of parasitic helminths. These infections have a large economic impact because they carry high mortality, but they can be treated and prevented.

Camelpox is also a common disease. About 25% of young camels that catch the disease eventually die, but the infection runs a more benign course in older camels. it is a rare occurrence.

Gastronomy

Camel milk

Camel trouser feeding her mother's milk

Camel milk is a staple food of nomadic desert tribes and is considered a complete food, rich in vitamins, minerals, proteins and immunoglobulins. It is lower in fat and cholesterol than cow's milk. In addition to having many healthy properties, it is used as a medicine to combat infectious diseases and tuberculosis.

Camel Meat

Camel meat has been eaten for centuries. A camel carcass can provide a substantial amount of meat.

Cultural aspects

As pack and transport animals, camels play an important role in culture. In the Muslim world they are highly valued, which is reflected in the legends. For example, it is said that while humans know 99 names of Allah, only the camel knows the number 100, which is why it often smiles insolently. Camels began to appear in the visual arts of the Western world in the early Middle Ages, mainly due to their mentions in the Bible.

Scene of the Genesis of Vienna: Rebeca finds Eliezer and puts water for camels (s. VI)

For example, the Biblical character Rebekah is often depicted with camels around her. The Old Testament (Genesis, 24) explains how Rebekah was chosen to become Isaac's wife when she went to fetch water at a well where Isaac's servant was watering his camels. Among other places, this scene appears in the Vienna Genesis, illuminated manuscript from the VI century.

Another well-known Biblical example is the evangelical example of the camel and the hole of a needle, in which Jesus tells his disciples: «I assure you that it is difficult for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. Even more: it is easier for a camel to go through the hole of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God».[38] Even so, there are some scholars who think that this is a misinterpretation, because the Greek word kàmelos ('camel') had been phonetically confused with kàmilos ('cord', 'gumena') in Late Greek.[39] But this opinion, although it is philologically based, is not widely accepted among experts; in fact, the best manuscripts of the New Testament present the form kàmelos. where only people could enter. Actually the taste for hyperbole is very oriental and there is no lack of examples of this in the biblical text. Jesus delighted in extreme comparisons and exemplifications, as in the Gospel of Matthew (Mt 23, 24), referring to the Pharisees: "Blind guides, straining out a gnat and swallowing a camel!"

Military uses

Attempts have been made to use camels as cavalry and dragon mounts and as pack animals instead of horses or mules. Camels have been used militarily, above all, for their ability to scare horses in close quarters, a quality used by the Persian Achaemenids when fighting against Lydia. Also, the Persians often used camels in supply caravans to transport weapons and equipment. Horses hate the smell of nearby camels, even becoming difficult to control. The US Army had a camel unit stationed in California in the 19th century, and brick barns can still be See yourself in the Benicia arsenal, now converted into a studio for artists and craftsmen. Camels have been used in wars throughout Africa; even the Eastern Roman Empire used auxiliary troops known as Dromedarii, recruited from the desert provinces. During the American Civil War, camels were used on an experimental stage, but they didn't get far.

Breeds or types of camels

Overall classification

According to a book published in 1981, African dromedaries make up 72% of all dromedaries in the world. In absolute figures and according to the FAO, in 1979 there were about 17 million camels in Africa and 4.9 million in Asia. In round numbers, 16 million were dromedaries and the rest, almost 2 million two-humped camels.

Classification by type

Regarding breeds, it is possible and useful to analyze the classifications proposed by various authors. Classifications based on types rather than true breeds.

• Leese (1927) proposed a classification in 4 types of drugstores:
  • of mountainous regions
  • of intermediate regions
  • of the plains in river areas
  • of the deserts
• IAO was based on another classification:
  • brachymomorphic, large and heavy drug addicts (such as those of the caravans of Egypt)
  • Mesomorphic hydromedaries, lighter than the previous ones (series Libio's loading dromedaries a)
  • dolicomorphal dromedaries, the lightest of all (which would correspond to the dromedaries mehara of the interior of the Sahara.
• Cole (1975) speaking of Arab drugstores (murrah) indicated three types:
  • loading dromedaries
  • of milk
  • the drugstores to mount

Gallery (anatomy)

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  Camel heart.

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  Camel duck.

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  Camel kidney (long section).