Asian Animals - Bactrian Camel

The Bactrian Camel is a odd looking Asian Animal. We hope you find learning about it fun! To jump to a specific section, use the Quick Jump below by clicking on the categories.

Sizes
-Height to Shoulder: 6 ft
-Height to Hump: 7 ft
-Length: 11-12 ft (includes tail)
-Weight: 1,000 to 1,500 lb.

A pair of Bactrian Camels and their young.
Click for full size.

Habitat and Habits
-once found over vast range in Asia
-now inhabit only Mongolia's Gobi Desert
-adapted to cope with climate extremes
-form small groups of six to twenty
-led by mature male
-young males spend most of their time wandering around
-within habitat there is desert, semidesert, grassy steppes, and
mountainous regions
-in summer, usually live by dry valleys or nearby hills
-in winter, usually live by dried up creeks or stream beds and oasis's
-lifespan of 50 years

Food and Feeding
-are ruminants
        -feed and regurgitate food
        -chew cud in afternoon
-are able to survive on sparse vegetation
-eat tough grass, herbs, thin branches, and foliage of shrubs
-search for food in morning and evening
-can tolerate great variations in body temperature
        -from 86 degrees F to 105 degrees F
        -loses little water through perspiration
-can go for long periods without water
-do not store water in humps
        -actually store fat reserves
        -can be converted into water if camel is dehydrated

Bactrian Camel and Man
-domesticated as early as 2000 BC
-presumed to be descendant of feral camel
-are important source of wool, milk, meat, and transportation
-there are thought to be fewer than 1,000 wild
-they are an endangered species

Links for More Information
-Species Data Sheet : Bactrian Camel