Awesome Animal Fact - Dry Camels

Did you know an Arabian camel can drink thirty gallons (114 L) of water in only thirteen minutes? Arabian camels, sometimes called dromedaries, are highly adapted to desert life. These are the one-hump camels (Bactrian camels are the two-hump camels). The camel's body stores up to eighty pounds of fat (not water) in the hump. During extended times without water, the camel can convert the fat into water and energy. Astoundingly, this allows a camel to walk up to a hundred miles without a single sip of water.

So, when camels finally have access to a water source, they take water-snarfing to a whole new level, sucking in thirty gallons. Topping off the tank, as they say.

Camels have various adaptations to conserve their water. For example, they hardly ever sweat, even when the desert is 120 degrees F (49 C). Also, a camel's kidneys work overtime, creating highly concentrated urine, minimizing water loss.

By the way, camels originated in North America and eventually spread across the Bering Strait to the Old World. Arabian camels have been domesticated for at least 3,000 years, and possibly for as long as 6,000 years. Very few wild camels still exist, although there are some small groups of feral camels (escaped or released).

Photo Credits:
- Arabian camel - DepositPhotos