Why a humpbacked camel. What hides a camel hump (8 photos)

Nature has created many unusual animals, one of which can be safely called a camel, because only it has a hump on its back, and some species even have a pair of humps.

The camel is incredibly hardy and is able to tirelessly endure half a ton of weight for long distances. In addition to the ability to go without drinking for many days, the desert ship easily copes with heat, winds and other harsh features of the world of sands and dunes. But not everyone knows why this animal needs humps .. Do you know?

Why does a camel need a hump?

It is generally accepted that camel humps are a kind of water containers in which the “ship of the desert” stores moisture reserves in case of a long transition. Everyone also knows that without water, a camel can quietly exist for several weeks in a hot African or Middle Eastern climate. On the one hand, there is some truth in this, but in reality this fact is not entirely true.

In fact, camel humps do not store water, but fat reserves, that is, food reserves in case of unforeseen circumstances and emergency.

Camels are born without dorsal processes, because the fat layer appears after the babies switch from mother's milk to solid food. The main diet of a camel is the thorn of the same name, which no other animals eat.

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Why can a camel go without water for a long time?

How does a camel replenish its water supply and satisfy its daily need for moisture. Maybe two-humped animals can do without drinking at all... It turns out that a camel is an integral and self-sufficient laboratory. The animal receives water by processing the fat accumulated in the hump by oxidation. As a result of the reaction, 107 milliliters of water comes out of 100 grams of internal fat.

It would seem, what could be simpler - oxidized the fat contained inside the body, and drink water for yourself without going to the source. Why, then, other animals are not able to adapt to desert life? For the oxidation reaction of fatty deposits, large volumes of oxygen are needed, for which the animal needs to intensively inhale air. With such intense breathing, dry and hot air will enter the body of an ordinary representative of the animal world into the lungs, and it will leave saturated with moisture.

The camel is lucky in this respect. When he inhales, the moisture released by the nostrils is retained by a special fold and is collected there, after which it returns to the mouth, from where it naturally spreads throughout the body. In this way, the loss of precious liquid drops is prevented.

But the camel does not disdain water either. If possible, he is able to consume up to 200 liters in one sitting, and he drinks very quickly - in 10 minutes up to 100 liters. And in the choice of water, the two-humped is not scrupulous. He will be satisfied with both fresh and salty water. And this is another unique feature of the “ship of the desert”. Its ability to reduce moisture loss to a minimum also helps to survive in hot climates.

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Some scientists are sure that the moisture that has entered the camel's body is evenly distributed over the tissues, and does not accumulate exclusively in the humps. If this were true, then in comparison with other animals, the salt concentration in a camel would be an order of magnitude lower. Today it is already known for certain that this is not the case.

The camel is a warm-blooded animal, but it has one distinguishing feature. If most representatives of the fauna maintain the same temperature throughout the day, then camels can regulate their temperature depending on the time of day and temperature. environment. Camel varies degrees in the range of 35-45 degrees Celsius. In this way, the animal is able to reduce the loss of moisture for sweating with the increase in daytime temperatures in the desert.

And camels never suffer from dehydration, unlike most animals, which can die from a lack of water in the body if the loss of water is about 20% of their body weight. The camel, having lost even 40% of the water component, will continue to carry not only its body, but also the load placed on it to the nearest oasis without any special consequences.

Why do camels have humps hanging down?

Now it becomes clear why in some individuals one or both humps hang to the side. It's just that the camel lost weight: all the fat accumulation that gave shape to the hump went to drink. As soon as the camel manages to recover, gain normal weight, that is, drink and eat, the “fallen” hump will return to its original position.

"A camel has two humps because life is a struggle" - this phrase, sounded in the famous Soviet film comedy, has become winged.


Surprisingly, this philosophical and, at the same time, funny statement also has a biological meaning. After all, every person familiar with the theory of evolution understands that camels do not just drag heavy growths on their backs through the deserts. The hump is actually needed by the "ship of the desert" to fight for its own existence, it serves as a mechanism for adapting to the harsh conditions of life.

A camel can not drink for two weeks - this is a gigantic period, especially considering that these animals live in arid parts of the planet. During dehydration, a camel loses up to 40 percent of its body weight, but survives and retains mobility. Then the animal drinks great amount water and returns to the original mass. How exactly does his body work? Where does such endurance come from, and what role does the hump play in all this?

Common misconceptions

The opinion that a camel stores water in its humps is completely erroneous. The hump consists mainly of adipose tissue, not fluid.

For a long time there was another, more reasonable and very popular version. According to her, it is from the fat reserves accumulated in the hump that the camel receives all the water it needs if it does not drink for a long time. Water is formed during the oxidation of fats. However, scientists refute this hypothesis, and here are the arguments.

First: if such a mechanism were effective, other desert dwellers would also store fat and use it when there was a lack of moisture, but only the camel has such a reservoir.

Second: during the oxidation of such an amount of fat that would be enough to replenish the lost fluid, the camel would have to breathe intensively. Indeed, in the oxidation reaction is involved a large number of oxygen. But with each exhalation, air saturated with water vapor leaves the lungs, that is, no water saving is obtained.


It was found that the fat from the hump is partially transformed into water (water is a by-product of the oxidation reaction), but this is only a small fraction of the total fluid needed by the animal. The camel uses other reservoirs with moisture, but we will talk about this later, but now we will explain anyway,

Why does a camel really need a hump?

The hump is a wonderful adaptation that evolution has endowed with an animal that lives in places where few people can survive. The humps have the following functions:

- protect the back of the animal from the scorching rays of the sun. Fat is an excellent heat insulator. Fat accumulations, also covered with thick and long fur, reliably protect the camel's body from overheating in the desert;

- since almost all the fat contained in the camel's body is concentrated in the humps, the rest of the body can freely give out the developed thermal energy into the surrounding space. Thus, the camel is cooled. This is another mechanism that protects the animal from the heat of the desert;

- in case of prolonged starvation, the camel begins to consume fat from the hump to replenish nutrients. If without water he can live two weeks, then without food - a whole month!

What else has a camel got?

Humps are not the only adaptation that allows a camel to survive in the scorching heat. Let us return to the question of why this animal can live without water for so long. The fact is that a camel can, firstly, store water for future use, and secondly, protect itself from moisture loss during high temperature and low humidity.

The animal accumulates liquid like this: a camel drinks a huge amount of water at a time (up to 100 liters). This moisture enters a special section of the stomach and is stored there in special cells.

And to resist the release of moisture outside the camel helps:

- thick coat;

- the ability to not sweat for a long time with an increase in body temperature;

- narrow nostrils, covered with a special fold that does not allow moisture to go out with exhaled air;

- a unique device excretory system, preserving most fluids inside the body.


Man could not help but take advantage of such unique abilities artiodactyl desert dweller. Even today, in the 21st century, the population of the dry regions of Asia actively uses camels as a draft force.

Do you know why a camel has unusual outgrowths on its back? Many people think camel hump a water tank, thanks to which camels can go without water for many days in the hot desert.

In fact this is not true.

The camel, also known as the "ship of the desert" (due to its ability to carry heavy loads up to 500 kg), is an amazing creation of nature. And not only because of his ability to go without water for long periods of time, but because of how he copes with the harsh conditions of the desert, including the heat.

But back to camel humps. In fact, camels do not store water in their humps, but fat. The humps are food reserves in case of emergency. Camels do not have humps, as a layer of fat appears only when they start eating solid food. The main diet of the camel is thorns,

How do camels actually meet their water needs? Or maybe they can do without water?

The thing is that camels get water from the fat accumulated in the hump, when one hundred grams of fat is oxidized, 107 grams of water is obtained. If it's so simple, then why can't other animals adapt to life in the desert? After all, everyone has fat. The fact is that for the oxidation of fat, a large amount of oxygen is needed, and for this the animal must breathe heavily. With each breath, dry desert air enters his lungs, leaving the body completely saturated with moisture. But in a camel, the moisture released from the nostrils during breathing collects in a special fold and goes back into the mouth, preventing the loss of precious fluid.

A camel can drink up to 200 liters of water at a time, and quite quickly. 100 liters of water - in 10 minutes. In the choice of water, camels are not scrupulous. Even salt water will suit them quite well. This and also them amazing ability keeping water loss to a minimum helps them survive in the desert. Some researchers believe that water is evenly distributed in the tissues of the camel's body, and not only accumulates in the humps. If this were the case, then the concentration of salts in the body of a camel would be lower compared to other animals. However, this has now been proven to be false.

Unlike most warm-blooded animals, which maintain a constant body temperature, camels' body temperature varies with the surrounding temperature. It can vary between 35 - 40 degrees Celsius. This helps them reduce water loss through perspiration when the ambient temperature rises.

In addition, camels practically do not get dehydrated. While most animals can die from dehydration after losing 20% ​​of their body weight in the form of water, camels can survive by losing up to 40% of their body weight without serious consequences. Here is the answer to the question that arises, looking at some camels: why do camels have humpbacks hanging - just when losing weight, all the fat that gave the hump a shape left it. As soon as the camel gains the missing weight, the hump will take shape again.

But why is fat stored in the hump and not elsewhere? The thing is that fat acts as an insulating material that prevents heat loss. The humps serve as a kind of natural "roof" that protects the camel's back from the scorching sun.

By the way, the famous children's writer Rudyad Kipling has his own answer to the question under discussion in the tale " Why does a camel have a hump?. And if in a Russian proverb a hump appears from work, then in this work everything turned out exactly the opposite. The hump of a camel was awarded for laziness.

The camel, according to scientists, is one of the first domesticated animals along with the dog and the horse. In the desert, this is an absolutely indispensable mode of transport. Moreover, camel hair has its own characteristics: it can save you from heat and cold, as it is hollow inside and is an excellent thermal insulator.

Finally, camel milk is also valued for its nutritional properties. Camel meat is also highly valued for its nutritional properties. For this, the proud animal is forgiven for its complex character.

Features of the body structure of a camel

The most obvious and prominent feature of the camel's body structure is its hump.. There may be one or two depending on the type.

Important! The peculiarity of the camel's body is its ability to easily endure heat and low temperatures. Indeed, in deserts and steppes there are very large temperature differences.

The coat of camels is very thick and dense, as if adapted to the harsh conditions of the desert, steppe and semi-steppe. There are two types of camels - the Bactrian and the dromedary. The Bactrian has a much denser coat than the dromedary. At the same time, the length and density of wool on different parts bodies are different.

On average, its length is about 9 cm, but from the bottom of the neck it forms a long dewlap. Also, a powerful woolen cover grows on the top of the humps, on the head, where it forms a kind of tuft at the top and a beard at the bottom, as well as on the nape.

Experts attribute this to the fact that in this way the animal protects the most important parts of the body from heat. The wool is hollow inside, which makes them an excellent heat insulator. This is very important for living in places where there is a very large daily temperature difference.

Nostrils and eyes of an animal are reliably protected from sand. To maintain moisture in the body, camels hardly sweat. The camel's feet are also perfectly adapted to life in the desert. They do not slip on stones and tolerate hot sand very well.

One or two humps

There are two types of camels - with one and two humps. There are two main varieties of two-humped camels, and apart from the size and number of humps, camels do not differ much. Both species are perfectly adapted to life in harsh conditions. The single-humped camel originally lived only on the African continent.

It is interesting! Wild camels in their native Mongolia are called khaptagai, and domestic camels known to us are called Bactrians. The wild species of the Bactrian camel is listed in the Red Book.

Today, only a few hundred individuals remain. These are very large animals, the growth of an adult male reaches 3 m, and the weight is up to 1000 kg. However, such sizes are rare, the usual height is about 2 - 2.5 m, and the weight is 700-800 kg. Females are somewhat smaller, their height does not exceed 2.5 m, and their weight ranges from 500 to 700 kg.

One-humped dromedaries are much smaller than their two-humped counterparts.. Their weight does not exceed 700 kg, and their height is 2.3 m. As with both, their condition can be judged by their humps. If they stand, then the animal is full and healthy. If the humps hang down, then this indicates that the animal for a long time was starving. After the camel reaches the source of food and water, the shape of the humps is restored.

Camel lifestyle

Camels are herd animals. They usually keep in groups of 20 to 50 heads. It is extremely rare to find a single camel, eventually they are nailed to the herd. In the center of the herd are females and cubs. Along the edges are the strongest and youngest males. Thus, they protect the herd from strangers. They make long transitions from place to place up to 100 km in search of water and food.

It is interesting! Camels mainly inhabit deserts, semi-deserts and steppes. They feed on wild rye, wormwood, camel thorn and saxaul.

Despite the fact that camels can live up to 15 days or more without water, they still need it. In the rainy season large groups camels gather on the banks of rivers or at the foot of mountains, where temporary floods form.

AT winter period camels can also quench their thirst with snow. These animals prefer fresh water, but their body is so arranged that they can drink salty. When they do get to the water, they can drink over 100 liters in 10 minutes. Usually they are calm animals, but in the spring they can be very aggressive, there were cases when adult males chased cars and even attacked people.

The popular version that there is water in the humps of a camel is a myth. In fact, fat accumulates there. But how, then, does a desert dweller manage to survive in harsh conditions, without access to life-giving moisture during long transitions? It is known that a hardy animal can live up to three weeks without a drop of water.

The hump is not the least important - in this part of the body, the camel deposits fat, which solves three problems at once. critical tasks for wilderness survival:

1. First, fat acts as a conditioner, cooling the animal's body and reducing fluid requirements. This effect is achieved by cooling the fat humps at night. It turns out that the camel wears two cool bags on his back, which neutralize the heat.
2. Secondly, fat is able to decompose into water, while there is even more water than there was fat (107%, that is, 100 g of fat produces 100 g of water).
3. Thirdly, the shape of the humps helps to graze, making the slopes comfortable.

And where, then, does the water go, which the camel drinks at that happy moment when it finally finds the source? After all, at one time he is able to drink 150 liters of water. It turns out that water really accumulates in the body of a desert animal, but this does not happen in the humps, but in the fore-stomach - in pockets thought out by nature.

The main volume of water enters the bloodstream, saturating the tissues, like a dishwashing sponge. The oval shape of red blood cells saves from dehydration, preventing them from colliding with each other, like in humans. It is not dangerous for a camel to lose up to 25% liquid. And for other mammals, 15% is a critical figure, followed by dehydration.

Economical moisture consumption - the most important factor that helps the camel to live in harsh drought conditions. These animals do not tend to sweating - they do not lose water, but strictly save it. normal temperature this amazing mammal, depending on the time of day, ranges from 34 to 41 degrees.

Camels breathe very slowly and rarely, which also contributes to the preservation of moisture inside the body. The special shape of the nostrils not only protects against sand during storms, but also keeps steam from breathing, returning it as a liquid back to the body.

Work internal organs also aimed at the strictest economy. The kidneys repeatedly filter the liquid, extracting everything important for the body from it as much as possible. As for feces, it contains practically no liquid.

By the way, it’s better not to get close to camels, these wayward inhabitants of desert valleys can kick in all four directions with each of their legs.