Wednesday, September 19, 2007

Camel - Ship of the Desert

Camel is called the 'Ship of the desert'. Camels are friendly animals and the best suited to live in the desert.  They can travel very long distances. They can live without food and water for about 3-4 days time.  Their strength and endurance have made them valuable to the desert. 

There are two varities of camels the 'Arabian Camel which has a single hump and the Bacterian camel with the double hump.  Camel's milk is a wholesome food. The people in the desert consider camels's milk as a boon to them.  Camel meat is also a delicacy and is also known for its nutritive properties.

Camels are very tall animals.  They stand up to a height of more than 7 feet. Their height protects them from the heat reflection of the hot sand.  They have tear glands and long eyelashes to protect themselves from sand stroms.  Their feet are well padded and insulated to travel in the desert sands.  Their webbed toes prevent them from sinking into the sand. They are herbivorous.  They have a leathery mouth which is suitable to thorny food. Their capacity to recycle water from their bladder helps them to survive without drinking water for longer periods.  Energy producing fats are stored in the camel's hump.

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