Bactrian camel
Camelus bactrianus
The Bactrian camel has a high tolerance for cold. The temperature often drops to -30°C in its living environments. In the summer, the temperatures can climb as high as 40°C. In the winter, the camel has a warm winter coat, while in the summer it is almost hairless. Bactrian camels live in herds. The female typically gives birth to one calf after a pregnancy period of 13 months.
The most distinctive feature of the camel is its hump. When the camel eats a lot, the excess food is stored as fat in its hump, which is big and upright when full. In times of scarcity, the camel makes use of the hump’s reserve feed, which causes the hump to shrink and fade.
Conservation
There are two species of two-humped camels. Those kept as domestic animals belong to the species Camelus bactrianus. The original wild ones living in Central Asia represent the species Camelus ferus. These wild two-humped camels are critically endangered and only under a thousand of them now roam the Gobi Desert.
Korkeasaari Zoo has an ongoing project to support the conservation of wild camels. You can also support the conservation by donating!
Endangerment
Distribution
Habitat
Diet
Size
Lifespan
Up to 35 years
Scientific classification
Order: Artiodactyla
Family: Camelidae