What camels have on the hump - discover the answer

Camels are animals that create curiosity although they are known all over the world, especially for being the transport of the Magi, being in stories and folk tales and for being part of the idea we have when thinking of some African and Asian countries. Although we have a clear image of these animals, there are many doubts that some people still have about them, such as, for example, what is the difference with camels, as it can be difficult to differentiate them if you do not have a clear idea. Did you know that the easiest key is in the number of humps?

In fact, this is one of the parts that generates the most doubts and therefore, in this article, we are going to answer the question about what the camels have on the hump, as well as questions about other details of these.

How many humps do the camels have?

This is undoubtedly one of the most frequent questions, since it is easy to confuse these animals with dromedaries and, as we have said, this is a key to differentiate them. Thus, the answer is very simple: the camels have two humps and the camels have one .

Now, why does the camel have two humps and the camel one? Quite simply, we can say that evolution generated this difference so that each animal adapted better to the climate conditions in which it lives. Something that we will explain better next, in the next section.

Although this is, without a doubt, the easiest way to know which of these two related species we have before us, there are other differences between a camel and a dromedary :

  • The origin and the habitat: although both species are desert, they come from deserts with different environmental conditions. The camels are from central Asia while the dromedaries are from the Arabian Peninsula. In the case of the former, nature has prepared them to withstand really low temperatures like those that can be found in the Gobi desert, while the latter have prepared them to withstand very high temperatures, such as those of the Sahara desert.
  • The size: the dromedaries are higher than the camels, the first can reach up to two meters in height and the last do not usually exceed one and a half meters. Regarding weight, camels are usually heavier than dromedaries.
  • The fur: the camel has long fur, to better regulate the temperature in very cold areas, and the dromedary has short hair, to be able to survive better in the hot areas where it lives.
  • The character: the camels are much calmer than the dromedaries.

What do camels have on humps

Surely you have ever heard that camels store water in their humps, however, this is one of the legends of camels most heard in the world. In fact, for those who wonder what they have or what they store the camels in the humps, these animals accumulate reserve fat .

So, if you were wondering what are the humps of the camels, now you can see that they are sacks located on the back that have the function of accumulating and storing fat, coming from the feeding of the camels. When a camel feeds, his body uses part of the nutrients throughout the day and the rest converts them into accumulated fats in these bags.

For this reason, a camel with the hump fallen or both in this state, like the image below, is not sick or anything strange happens, but simply spent the reserves of fat accumulated in that part of the body causing decrease its size. As soon as the animal ingests food and rests, the hump replenishes and becomes straight. In case of checking that this does not happen even feeding, we can think that yes it can be symptom of disease, something that will have to confirm a veterinarian.

Why camels have humps and what are they for?

Now that we know what's in the humps of these animals, we can respond well to another common question about them: why do they have humps and what do they do for them?

Due to the climatic and environmental conditions to which they are exposed, that is, both because of the extreme temperatures and the long distances they must travel in the desert, with hardly any water and food available, it is understandable and logical that these animals have evolved creating these fat deposits .

The reserve of fat from the humps is used for the camels to have enough energy to withstand the extreme conditions of their habitat. Thus, when you have not drunk or eaten for several kilometers, but must continue to walk and endure the desert temperatures, then your body extracts the necessary energy from the fat accumulated in the humps.

If you have liked to know the answer to these questions about the camels, you may also be interested in knowing about another curious and lesser-known animal: the platypus. Discover in this other article of What the platypus eats and where it lives.