Breeding camels in Siberia. Your own business: raising camels

Since ancient times, the companion of the southern nomad was the camel - an unpretentious hardy resident deserts and semi-deserts. Until now, these animals play a huge role in the lives of many peoples. They are used as horse, pack and horse-drawn transport; camels provide people with valuable wool, milk and meat. Meanwhile, this is one of the most amazing and unusual creatures on our planet.

Types of camels

Camels belong to the genus of herbivorous mammals of the artiodactyl order. Scientists classify them as a separate suborder of callosopods, in which camels and their distant relatives - vicuñas and llamas, living on the South American continent, are the only representatives.

These are large animals, taller than human height, with a long flexible neck, thin legs and a soft fatty hump on the back. Only two types have survived to this day:

• dromedary camel, or dromedary;
• And the two-humped camel - Bactrian, named after the ancient state Central Asia, Bactria, where the unpretentious “ships of the desert” were first tamed by humans.

The camel is a unique example of the adaptation of living organisms to conditions environment. These hardy, surprisingly unpretentious animals thrive in the arid, sharply continental climate of deserts and semi-deserts, calmly enduring both huge temperature changes and prolonged dehydration.

They are distinguished by a dense, elongated body with a small, elongated head. The structure of the flexible neck, curved in the shape of a “U”, is such that the desert dweller can easily pluck leaves and soft branches from fairly tall trees or pick up food from the ground without bending his long legs. Their ears are small, rounded, and in some breeds they may be almost invisible due to their long, thick fur. The tail, with a small hard tassel, is quite short in comparison with the body, and does not exceed 50–58 cm in length.

The entire body of a camel is covered with thick curly hair, which perfectly protects both from scorching rays and from low winter temperatures. The color of the pile can be different: from light sand to dark brown. Occasionally there are even black animals.

The hump, located on the back of a camel, serves as excellent protection from the burning southern sun and is a kind of storage of nutrients. Its top is covered with longer and stiffer hairs than the rest of the body, and often has a color different from the main color. The shape also plays an important role: for example, in an emaciated animal, the hump sags and resembles an empty wineskin. But it quickly rises and becomes dense as soon as the camel eats and gets enough water.

Nature took special care of the camel's head. Large, widely spaced eyes for better visibility have a third eyelid that protects from dust and sand, and are surrounded by long thick eyelashes. Deep brow ridges also provide additional protection from the wind. At the same time, the vision of humpbacked mammals is excellent: they can spot a person a kilometer away, and they can see a large moving object, for example, a car, even 4–5 kilometers away.

Camels are famous for their excellent sense of smell. Thus, they sense water sources in the desert 50–60 km away. This is largely due to the structure of the nose. The narrow nostrils are covered with a special fold, thanks to which the moisture that inevitably evaporates during breathing flows into the mouth; this protects animals from dehydration, but does not dull their sense of smell.

The nasal openings of a camel have such a structure that they can close almost completely, protecting the respiratory tract from sand and the loss of excess fluid. It is thanks to this feature that camels are among the few mammals that can survive a dust storm without damage, which in the desert has truly monstrous destructive power.

The camel's jaw deserves special mention. There are 38 teeth in the oral cavity, including 4 rather sharp fangs - 2 above and 2 below. Except them, lower jaw has 10 molars and the same number of incisors, and the upper one has 12 molars and 2 incisors. A camel can easily bite through a hard thorn or dry branch, and its bite is much more painful than a horse's bite. The fleshy lips of these animals - smooth lower and bifurcated upper - are designed for tearing off tough food and have rough, durable skin.

It is known that camels have a sharp, rather unpleasant odor. Contrary to popular belief, this “aroma” does not come from sweat. Camels practically do not sweat at all (in arid climates, excess moisture loss would be wasteful). But on the back of the head of these animals there are glands with a sharp-smelling secretion, with which males mark their territory by rubbing their heads and necks on trees.

Outwardly, both a two-humped and one-humped camel may seem disproportionate and even fragile due to thin legs, but this is only an appearance. An adult individual can easily withstand many hours of trekking through the desert and is capable of carrying a load equal to half its weight. Cloven hooves with a large horny claw allow them to move freely on rocky and sandy surfaces, and in winter they serve as an excellent aid in obtaining food: with their help, camels dig out edible branches and thorns from under the snow.

What distinguishes these animals from other artiodactyls is characteristic feature: dense skin growths - calluses - in those places where the camel comes into contact with the soil while lying down. Thanks to them, animals are able to lie without harm even on hot midday sand or rocky ground (and in some areas of Asia and Africa, the temperature of the earth in summer reaches 70⁰ Celsius). Similar formations are located on the chest, elbows, knees and wrists of the camel. The exception is wild, non-domesticated individuals: they completely lack elbow, chest and knee calluses.

Thus, these mammals have rightfully earned their name “ship of the desert.” True, all their amazing features also have a downside: the list of places where camels live is not so long. In a humid climate, neither a single-humped nor a double-humped camel can exist, and they very quickly get sick and die.

The question of where camels live is quite complicated. On the one hand, thanks to their endurance, these animals are able to live in areas characterized by an arid, sharply continental climate. They are found in deserts and semi-deserts, at altitudes up to 3300 km above sea level. On the other hand, now the number of wild camels is rapidly declining, and their distribution area is becoming smaller. The reason for this was human activity: almost all open sources of water in the desert have long been occupied by people, and haptagai, due to natural caution, are extremely reluctant to approach humans. The wild Bactrian camel has been protected for several decades as an endangered species included in the Red Book. Now there are only a few regions where you can still find Bactrians in their natural, non-domesticated form:

• southeast of Mongolia, Trans-Altai part of the Gobi Desert;
• the western, arid regions of China, primarily in the vicinity of the long-dry Lake Lop Nor, known for its salt marshes.

In general, the habitats of wild camels are 4 not too large, isolated areas of deserts and semi-deserts.

As for dromedaries, you can meet them in wildlife impossible. The wild dromedary camel finally became extinct at the turn of the century New era and these days they are bred exclusively in captivity.

The list of places where camels tamed by people live is much wider. They are used as a means of transportation and draft power in almost all areas close to natural conditions to the desert.

Thus, the dromedary camel is found today:

• in the north of the African continent, in all countries up to the equator (Somalia, Egypt, Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia);
• on the Arabian Peninsula;
• in the countries of Central Asia - Mongolia, Kalmykia, Pakistan, Iran, Afghanistan, in the UAE and Yemen and in other countries up to the northern provinces of India.
• in the desert regions of the Balkan Peninsula;
• in Australia, where dromedaries were brought by settlers in the 19th century instead of horses that could not withstand critical temperatures and extremely low humidity;
• and even in the Canary Islands.

Bactrians can boast of no smaller range. Bactrian camel- one of the most common representatives of livestock throughout Asia Minor and northern China, in Manchuria.

According to rough estimates, the population of dromedaries in the world now reaches 19 ml; Of these, almost 15 million live in North Africa alone.

Camels are rightfully revered by many peoples almost as sacred animals. After all, not only trade, but also the lives of people in many areas of our planet depend on them.

Etymology of the name

Linguists have been arguing about the origin of the name of this unpretentious representative of the desert fauna for centuries, but not a single theory has yet been recognized as the only correct one. The difficulty is not only that different countries ah, the “ship of the desert” is called differently, but there is too much of a gulf separating modernity and ancient world. Over the 4,000 years that have passed since the domestication of the camel, the language of different countries has undergone enormous changes, borrowed words managed to become “indigenous” and then become obsolete. However, some assumptions can be made.

The camel has been known to people living in arid desert regions since ancient times. In the life of a Bedouin, he played the same role as a horse in the life of a steppe nomad. Comrade in arms, transport, carrier of heavy loads... And also - nutritious milk, wool for clothing, shelter from a sandstorm, meat in a hungry year - all this is a camel. It’s not surprising that every nation gave given name his faithful companions. Thus, in the Kalmyk steppes the majestic hunchbacked giant is still called “byurgud”, in the north of Africa - “mehari”, and in Farsi this animal is called the word “ushtur”.

The Latin name of these animals sounds like “Camelus”, and, according to the most common theory, goes back to the Arabic name “جَمَل” - “gamal” in our usual transcription. All Western European versions of the camel name come from the Latin term: in English-speaking countries it is called “camel”, in Germany – “Kamel”, the heirs of the Roman Empire, the Italians use the word cammello, and the Spanish version sounds almost the same – “camello”. The French went a little further - their “ship of the desert” is called “chameau”.

There is much more controversy surrounding the Russian name of this animal. There are three versions of the origin of the word “camel”:

• According to the first, the term is a highly distorted borrowing from the Latin language. The Romans, who had colonies in Africa and Asia, knew many large riding animals that were unfamiliar to European inhabitants. One of them, elephantus, meaning elephant, found its way into the Gothic language and was eventually adapted to ulbandus. The Slavs, unlike the Goths, who settled in the lands from present-day Germany to the Balkan Peninsula, lived much further north, and mistakenly used this term to define the large double-humped transport of their southern neighbors.
• The second version can be considered a complement to the first, since it can explain how the Western “ulbandus” could transform into the Russian “camel”. The Old Slavonic transcription of this word did not have the letter “r” and sounded like “velьbǫdъ”. This form of the name is used in many Old Russian texts, for example, in “The Tale of Igor’s Campaign.” The two semantic roots of “welblood” are translated into modern ones as “big, great” and “to walk, wander, wander.” This is a completely viable theory - the camel is indeed considered one of the most durable riding animals, capable of covering up to 40 km or more per day.
• According to some linguists, the word “camel” came to Russia from Kalmykia, where the word “burgud” is still used.

What do camels eat and what do they eat?

Everyone knows that camels are one of the most unpretentious animals in terms of food. They are able to digest even those foods that other mammals do not touch and can live for a long time without food. The list of what camels eat is quite long. It includes:

• grass, both fresh and already faded in the sun;
• leaves of trees, especially poplars (in the cold season this is the basis of the camel’s diet);
• barnyard;
• camel thorn (so named because other animals are unable to digest its tough fiber);
• ephedra
• sand acacia;
• sagebrush;
• parfolia;
• steppe onion;
• saxaul branches;
• and some other types of shrubs.

The diet largely depends on where camels live. So, at home, these mammals happily eat grain, hay, silage, fruits and vegetables, as well as any other plant foods. The answer to this unpretentiousness lies in the structure of the camel’s digestive organs. Its stomach has three chambers and is capable of digesting even the coarsest and, at first glance, nutrient-free food. In this case, animals swallow food without chewing, and after a few hours they regurgitate the semi-digested mixture and slowly chew it.

Camel spit, contrary to popular belief, does not consist of saliva, but of partially digested chewing gum.

The one-humped camel is considered more picky in terms of nutrition than the two-humped camel. Thus, during a hungry period, Bactrians are quite capable of eating animal skins and even bones, while dromedaries are forced to make do exclusively with plant foods.

It has been noticed that a strict “diet” has a much better effect on these amazing creatures than a plentiful diet. In years of famine, the survival rate of the population in winter is much higher than during periods when there was enough food in the summer. All camels can withstand hunger and thirst without harm. An adult animal can go without food for up to 30 days, accumulating nutrients in its humps and subsequently subsisting on them.

Equally phenomenal is the ability of these mammals to withstand thirst. In the absence of any source of moisture, a dromedary camel can live 10 days if it does not expend energy by running or carrying heavy objects. During the period of activity, this period is reduced to 5 days. The Bactrian camel is less hardy in this regard: for it, the period of abstinence in hot weather is limited to 3, maximum 5 days.

In many ways, these unique qualities are associated with the structural features of the blood. In camels, unlike other mammals, red blood cells are oval in shape, which makes them better able to retain moisture. “Ships of the Desert” can withstand dehydration up to a quarter of their own weight (while for other mammals, a loss of fluid of 15% is already fatal). These amazing creatures can even get moisture from food. Thus, lush grass supplies camels with enough fluid, and on fresh pastures they can go without water for up to 10 days.

However, there are other reasons for such phenomenal endurance:

• Both Bactrians and dromedaries lead an inactive lifestyle, thereby expending energy very slowly.
• Camels practically do not lose moisture during their life. The steam exhaled from the nostrils precipitates and flows into oral cavity. The intestines process body waste, almost completely absorbing the liquid (this is the reason that camel feces are often used by desert dwellers as fuel for fires). Camels begin to sweat only if their body temperature rises above 40⁰ and there is a real threat of death from overheating, and this happens extremely rarely.
• The camel's body is designed in such a way that during a season rich in food and water, the necessary substances accumulate in its body, gradually being consumed until the time when the animal cannot replenish its reserves.

Domestic camels

For many regions, these animals are not only the optimal means of transportation, but also the only livestock that can easily withstand difficult climatic conditions.

Camel wool plays a huge role in the economy. It is valued much higher than goat or sheep, because due to the large mass fraction of fluff (about 85%) it provides excellent warmth in cold weather. From a dromedary you can get from 2 to 4 kg of wool per year; but the average annual harvest from Bactrian reaches 10 kg.

An impressive portion of the diet of many peoples living in desert areas is occupied by products made from camel milk - cheese, butter, fermented milk drinks, such as Turkmen chal or Kazakh shubat. A camel gives from 2 to 5 liters of milk per day; however, this amount largely depends on the breed of the animal. Thus, the annual yield from Bactrian rarely exceeds 750 - 800 liters. But for dromedaries, 2 tons of milk per year is the norm, not to mention Arvans, from which you can get 4 or more tons per year.

The fat content of camel milk is higher than that of cow milk, reaching 5.5% for Bactrians. In dromedaries this figure is slightly lower - 4.5%. It is rich in many microelements, including iron, calcium, magnesium, and the vitamin C content in it is even higher than in cow or goat milk. Due to its low content of caseic acid, it is easily digestible, has a foamy appearance and a sweetish taste.

In ancient times, camels were often used as fighting animals. The four-legged warrior carried two riders into battle: a driver in front and an archer behind. And in the case of hand-to-hand combat, the camel itself turned into a rather dangerous weapon, because it was capable of not only kicking, but also using its teeth. And on the main square of the small town of Aktyubinsk, Astrakhan region, there is a monument to two camels named Mishka and Mashka: they were the ones who carried the gun mount, which was one of the first to begin shelling the Reichstag in May 1945.

Camels have long been used as riding and cartage animals. They are able to freely carry a load equal to half their own weight. Outwardly, these imperturbable “ships of the desert” give the impression of slow and phlegmatic animals. However, this is due not so much to their character as to the need to retain moisture, which is consumed much faster during activity. A camel is indeed a very calm animal, and it is not so easy to make it run, wasting precious energy. But they are capable of walking at a measured pace, without getting tired, for hours, covering a distance of up to 50 km per day, and with constant urging, up to 100 km.

In some countries, the size of the bale a camel can carry is the official measure of weight. It is equal to 250 kg.

In many Arab countries there is a national sport - camel racing. For example, in the UAE, such competitions are held every week, starting from April and until October, when the rainy season continues. On the roads here you can see the usual warning sign for local residents: “Caution! Camels!

Wild and domesticated camels: differences

The ancient ancestors of modern camels were widespread across large parts of Eurasia, in North America and the Arabian Peninsula. It was there, according to scientists, that these hardy creatures were first domesticated by humans around the 2nd millennium BC.

To this day, only the Bactrian camel has survived in its wild, original form; The dromedary is found in the natural environment exclusively as a domesticated, secondarily feral animal. In fact, the very existence of wild camels was officially confirmed only at the beginning of the 20th century, during an Asian expedition led by Przhevalsky. It was he who discovered the existence of wild Bactrians, called “haptagai”.

The haptagai camel has several noticeable differences from its domesticated ancestor:

• their hooves are distinguished by a narrower shape, compared to domestic camels;
• the physique of wild camels is lean and dry, with a more elongated muzzle and short ears, and their height and weight are slightly less than those of a domesticated animal;
• a hump that is not so spacious makes wild camels more vulnerable during drought or famine;
• but the easiest way to distinguish a haptagai is by his clean legs and chest, without the slightest trace of calluses.

Now wild camels are on the verge of extinction: their total number there are barely more than 3,000 individuals in the world.

Lifestyle of Khaptagai camels

Camels in the wild lead a nomadic lifestyle, constantly migrating from one source of water to another. They usually roam in small families, from 5 to 10 - 15 individuals. They include one adult male and several females with cubs. Adult males usually roam alone, occasionally joining herds and leaving during the rutting season. Large herds can be found only at watering places, where the number of camels can reach several tens of thousands of heads.

Like domestic camels, khaptagai are diurnal animals. At night they are not active, but during daylight hours they are in constant movement.

Despite constant migrations, the places where camels live are clearly demarcated. These animals do not leave their natural habitat, staying close to springs and oases. As a rule, in the summer they roam in the northern regions, and with the onset of cold weather they move further to the south. At this time, they can be found in oases rich in trees, in the foothills, where it is easy to find protection from the wind, as well as in shallow ravines.

The species of camels that have survived to this day are not very diverse and include only two items: the two-humped Bactrian and the single-humped dromedary.

The one-humped variety of the "ship of the desert", unlike its larger relative, is considered not so much a horse-drawn animal as a racing animal. The very name “dromedary” or “Camelus dromedarius” comes from ancient Greek as “one who runs”, “runner”. It has a shorter height (no more than 190 cm, rarely 210 cm) and is inferior to its two-humped relative in weight, due to which it is capable of developing significantly greater speed.

But in terms of cold resistance, the dromedary camel is more vulnerable. It does not tolerate the cold in the desert well due to its not too thick coat, which protects well from the heat, but does not warm well.

Another distinctive feature of dromedaries is their short, shaggy mane, which starts from the back of the head and turns into a beard, ending in the middle of the neck. There are the same “decorations” on the back, in the area of ​​the shoulder blades. The fur of these animals, as a rule, has a sandy shade of varying saturation, although brown, gray-red and even extremely rare white individuals are occasionally found.

The dromedary camel has other names. So, in many countries it is called “Arabian” - after the name of the area where these animals were first domesticated. It was from the Arabian Peninsula that the leisurely giants with one hump began their triumphal march around the world.

The second name of this species comes from the ancient state of Bactria, located in Central Asia (the first information about these animals is found in documents from that particular region). Bactrians are much more massive than dromedaries, their height reaches 230 cm, and the saddle between the humps is approximately 170 cm from the ground. The distance between the bases of the humps ranges from 20 to 40 cm.

The Bactrian camel has a long neck, due to the strong bend of which the head and shoulders of the animal are located at the same height (which is not typical for the one-humped representative of these mammals).

The fur of Bactrians is very thick and dense, allowing them to easily withstand extreme cold. In winter, its length reaches 7 cm on the body and 25 on the tops of the humps. But with the onset of warmer weather, the two-humped giants begin to shed, which is why they look rather untidy in the spring - until the period when the hair grows back.

Camel breeds

Despite the fact that currently there are only two species of these unpretentious animals, several varieties are bred in the world, which have many differences from each other. So, only in our country there are 4 breeds of camels:

• Mongolian;
• Kazakh;
• Kalmyk (the largest in the world - it is bred mainly for wool and meat);
• and the Turkmen Arvana, famous for its wool.

Of these, only the long-haired Arwana is single-humped. But in Arab countries the number of breeds is approaching 20:

• Omani;
• Sudanese;
• majaim;
• azael;
• mania, famous for its excellent running qualities;
• al-hajin (also used in horse racing);
• and others.

Despite a large number of names, the differences between Arabian camel breeds are insignificant. Thus, both the Sudanese and Omani varieties and manias are used in horse racing and are not inferior to each other.

Camel hybrids

The endurance and usefulness of camels in farming are so great that attempts to crossbreed and breed new species have not stopped to this day. Unlike many other animals, hybrid camel species are quite viable.

"Mestizos" include:

• “Nar” is a large, weighing up to 1 ton, hybrid of the one-humped Arwan and the two-humped Kazakh camel. A distinctive feature of this breed is one large, as if consisting of two parts, hump. Nars are bred primarily for their milking qualities - the average milk yield per individual is 2,000 liters per year.
• "Kama". This hybrid of a dromedary camel and a llama is distinguished by its short height, on average from 125 to 140 cm, and low weight (it does not exceed 70 kg). This baby does not have a standard hump, but it has excellent load-carrying capacity and is often used as a pack animal in hard-to-reach places.
• "Iner", or "Iner". In order to get this one-humped giant with magnificent hair, a female Turkmen camel breed is crossed with an Arvan male.
• “Jarbay” is a rather rare and almost non-viable subspecies, born from the mating of two hybrids.
• "Kurt." A not very popular one-humped hybrid of a female Inera and a male camel of the Turkmen breed. Despite decent milk yield per individual, they are rarely bred due to the low fat content of milk and unsatisfactory wool characteristics.
• "Kaspak". But this hybrid of a Bactrian camel and a female Nara (they are often called Nar-Maya, adding a feminine suffix to the breed) is very popular. It is grown mainly for its large milk yield and impressive meat mass.
• "Kez-nar." A hybrid of a camel of the Turkmen breed and a caspak, considered one of the largest both in size and in terms of milk yield.

Camel breeding

Reproduction in camels follows the same pattern as in many artiodactyls. The rutting period for these animals is quite dangerous, both for the camels themselves and for people. Sexually mature males become aggressive, and in the fight for a female, they attack their opponent without hesitation. Brutal battles often end in death or injury to the losing side: during the battle, animals use not only their hooves, but also their teeth, trying to knock the enemy to the ground and trample him. Males participate in the rut starting from the age of 5 (in females, puberty occurs much earlier - already at 3 years.)

Camels mate in winter, when the rainy season begins in the desert and there is enough water and food for the animals. Moreover, the rut of dromedaries begins a little earlier than that of Bactrians. After a gestation period, which lasts 13 months for one-humped individuals and 14 for two-humped individuals, one, or rarely two, cubs are born, which within a few hours are fully on their feet and are able to run after their mother across the desert.

Camel cubs vary in size. A newborn Bactrian camel weighs from 35 to 46 kg, with a height of only 90 cm. But a small dromedary, with almost the same height, reaches a weight of almost 100 kg. Both one-humped and two-humped camel species nurse their cubs for 6 to 18 months. And parents show care for their offspring until the cub reaches adulthood.

Camel speed

Camels are famous as excellent runners. The average speed of a camel is even higher than that of a horse - from 15 to 23 km/h. There have been cases when a dromedary (which in some literary sources is poetically called a “desert walker”) reached speeds of up to 65 km/h.

Unlike the fast dromedary, the Bactrian camel is not capable of a fast forced march due to its more impressive mass. It is also capable of moving at a speed of 50 - 65 km/h, but it runs out of steam much faster than its one-humped relative. Therefore, on the Arabian Peninsula, in Central Asia and Africa, Bactrians were more often used as horse-drawn transport. Thus, on the coat of arms of the Chelyabinsk region, where the trade route to Iran and China once passed, it is a two-humped giant loaded with bales that is depicted.

How much does a camel weigh?

These mammals are distinguished by their rather high growth: 190 – 230 cm at the withers, and males are always slightly larger than females. Body length can vary from 230 to 340 cm for dromedaries, and from 240 to 360 cm for their Bactrian counterparts. The question of how much a camel weighs is controversial. So, on average, the weight of an adult varies from 300 to 800 kg for different breeds. However, there are individual giants whose mass reaches 1 ton. The largest representative of this family is the Bactrian camel, and the smallest is the Cama, a hybrid of a dromedary and a South American llama. Weight Limit This baby does not exceed 70 kg.

There is still an ongoing debate about how long camels live. The lifespan of domesticated animals ranges from 20 to 40 years. However, among the khaptagai - wild camels - there are individuals reaching the age of 50 years with an average life expectancy of about 4 decades.

What's in a camel's hump?

There is a widespread belief that a camel’s hump is a kind of waterskin that is filled with water and from where the animal subsequently receives the necessary liquid. Actually this is not true. “Ships of the desert” are indeed capable of saving liquid for future use, but in the growth on the back, it is precisely in pure form accumulates the least.

The answer to the question of what is in a camel’s hump is more prosaic and, at the same time, surprising. This physiological reservoir is filled with fat, which performs two functions at once: it protects the body from overheating and accumulates nutrients, due to which the animal can exist for a long time without any food sources at all. An adult is capable of losing up to 40% of its weight without harm to its health and quickly regaining it as soon as it finds food.

In case of prolonged thirst or hunger, fat again decomposes into its components, releasing the energy and water necessary for life.

The process of fat breakdown itself has long been known to nutritionists and underlies most methods of losing excess weight. However, the adaptability of camels to environmental conditions amazed even scientists. Recent experiments have shown that 100 g of fat, when broken down, yields an average of about 107 g of liquid.

Camels are able to store liquid for future use not only in the hump, but also in special cavities of the stomach. Having reached a watering hole, the desert walker is capable of drinking more than 100 liters of water at a time. Thus, there is a documented fact: a camel, deprived of food and drink for 8 days during the summer drought, lost 100 kg of weight. Having reached the watering hole, he did not look up from the water for 9 minutes, drinking 103 liters during this time. On average, a one-humped camel can drink from 60 to 135 liters at a time, and a two-humped camel can drink even more.

Hump ​​performs another one important function: regulates heat exchange. This is due to the climatic conditions of the places where camels live. In the desert, the difference between night and day temperatures can reach 50 degrees. The fat pad saves its owner both from the scorching heat (the heat in the Gobi Desert or the Sahara in summer can reach 40 - 45⁰), and from night frosts, often dropping to -10⁰ even in summer time. The sun's rays are so hot in summer that a hard-boiled egg left in the sand takes half an hour to an hour to bake, and most mammals run the risk of heatstroke and, in the most serious cases, death from overheating. Both one-humped and two-humped camels are free from such risk. The thickness of the fat layer is so great that the animal’s body temperature remains within normal limits. And with the arrival of night, the hump begins to act as a heater, cooling down during the dark time of day to an acceptable 35 - 40⁰ and again providing coolness during the day.

A majestic ship “sails” among the sandy “mountains” of the desert... Who do you think we are talking about? Well, of course, about the camel. This animal has long been called exactly that – “ship of the desert.” And there is no longer an animal in the world that can endure the scorching sun, while carrying a heavy load. The two-humped and one-humped camels are truly unique animals of their kind.

Appearance of a camel

Currently, there are two species of these animals preserved on our planet: camels with one hump (dromedaries) and two-humped camels (Bactrians). Externally, they differ not only in the number of humps.

Dromedaries have a slimmer build. They have long legs, thanks to which they are able to run very fast. The height of the average dromedary camel reaches 2.5 meters, and its weight ranges from 300 to 700 kilograms. The coat color of dromedaries is predominantly ash-yellow.

Distinctive features Bactrians are considered, in addition to the presence of two humps: thick wool, higher height (up to 2.7 meters) and weight (up to 800 kilograms), as well as a color that has a gray-yellow tint.

What are camel humps? Contrary to popular belief that the animal has a large supply of water in its hump, it is worth saying that this part of the camel’s body consists of 100% adipose tissue. AND appearance Gorbov speaks directly about physical condition animal. If a camel is in excellent shape, well-fed and healthy, then its humps stick up; when the animal is exhausted or sick, then the hump may sag or disappear completely.

Where do dromedaries and bactrians live?

The habitat of dromedary camels is considered mainly to be Africa. But they can also be found in central Asia. More than 100 years ago, dromedaries were even brought to the Australian continent.

Bactrians are inhabitants of the Asian part of the Eurasian continent. They live in Mongolia, China, India, Kazakhstan, Pakistan, Iran, Turkmenistan and Kalmykia.

It is worth noting that camels are becoming less and less common in the wild, as they are being massively domesticated by humans (this is especially true for Bactrians).

Camel behavior and lifestyle

Deserts and semi-deserts with their low trees and thorny bushes are ideal for living and habitat of camels. Camels are sedentary animals, although they are characterized by long journeys within their territories. During the daytime, they prefer to lie down, chewing gum, and when night comes, they go to bed.

Listen to the voice of a dromedary camel

Camels are very good swimmers, despite their height and weight.

A feature of Bactrians is their frost resistance. Thanks to their thick wool, they tolerate low temperatures (down to minus 40 degrees), but heat and drought are very destructive for them. The same cannot be said about dromedaries: they prefer hot sun rather than cold.

What do two-humped and one-humped camels eat?

Camels are ruminant herbivores. They are unpretentious in food and can feed on the most meager plants, such as bitter herbs, thorny branches, etc. Thanks to its fat reserves in the hump, the animal can do without food for about a month!

Camel breeding

The mating season for these animals begins at winter months(December – February).

Bearing offspring lasts a year, and sometimes several months more. After birth, baby camels feed on their mother's milk. A few hours after birth, the cubs are already standing on their feet and following their mother. Full maturity of the offspring occurs in the fifth year of life. The lifespan of these animals is about 40 – 50 years

Natural enemies of the camel

Usually, none of the animals attacks adults. But the same cannot be said about little camels: they are a favorite object

Camels (Camelus) are a genus of mammals belonging to the camelid family (Camelidae) and the suborder Camelidae. Large representatives of the artiodactyla order (Artiodactyla) are well adapted for life in arid regions, including deserts, semi-deserts and steppes.

Description of the camel

The weight of an average adult camel varies between 500-800 kg, with a height at the withers of no more than 200-210 cm. One-humped camels are reddish-gray in color, while two-humped camels are characterized by a dark brown color.

Appearance

Camels have curly fur, a long and arched neck, and small, rounded ears. Representatives of the camelid family and the callosopod suborder are characterized by the presence of 38 teeth, of which ten are represented by molars, two canines, ten molars, two molars, a pair of canines and twelve molars.

Thanks to the long and shaggy eyelashes, the camel’s large eyes are reliably protected from sand and dust, and the slits of the nostrils can be closed very tightly if necessary. A camel's vision is excellent, so the animal is able to see a moving person at a distance of a kilometer, and a car even five kilometers away. The large desert animal perfectly smells water and plants.

This is interesting! A camel is able to sense the territory of fresh pasture or the presence fresh water even fifty kilometers away, and seeing thunderclouds in the sky, the desert animal sets off in their direction, hoping to get to a place with pouring rains.

The mammal is quite well adapted to life in harsh and waterless areas, and also has special pectoral, wrist, elbow and knee calluses, which often come into contact with soil heated to 70°C. The animal's fairly thick fur is intended to protect it from the scorching daytime sun and night cold. The fingers connected together form a common sole. Wide and two-toed camel feet are well adapted for walking on small stones and loose sand.

A camel is not capable of losing significant amounts of fluid through natural feces. Moisture, which is released from the nostrils during breathing, easily collects inside a special fold, after which it enters the animal’s oral cavity. Camels long time They are able to do without water completely, but at the same time they lose about 40% of their total body weight.

One of the specific adaptations of camels for living in desert conditions is the presence of humps, which are large fat deposits and serve as a kind of “roof” that protects the animal’s back from the rays of the scorching sun. Among other things, the high concentration of such fat reserves of the whole body in the back area contributes to good heat output. Camels are excellent swimmers, and when moving in water, such animals typically tilt their bodies slightly to the side.

Character and lifestyle

In the wild, a camel tends to settle down, but such an animal constantly moves across various desert territories, as well as rocky plains or large foothills, trying to stay within large, already marked areas. Any haptagai prefer to move between rare water sources, which allows them to replenish their vital water supplies.

As a rule, camels live in small herds of five to twenty individuals. The leader of such a herd is the main male. Such desert animals are active mainly during the daytime, and with the onset of darkness, camels sleep or behave rather sluggishly and somewhat apathetically. During hurricane periods, camels can lie down for days, and on hot days they move against the wind, which promotes effective thermoregulation, or hide in bushes and ravines. Wild individuals are shy and somewhat aggressive towards strangers, including people.

This is interesting! There is a well-known practice according to which winter grazing of horses is carried out, easily churning the snow cover with their hooves, after which camels are launched into such an area, picking up the remaining food.

When signs of danger appear, camels run away, easily reaching speeds of up to 50-60 km/h. Adult animals are able to run for two or three days until their strength is completely exhausted. Experts believe that natural endurance and large size often cannot save a desert animal from death, which is due to its small mental development.

The lifestyle of domesticated individuals is completely subordinate to people, and wild animals quickly get used to leading a lifestyle characteristic of their ancestors. Adult and fully mature males are able to live alone. The onset of winter is a difficult test for camels, who find it very difficult to move on snow cover. Among other things, the absence of true hooves in such animals makes it impossible to dig out food from under the snow.

How long do camels live?

In favorable conditions, camels can easily live for about four decades, but such a significant life expectancy is still more typical for fully domesticated specimens. Among wild haptagai, quite often there are quite large individuals, whose age is fifty years.

Types of camels

The camel genus is represented by two species:

• one-humped;
• two-humped

One-humped camels (dromedaries, dromedaries, arabians) - Camelus dromedarius, have survived to this day exclusively in a domesticated form, and may also well be represented by newly feral individuals. Dromedary is translated from Greek as “running”, and such animals are named “Arabians” in honor of the inhabitants of Arabia who tamed them.

Dromedaries, along with Bactrians, have very long and calloused legs, but with a more slender build. Compared to the two-humped camel, the one-humped camel is much smaller, so the body length of an adult is no more than 2.3-3.4 m, with a height at the withers of 1.8-2.1 m. Average weight An adult dromedary camel varies between 300-700 kg.

Dromedaries have a head with elongated facial bones, a convex forehead, and a hook-nosed profile. The animal's lips, compared to horses or cattle, do not compress at all. The cheeks are enlarged in size, and the lower lip is most often drooping. The neck of dromedary camels has well-developed muscles.

This is interesting! Along the entire top edge cervical region a small mane grows, and on the lower part there is a short beard reaching the middle of the neck. On the forearms the edge is completely absent. In the area of ​​the shoulder blades there is an edge that looks like “epaulettes” and is represented by long curled hair.

Also, one-humped camels differ from their two-humped counterparts in that they are extremely difficult to tolerate even minor frosts. However, the coat of dromedaries is quite dense, but not too thick and relatively short. The dromedary camel's fur is not intended to provide warmth and only helps prevent excessive fluid loss.

On cold nights, the body temperature of dromedary camels drops significantly, and under the sun's rays the animal warms up very slowly. Most long hair The neck, back and head of the dromedary camel are covered. Dromedaries are predominantly sandy in color, but there are representatives of the species with dark brown, reddish-gray or white fur.

Bactrian camels, or Bactrians (Camelus bactrianus) are the largest representatives of the genus, and are the most valuable pets for a large number of Asian peoples. Bactrian camels owe their name to Bactria. This area in Central Asia became famous for the domestication of the Bactrian camel. There are also currently a small number of wild Bactrian camels called haptagai. Several hundred of these individuals today live in China and Mongolia, where they prefer the most inaccessible natural landscapes.

Bactrian camels are very large, massive and heavy animals. The average body length of an adult of this species reaches 2.5-3.5 m, with a height of 1.8-2.2 meters. The height of the animal, including humps, can easily reach 2.6-2.7 m. The length of the tail most often varies between 50-58 cm. As a rule, the weight of a mature Bactrian camel ranges from 440-450 to 650-700 kg. A well-fed male camel of a very valuable and popular Kalmyk breed over the summer can weigh from 780-800 kg to a ton, and the weight of a female most often ranges from 650-800 kg.

Bactrian camels have a dense body and fairly long limbs.. Bactrians are noticeably distinguished by a particularly long and curved neck, which initially bends downward and then rises again. Due to this structural feature of the neck, the animal’s head is characteristically located in line with the shoulder region. The humps of all representatives of this species are located at a distance of 20-40 cm from each other. The space between them is called the saddle, and is often used as a place for a person to sit.

The standard distance from the interhump saddle to the surface of the earth is usually about 170 cm. In order for a person to climb onto the back of a Bactrian camel, the animal kneels or lies down on the ground. It should be noted that the space that is located between the two humps of a camel is not filled with fat deposits even in the most mature and well-fed individuals.

This is interesting! Bactrian camels, with a light coat color, are the rarest individuals, the number of which is no more than 2.8 percent of the total population.

The main indicators of the fatness and health of a Bactrian camel are represented by elastic, evenly standing humps. Emaciated animals have humps that partially or completely fall to the side, so they dangle a lot when walking. Adult Bactrian camels are distinguished by an extremely thick and dense coat with a very well-developed undercoat, ideal for the existence of the animal in rather harsh continental climatic conditions, characterized by hot in summer and cold snowy winters.

It is noteworthy that in the habitats familiar to the animal in winter, the thermometer often drops even below minus 40 degrees, but the Bactrian camel is able to safely and easily endure such severe frosts due to the special structure of its fur. The hairs of the coat have internal cavities, which significantly reduce the thermal conductivity of fur. The fine hairs of the undercoat retain air well.

The average length of Bactrian fur is 50-70 mm, and on the lower part of the cervical region and the tops of the humps there is hair, the length of which often exceeds a quarter of a meter. The longest fur grows in representatives of the species in the autumn, so in winter such animals look quite pubescent. In the spring, Bactrian camels begin to shed, and their fur falls out in clumps. At this time, the animal has an unkempt, sloppy and shabby appearance.

The usual color for the Bactrian camel is brown-sand with varying degrees of intensity. Some individuals have a very dark or completely light, sometimes even reddish color.

Range, habitats

Camels of both species are quite widespread only in desert zones, as well as in dry steppes. Such large animals are absolutely not adapted to too humid climatic conditions or living in mountainous areas. Domesticated camel species are currently common in many areas of Asia and Africa.

Dromedaries are often found in northern Africa, up to one degree south latitude, as well as in the Arabian Peninsula and central Asia. In the nineteenth century, such animals were brought to Australia, where they were quickly able to adapt to unusual climatic conditions. Today, the total number of such animals in Australia is fifty thousand individuals.

This is interesting! Bactrians are quite widespread in regions stretching from Asia Minor to Manchuria. There are currently about nineteen million camels in the world, and approximately fourteen million live in Africa.

In Somalia today there are about seven million camels, and in Sudan there are just over three million camels. Wild dromedaries are believed to have gone extinct at the beginning of our era. Their most likely ancestral home was represented by the southern part of the Arabian Peninsula, but at present it has not been possible to fully establish whether its ancestors were wild-shaped dromedaries or were a common ancestor with the Bactrian. N.M.

During an Asian expedition, Przhevalsky was the first to discover the existence of two-humped wild camels, the Khaptagai. Their existence was assumed at that time, but was not confirmed, and was therefore disputed.

Populations of wild Bactrians today exist only in the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region and Mongolia. The presence of only three separate populations was noted there, and the total number of animals in them is currently about one thousand individuals. Currently, issues related to the acclimatization of wild Bactrian camels in the conditions of the Yakut Pleistocene park zone are being actively considered.

Camel diet

Camels are typical representatives of ruminants. Both species eat saltwort and wormwood, as well as camel thorn and saxaul. Camels are able to drink even salt water, and all the fluid in the body of such animals is stored inside the cells of the stomach rumen. All representatives of the callosopod suborder tolerate dehydration very well and quite easily. The main source of water for a camel is fat. The oxidation process of one hundred grams of fat produces about 107 g of water and carbon dioxide.

This is interesting! Wild camels are very cautious and mistrustful animals, so they prefer to die from lack of water or food, but never come too close to people.

Even in conditions of prolonged absence of water, camels’ blood does not thicken at all. Such animals, belonging to the suborder callosopods, can survive about two weeks without water and about one month without food. Even despite such simply amazing endurance, at present wild camels, more often than other animals, suffer from a noticeable reduction in the number of watering places. This situation is explained by the active development by people of desert areas with the presence of fresh natural reservoirs.

Camel (lat. Camelus) is a cute, furry animal, which is also called the “ship of the desert.” The weight of an adult camel is 500-800 kg.

These are wild animals that cannot live in areas with a humid climate, but prefer desert and dry steppe conditions. As a result of the process of evolution, they have adapted to chew the young-edible vegetation of their habitats and make do with a limited amount of water. Camels can live up to 20 years.

Possessing callous formations, camel may lie on the hot ground. Despite the fact that the animal lives in dry places, the camel swims well if necessary. Now camels are considered domesticated animals and are used as pack animals and harnesses for household needs.

There is a widespread belief among people that camels carry water in their humps, thus stocking up on life-giving moisture for long journeys across desert expanses. In fact, there is fat there, which animals use as energy material when necessary.

When food supply becomes poor, camels' humps become smaller and hang to the side. can go without water for a long time, losing up to 40% of body weight.

Camels live in harems, which makes it easier for them to travel and care for their offspring. They have a wayward character and vindictiveness, especially when it comes to females.

In the wild, during the rutting season, real fighting takes place for attention and the opportunity to have your own harem. The animal also does not stand on ceremony with humans, and if it does not want to do something, it is very difficult to force it. In response, the camel will roar, kick and even bite.

In ancient times, mainly in Egypt, camels were used instead of horses during fighting competitions. This was justified by the fact that a camel is much tougher than a horse.

Camels store water reserves in the stomach compartments and consume them as needed. At a watering hole, this animal is capable of drinking a huge amount of water, any water, be it stagnant or flowing.

Camels are divided into two types:

Dromedar(dromedary camel) has a slender body and high endurance. It is believed that this animal was never wild and descended from its fellow Bactrian camel. Man uses it as transport in endless deserts and as a supplier of meat, wool and milk.

But despite home view, the dromedary camel can live in the desert. His long eyelashes protect his eyes from the sand, his slit nose closes during a sandstorm, and his hooves have a special structure that is adapted to walk on hot sand. Dromedaries are common in North Africa, India, and the Middle East.

Bactrian(bactrian camel) - an animal that lived in the wild, was later domesticated, but herds can still be found in Mongolia and Western China. Bactrian camels are used for domestic purposes in the same way as dromedaries.

The humps of a wild camel are pointed and are located far from each other, but the humps of domestic Bactrians are large and seem to overlap each other. Wild animals roam through remote places in small herds of six animals, feeding on everything they find.

Camel cubs are born well developed, able to move immediately, following their mother everywhere. The Bactrian camel is less hardy than the dromedary.

By crossing a one-humped camel with a two-humped camel, you can get offspring that are superior in strength and endurance to the parents. The resulting hybrid is called bunks.

Bactrian or single-humped, camels have been the source of life for many nomadic peoples for centuries. They are strong, tolerate drought well, and are able to walk many kilometers with a load of up to 350 kg. However, some individuals may have a bad character and bad habits.

About camels

Most often, the innocent question of how many humps an African camel has causes confusion among ordinary people. Everyone knows that there are one-humped and two-humped camels, but which species lives where is a complex question. Different species of camels live on different continents and practically do not overlap in nature: two-humped camels live in Asia, and one-humped camels have chosen North Africa, the Middle East and Australia. The animals came to the Australian continent along with settlers, and since then the population has been actively growing and multiplying.

Zoologists are sure that initially all camels were two-humped. The African subspecies appeared as a result of the animals' adaptation to a hotter climate.

Confirmation of this is that the dromedary embryo has two humps. The second one stops developing over time and completely disappears by the time of birth.

Features of the structure of camels

Camels have good eyesight and very good memory. Thanks to this, they are well oriented in the area, find their way to watering places and food sources among the endless dunes and dunes. Animals can see humans at a distance of a kilometer. Animals have a well-developed sense of smell - they can smell the smell of fresh water 50 km away, just as they can smell the approach of rain.

Animals have a unique foot structure - two toes have a thick, calloused sole, which allows them to move on hot and loose sand, small sharp pebbles, and also swim. Despite the fact that many camels have not seen rivers and lakes, they are excellent swimmers. Animals move mainly at a walk, but in case of danger they can gallop and reach speeds of up to 65 km per hour.

Living in a harsh climate has resulted in several distinctive and recognizable animal characteristics:

• On the chest, in the elbow area, on the wrists and in the knee area, camels have leathery growths - calluses, which allow animals to lie on the hot ground,
• The moisture that evaporates from the nostrils when exhaling is collected in a special fold and then enters the oral cavity,
• The three-chambered stomach is capable of digesting any, even the roughest food,
• The animal’s nostrils open when inhaling and exhaling, this ensures minimal evaporation of precious liquid,
• Sweating begins only at temperatures above 41 degrees,
• Most of the water is stored in the scar tissue of the stomach,
• Camels have a unique structure of red blood cells. They have an oval shape, which protects the blood from thickening and the animal from death,
• Animals are able to lose up to 40% of fluid and not die,
• When using 100 grams of fat from its humps, a camel is able to obtain up to 110 grams of water,
• In one approach to a watering hole, a camel can drink up to one hundred liters of water.

The most important distinguishing feature of the animal is the dorsal hump, which accumulates fat deposits. The main task of the hump is thermal protection and regulation of heat exchange, and only then is a supply of food and water.

Camels are ruminants and can absorb even very poor nutrients vegetation - wormwood, different types thorns, saxaul, barnyard grass, solyanka, various types of reeds, as well as grass, leaves and twigs of various shrubs and low-growing trees. A hungry animal will not disdain bird eggs or carrion.

Feral individuals are able to go without water for up to nine months - they have enough moisture entering the body through food.

Characteristics of animals

Camels, especially wild and feral ones, are quite irritable and hot-tempered animals. In response to an insult, a threat, or in case of irritation, they spit. But not saliva, as many people think, but the fetid, semi-digested contents of one section of the stomach. The mass not only smells bad, but is also sticky and thick. Males also spit during the rutting season.

The Bactrian camel is more docile in character than the dromedary camel, however, for use on the farm, for riding and transporting goods, all males are castrated to avoid problems during the breeding season. To produce offspring, only a few males are left, who are practically not used for economic needs. Animals usually express their dissatisfaction with a loud roar, less often - they bite, and even less often - they spit. Most often, the inhabitants of zoos who suffer more from crowds of tourists are susceptible to bad habits.

Dromedary African camel - Arabian

The African camel is called by several names, the most common being dromedary. The dromedary camel is much smaller than its Asian counterpart. At the withers, the height rarely exceeds two meters, and the body length can reach three and a half meters in males. A healthy and well-fed individual can weigh up to seven hundred kilograms.

The answer to the question posed above - how many humps does an African camel have - will be one.

The African camel is one-humped. From the name it follows that it lives in Africa, or more precisely in the north of the continent, but dromedaries are widespread in the Middle East, especially in Saudi Arabia and the Emirates.

The one-humped camel has a beautifully elongated head and a convex forehead, a slightly hump-nosed profile, and pronounced ganache. The animal's eyes are very large and expressive, framed by two rows of long and thick eyelashes. The Arabian's neck is strong, and males often have a peculiar mane consisting of long and sparse hair.

The dromedary camel is perfectly adapted to heat, but even mild frosts can be disastrous for the animal. Dense fur is not thick, and the subcutaneous layer of fat does not protect from frost and dampness. On this moment There is no wild species of dromedary left in nature. All animals are either domesticated or re-feralized.

Bactrian camel

What is the name of the Bactrian camel? This animal, unlike its one-humped brother, has only one name - Bactrian. The majestic and regal Bactrian lives throughout Central and Central Asia, in some areas of China and Russia. In our country, this animal can be found in the Kalmyk steppes, in the Volgograd, Astrakhan, Rostov and Chelyabinsk regions. Bactrians have perfectly adapted to sudden climatic changes - thick and long hair saves animals not only from the scorching sun, but also from severe frosts, snowstorms and rains. They are stronger and more resilient. The length of the coat in the winter months can reach 30 cm or more! Most often, animals have a brown color of various undertones, gray, smoky and black. Cream and white camels are considered valuable.

The Bactrian camel has long and strong legs, a long neck and a beautiful hump-nosed head. Well-nourished animals have dense and erect humps. During the period of abundance of food and water, the weight of males can reach a ton, and the height of the animal, including humps, reaches three meters. Bactrians have a genetically wild subspecies that survives in some areas of China and Mongolia.

A wild camel is called haptagai. The main difference between haptagai is its smaller size, the absence of calluses on the legs and chest, as well as a drier and leaner physique.

Khaptagai are in constant motion - animals travel up to 120 kilometers per day in search of food and water, and periodically enter mountainous areas. Sometimes they are found at an altitude of three thousand meters.

Nar - a hybrid of a dromedary and a bactrian

The Nar is a viable Bactrian-Dromedary hybrid that is distinguished by its large back hump, long coat, good disposition, and hardiness. The animal can only be obtained at home.

The bunks are divided into several types, depending on the crossing:

1. Iner or Nar (depending on the country of receipt) - a cross between a two-humped and one-humped camel,
2. Zharbay is the result of crossing two Nars. It is less common, since individuals are often not viable,
3. Kospak is a cross between a female Nara and a male Bactrian camel,
4. Kez-Nar is a cross between females of the cospak subspecies and males of Turkmen Bactrian camels,
5. Kurt is a cross between females of the Kazakh subspecies of iners with two-humped males of the Kazakh breed,
6. Kurt-Nar is a cross between females of the Kurt subspecies and males of the Kazakh breed of Bactrian camels.

The two-humped giant of the entire camel family is distinguished by its unique ability to survive in conditions that are destructive for other living beings.

Reliability and benefits for humans have been made camel since ancient times, a constant companion of the inhabitants of Asia, Mongolia, Buryatia, China and other areas with a dry climate.

Features and habitat of the Bactrian camel

There are two main varieties Bactrian camels. Titles the few wild camels in their native Mongolia are khaptagai, and the common domestic camels are Bactrians.

Wild representatives are listed in the Red Book due to the threat of extinction of the last hundred individuals. The famous researcher N.M. first wrote about them. .

Domesticated camels were depicted on the ancient ruins of palaces dating back to the 4th century. BC. The number of Bactrians exceeds 2 million individuals.

Until today camel- an indispensable transport for humans in desert conditions; its meat, wool, milk, even dung have long been used as excellent fuel.

Breeding Bactrians is usually for residents of rocky, desert areas with limited sources of water, and foothill areas with sparse vegetation. Where you can often find a dromedary camel.

Small rainfalls or river banks attract wild camels to watering places to replenish their body supplies. In winter they make do with snow.

Khaptagai travel long distances, up to 90 km per day, in search of food and especially water sources.

The size of the male Bactrian giants is impressive: up to 2.7 m in height and body weight up to 1000 kg. Females are slightly smaller: weight up to 500-800 kg. Tail 0.5 meters long with a tassel.

Upright humps reflect the satiety of the animal. When hungry, they partially heel.

The legs are adapted to move on loose surfaces or rocky slopes; they have cloven feet on a wide callus pad.

In front is a claw-like shape or something like a hoof. Calloused areas cover the animal's front knees and chest. Wild individuals do not have them, and their body shape is leaner.

The large head is mobile on a curved neck. Expressive eyes are covered with double rows of eyelashes. During sandstorms, they close not only their eyes, but also their slit-like nostrils.

The upper hard lip, characteristically forked among camelids, is adapted for rough food. The ears are small, almost invisible from a distance.

The color of the dense coat is of different colors: from whitish to dark brown. The fur is similar to that of polar bears or reindeer.

Empty hairs inside and a lush undercoat help protect against high and low temperatures.

Molting occurs in the spring, and camels“going bald” due to rapid hair loss. After about three weeks, a new coat grows, which by winter becomes especially long, from 7 to 30 cm.

The accumulation of fat in the humps of up to 150 kg not only serves as a supply of nutrition, but also protects against overheating, since the sun's rays have the greatest impact on the animal's back.

Bactrians are adapted to very hot summers and harsh winters. The main need for their living is a dry climate; they tolerate dampness very poorly.

Character and lifestyle of the Bactrian camel

In wild nature camels They tend to settle down, but constantly move across desert areas, rocky plains and foothills within large marked areas.

Khaptagai move from one rare water source to another to replenish their vital supplies.

Usually 5-20 individuals stay together. The leader of the herd is the main male. Activity manifests itself during the day, and in the dark the camel sleeps or behaves sluggishly and apathetically.

During hurricane periods it lies for days; in hot weather they walk against the wind for thermoregulation or hide in ravines and bushes.

Wild individuals are shy and aggressive, unlike the cowardly but calm Bactrians. Khaptagai have keen eyesight and, when danger appears, they run away at speeds of up to 60 km/h.

They can run for 2-3 days until they are completely exhausted. Domestic Bactrian camels perceived as enemies and feared on a par with tigers. The smoke from the fire terrifies them.

Researchers note that size and natural forces do not save giants due to their small minds.

When attacked by a wolf, they do not even think about defending themselves, they just scream and spit. Even crows can peck at animal wounds and abrasions from heavy loads, camel shows his vulnerability.

In an irritated state, spitting is not a release of saliva, as many believe, but contents accumulated in the stomach.

The life of domesticated animals is subordinate to humans. In case of wildness, they lead the image of their ancestors. Adult sexually mature males can live alone.

In winter time camels It is more difficult for other animals to move through the snow. They also cannot dig up food under the snow due to the lack of true hooves.

There is a practice of winter grazing by first stirring up the snow cover, and then camels, picking up the remaining food.

Bactrian camel feeding

Rough and low-nutrient food forms the basis of the diet of two-humped giants. Herbivorous camels feed on plants with thorns that all other animals will refuse.

Most species of desert flora are included in the food supply: reed shoots, leaves and branches of parfolia, onions, coarse grass.

They can feed on the remains of animal bones and skins, even objects made from them, in the absence of other food.

If the plants in food are succulent, then the animal can survive without water for up to three weeks. If a source is available, they drink on average once every 3-4 days.

Wild individuals even consume brackish water without harm to their health. Pets avoid it, but they need salt consumption.

After severe dehydration at one time bactrian camel can drink up to 100 liters of liquid.

Nature has endowed camels ability to endure long periods of fasting. The scarcity of food does not harm the condition of the body.

Excessive nutrition leads to obesity and organ failure. Camels are not picky about household feed; they eat hay, crackers, and cereals.

Reproduction and lifespan of the Bactrian camel

Sexual maturity camels occurs around 3-4 years of age. Females are ahead of males in development. In the fall comes marriage time.

Aggression is manifested in roaring, throwing, foaming from the mouth and constant attacks on everyone.

To avoid danger, male domestic camels are tied and marked with warning bands or separated from others.

Males fight, hit the enemy and bite. Rivalry causes injury and may result in death in such a battle if the shepherds do not intervene and protect the weak.

Wild Bactrian camels V mating season they become bolder and try to take away domestic females, and sometimes kill males.

Pregnancy of females lasts up to 13 months, in the spring a calf is born weighing up to 45 kg; twins are very rare.

I. INTRODUCTION

Camels (lat. Camelus) are a genus of mammals of the camelid family (Camelidae) of the suborder Camelidae of the order Artiodactyla. These are large animals adapted for life in arid regions of the world - deserts, semi-deserts and steppes. Desert residents highly value camels and call this animal the “ship of the desert”.

There are two types of camels:

Bactrian camel or Bactrian

dromedary camel or arabian

The weight of an adult camel is 500-800 kg, reproductive age begins at 2-3 years. Camels can live up to 20 years. These mammals are well adapted to life in harsh and waterless environments. Thick fur is designed to protect against the heat of the day and the cold of the night. Dromedaries live in more southern hot places - in India, Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan, North Africa, and on the Asia Minor peninsula.

camel hygiene maintenance

II. LITERATURE REVIEW

2.1 Hygiene for keeping farm animals

The health and productivity of farm animals largely depend on the conditions in which they are kept. After all, animals are indoors for 6-8 months a year, and sometimes for a whole year. That's why great importance is given to the construction and use of livestock buildings. It should be remembered that keeping animals in premises that meet the requirements of animal hygiene allows for economical consumption of feed, increasing the productivity of animals and their natural stability to diseases. On the contrary, keeping them in poorly equipped and cold premises, damp, dark and dirty always leads to increased feed costs, reduced productivity and the spread of respiratory and digestive diseases among animals (bronchopneumonia, gastroenteritis, paratyphoid fever, etc.).

Camels feed on pastures all year round, and in winter they are fed hay. Camels are allowed to drink only once a day in winter and twice a day in summer. The camel animal lives in a very simple room in the form of a shed in the summer and in a barn in the winter. The main thing is that the room used is clean and free of humidity, since camels are very sensitive to dampness. By automating milking, watering, stitching camel hair, further maintenance is significantly reduced. Camels finish growing by age 7. Female camels give birth to one baby camel every two years. The camel feeds him milk for 18 months. In cold weather, camel cubs are kept separately from their mothers in warm rooms and allowed to feed them 6-7 times a day.

Bactrian is well adapted to living in a sharply continental dry climate with hot and dry summers and very frosty and snowy winters. The anatomical and physiological features characteristic of camels allow them to go without water for an unusually long time and be content with the coarsest and least nutritious food. The Bactrian camel also endures harsh winters relatively easily due to its exceptionally thick coat. However, the Bactrian camel categorically does not tolerate dampness and is found only in areas with the driest climate.

The domestic camel is somewhat different from the wild one, which gives rise to some scientists making a taxonomic distinction between them. Moreover, according to a number of authoritative sources, the modern Bactrian camel is two species, wild (Camelus ferus) and domestic, Bactrian (Camelus bactrianus). This issue requires further study, and genetic studies in recent years speak rather in favor of separating the domestic camel from the wild one. The question of the direct origin of the domestic Bactrian from the modern wild one also remains open.

For all its positive qualities this system requires large areas of natural pastures and is not applicable everywhere. In addition, the impossibility of timely export of milk from dairy camels can be considered clearly negative for farming, which makes it difficult to use this method in dairy production. Another harmful factor is the lack of intensive weight gain of meat animals and the difficulty of breeding work due to the remoteness of the herd from the base.

There are two options for pasture management. Free grazing of camels is considered the least productive, when the herd is allowed free movement through grazing. Of course, this method does not require any work on organizing pasture, and thanks to the unpretentiousness of camels, they can be kept in any suitable territory. But in this case, it is necessary to use simply huge areas, herds of camels will be located at a great distance from each other and from the base, communication between individual herds and the base will be difficult, which means that people simply do not have the opportunity to respond in a timely manner to the occurrence of a disease or other emergency situation will.

Another method is the pen form of grazing. This method involves dividing the entire pasture area into separate sections. Grazing is carried out gradually; as the grass in one area is grazed, the animals are transferred to another. While one of the plots is “resting,” the grass on it has time to grow. This method makes it possible to reduce the size of pastures and bring individual herds closer to each other and to the base. Feeders and drinking bowls, when feeding camels on walking areas, should be placed in such a way that distribution of food is possible without entering or entering the territory of the walking area.

2 ROOMS FOR CAMELS

As a rule, a camel breeding farm, focused on pasture-stall keeping of animals, is formed in the form of a complex of buildings and structures, which includes a feed shop, production premises, premises for keeping camels with walking and feeding areas, utility rooms and veterinary center buildings.

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When breeding camels, purebred breeding, interbreeding and hybridization are used. The largest number of camel breeding stock in our republic is represented by the Kazakh Bactrian breed - more than 7 thousand or 86.8%.

The largest population of breeding Kazakh Bactrians is concentrated in Kyzylorda - more than 2.2 thousand and Atyrau - about thousand. Arvan accounts for a little more than 13% of the republic's camel breeding population.
Further breeding work requires careful differentiation of camel species and breeds, as well as clear application of breeding methods - purebred, interspecific and interbreed.
Scientists of the republic have developed methods for increasing the breeding and productive qualities of the Kazakh Bactrian breed through purebred breeding and crossing with Kalmyk Bactrian and Turkmen Arvana sires.
According to Doctor of Agricultural Sciences Z.M. Musaeva, the goal of breeding purebred Kazakh camels is to obtain animals of combined productivity with the predominant development of the milk production trait. Many years of experience show that female camels of the Kazakh breed can be successfully used in dairy camel breeding under the “camel-camel” program. However, it is more expedient in the conditions of our republic to preserve and improve the combined types in the breed: dairy, meat and wool. Crosses from crossing with Turkmen Aruan sires should be bred according to the Kazakh breed's dairy type program.
Based on the concept of development of the agro-industrial complex of PK for the period until 2010, there should be a stabilization of the livestock at the level of 180-200 thousand heads, an increase in the milk yield of camels from 600 kg in 1995 to 1000 kg in 2010. The introduction of regional quotas for shubat production with the payment of guaranteed purchase prices, ensuring the possibility of expanded reproduction of the industry and protecting the interests of the domestic shubat producer.
Purebred breeding of the Kazakh Bactrian involves careful selection for exterior, body indices, fertility and milk production. B. Kozhan et al. believe that the queens of a breeding herd should have a live weight of at least 520 kg, a wool clip of 5.0 kg, a height between humps of 165 cm, an oblique length of the body - 140 cm, a chest girth of 225 cm, a pastern girth of - 20.5 cm.
Purebred males producing Bactrian must have a live weight of at least 650 kg, and a wool clip of at least 7.0 kg. Milk productivity of mothers for 12 months of lactation - 1250 kg with a fat content of at least 5.2%
The best among the Bactrian camel breeds is the Kalmyk and it is used as an improvement for other Bactrian camel breeds - Kazakh and Mongolian. Kazakh-Kalmyk bactrians in our republic are distributed mainly in West Kazakhstan, Atyrau and Aktobe regions. In the South Kazakhstan region, the number of Kazakh-Kalmyk Bactrians is more than 1000 animals.
Crossing Kazakh and Mongolian camels with Kalmyk ones, carried out with the aim of improving them, does not interfere with purebred breeding, because does not break the established breed type of Bactrian camels, but only increases their height and productive qualities, and creates the basis for further breeding work.
Since ancient times, the indigenous populations of Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan have practiced crossing Bactrians and Dromedars. Scientists believe that interspecific hybridization between Bactrian and dromedary camels is of great importance in national economy. According to Turkic terminology, male hybrids are called Nars, or Iners, and females are called Nar-Maya, and they are distinguished by increased heterosis.
Heterosis manifests itself already in newborn camels, which are born with a larger live weight. Subsequently, higher average daily increases are observed.

Adult hybrids of the 1st generation have a greater height at the withers - from 180 to 215 cm, in comparison with Bactrians and Dromedars - 170-175. The bones and muscles are powerful, the traction power and endurance are much higher. The milk yield of Nar-Mayan hybrids is 2000 liters or more of milk per year, with a fat content of up to 5.14%, while the average milk yield of Bactrians is 800 liters, dromedary 1300 -1400 liters.
The Turkmens call the male of the 1st generation iner, the female, like the Kazakhs - Maya or iner - Maya.
The high viability of first-generation hybrids - Nars and Iners - is manifested in their exceptional strength and endurance, and lower susceptibility to diseases. Under equal conditions of keeping and feeding, bunks and iners have higher fatness compared to Bactrians and Dromedaries.
The appearance of the Nars and Mayans is similar to the dromedaries, however, the hump, although there is only one, is always elongated. Males do not have the velum palatine characteristic of dromedaries, thanks to which they produce peculiar sounds during the raven period. Keeping in mind the appearance of the hybrid, it becomes clear that camels cannot be divided simply into one-humped and two-humped camels, because Hybrids can also be one-humped.
Hybrids are not bred “in themselves”, because the resulting offspring are inferior. Males of the 1st generation are usually castrated, and females are covered with the producers of the original species (Bactrian, or dromedary).

By covering the hybrid uterus with Bactrian, as a result of absorption crossing, bal-cospaks are obtained (3/4 blood according to Bactrian), having two humps united by a fold. With further coating of the queens of 2nd generation hybrids with Bactrians, cospaks with two humps close together are born.
When the Nar-Maya are covered with dromedaries, single-humped males - kochert and females - kerdari are born. Hybrids of subsequent generations are called sapaldryks. In the second and subsequent crossings, heterosis disappears.
Camels born from a male and female 1st generation hybrid are called “jarbal”, which means “stuffed animal”. They have poorly developed chest(crooked chest), weak constitution and bone structure, high mortality. Therefore, 1st generation hybrids are of economic importance and it is difficult to talk about creating a new breed by hybridization.
In the areas where Bactrian is distributed, 1st generation hybrids are obtained by covering their females with dromedaries, and in areas where dromedaries are bred, their females are covered with Bactrians.

In the practice of camel breeding, it is necessary to be able to distinguish purebred camels from hybrids.

I - purebred Bactrian; II - purebred dromedary; III - first generation hybrid; IV - a descendant from crossing a first generation hybrid with a Bactrian; V is a descendant from crossing a first generation hybrid with a dromedary.
A purebred Bactrian has two separate humps. Between their bases there is a gap of at least 10 cm unfilled with fat. There is a mane along the upper edge of the neck, and a beard along the entire lower edge of the neck. The forearms have a strongly developed edge. The purebred dromedary has one compact hump located in the center of the back. Along the upper edge of the neck there is a small mane, along the lower edge there is a short beard, reaching only half of the neck; the forearms have no edges; and in the area of ​​the shoulder blade there is an edge in the form of epaulettes. The first generation hybrid has one slightly extended hump with a small notch in the front half. The type of growth is identical to Bactrian. The descendant from crossing a first generation hybrid with a Bactrian has a forked hump. The type of growth is identical to Bactrian. Hybrids of subsequent generations of absorption crossing on Bactrian have an increasingly bifurcated hump, without a gap between the humps. The descendant from crossing a first generation hybrid with a dromedary has one compact hump, like a dromedary, but differs from it in the shape of the hair. It has an edge on the shoulders - riding breeches. Hybrids of subsequent generations of absorption crossing on the dromedary also have the edge of the forearms, although insignificant.

Probably each of us has asked ourselves this question at least once, and in our search for an answer we have come across many conflicting versions. Some argue that saliva accumulates in a camel’s hump, others talk about huge reserves of water, because how else can one explain their ability to survive in the hot desert? Unfortunately for many, both versions are incorrect. But if so, then what do camels hide in the most prominent part of their body?

Why does a camel need a hump and what is inside?

In fact fat accumulates in a camel's hump, the same fat that I, and you, and many other people and animals have. Typically, mammals store fat in their muscles or under their skin, but camels are special animals and store fat in their hump, which fuels them during long treks through the desert. A camel's hump can weigh up to 35 kg, making them quite capable of going without food for up to 2 weeks. If a camel spends a long time without food, the hump begins to significantly decrease in size and fall to one side. To put it in order, the camel needs rest and increased nutrition for several days.
Despite all of the above, the fat in the hump of a camel serves only as a food substitute and is not capable of releasing water.

Where do camels get water and where do they store it?

If the camel's hump plays virtually no role in the conservation and production of water, a completely logical question arises: “where do camels get water from and where do they store it?” This question can be answered very easily - camels simply drink and drink a lot; an animal can drink up to 75 liters of water at a time. Despite this, camels drink only to quench their thirst and restore normal water levels in the body, while they are unable to store water for the future.

How do camels survive without water?

The secret of camels lies in their unique body.
Firstly, camels are able to minimize the loss of moisture from the body; they defecate extremely rarely, while their excrement is very dry, and their urine is highly concentrated. Moreover, the breathing of camels is structured in such a way that moisture does not leave the body with exhaled air, but condenses on the walls of the nasal concha and flows back. No less important feature The organism of these mammals is the ability to tolerate large changes in body temperature. During the day, a camel's body temperature can vary from 32.2 °C to 40.6 °C, and only when it reaches the highest tolerable temperature does the camel begin to sweat. For comparison, normal temperature the human body temperature is 36.6 °C and its increase by just 1 °C can already mean that you are sick.
Secondly, camels are very resistant to dehydration: they can normally tolerate a loss of 30-40% of body water. For comparison, a loss of 20% of water is fatal for a person, while a loss of 10% causes painful disorders.

Why does a camel have a hump on its back?

After reading this article, few people will have this question, because we already understand that the hump serves as a source of food for camels. But if you think about it, many animals have fat, distributed throughout the body, and only camels store it in their hump. Why? As you know, nature never does anything for nothing, and the camel’s hump actually has a few more useful properties. Since the sun predominantly shines from above, the camel's hump serves as a shield, protecting the animal from solar radiation. In addition, since fat betrays heat much worse than water, the hump prevents the body from heating up in direct sunlight. The blood is also protected from heat: due to the fact that fat cells do not need oxygen, the blood vessels pass below the hump, in an area of ​​​​relative coolness. Among other things, some species of camels have thicker hair on their backs, while the hair on all other parts of the body is much thinner. This body structure helps repel heat from direct sunlight above and cool the camel from below.

In areas where Bactrians are bred, they are of economic importance as pack and draft animals, as well as a source of milk, meat and leather. In nomadic or semi-nomadic farming, camels are kept on free grazing all year round; in sedentary farming, in places with harsh winters, they are kept without a leash in sheds with a walking yard; in the southern regions, they are often kept under sheds. The camel shed must be dry, with regularly changing bedding (from the remains of hay, weeds, reeds). In winter, in case of severe frost, camels are sometimes covered with felt blankets.

The working Bactrian is valued primarily for such qualities as endurance and resistance to extreme conditions. During long journeys, he travels 30-40 km a day and carries packs of 250-300 kg, that is, almost half of his own weight. Under a rider, a camel can travel over 100 km a day, reaching speeds of up to 10-12 km/h. A camel under a pack walks at a speed of approximately 5 km/h, that is, noticeably slower than the average horse, but in terms of endurance and undemandingness it far surpasses any horse or donkey. N. M. Przhevalsky noted that where a camel finds enough food for itself and does not experience hunger, horses would die from lack of food. The same applies to Bactrian’s resistance to low temperatures. It is significant that Bactrian camels were used in the past even in the extremely harsh and cold conditions of Yakutia for winter transportation of goods in the mines. A camel is much more often used as a pack animal rather than a draft animal, although when harnessed to a cart, it can carry a load 3-4 times its own weight. The fact is that on a bad or damp road, Bactrian can quickly knock down and damage plantar calluses. According to eyewitnesses, on a wet road he, moreover, unlike a horse, slips a lot.

Controlling a camel, according to some authors, is much more difficult than controlling a horse, since the Bactrian is stubborn and can balk for no apparent reason. The Bactrian is also very fastidious in keeping and requires, on average, more attentive and thorough care than a horse. On permanent job camels are harnessed when they reach at least 4 years of age.

The presence of two humps greatly facilitates loading the Bactrian, as well as riding a horse - a person is easily held between the humps. For this reason, a saddle is not necessary for riding a Bactrian camel, but the “correct” bridling of a Bactrian also includes the presence of a saddle. The peoples who use the Bactrian camel have different types of saddles, some of which are richly decorated and beautiful. Loading a Bactrian requires a certain skill, because a poorly fitted pack, when worn for a long time, can damage the humps and back so much that the camel becomes unsuitable for further use.

Breeding areas for domestic camels

The domestic Bactrian camel is native to the regions of Central Asia. It is one of the main domestic animals in Mongolia and neighboring areas of China (Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, Inner Mongolia, Gansu Province). There are many Bactrians in Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and other countries of Central Asia, and in a number of places the Bactrian camel overlaps with the domestic dromedary.

The largest number of domestic camels is in China - it is estimated that in this country, as well as in Mongolia, a total of about 2 million domestic animals are kept. From time immemorial, the Bactrian camel had a special meaning for the Mongols, where it was traditionally ranked as one of the “five heads” - animals on whose breeding the traditional nomadic way of life rests (along with the horse, yak, sheep and goat). Even today, despite technological advances, Bactrian camels account for about a third of all freight transport in the Gobi Desert. As of 2008, there were about 266.4 thousand domestic camels in Mongolia; this number, however, is constantly decreasing due to the increase in the number of cars (in 1954 there were 895.3 thousand, in 1985 - 559 thousand).

In the Soviet Union, breeding of Bactrian camels (like camel breeding in general) was a fairly developed branch of animal husbandry, practiced mainly in the Kazakh and Kyrgyz SSR and the steppe regions of the RSFSR - the Kalmyk ASSR, the Tuva Autonomous Okrug, the Astrakhan, Volgograd, and Chita regions. At the end of the 1960s, Bactrian camels accounted for 44% of the total population of domestic camels in the USSR, numbering 264 thousand heads (one-humped 34% and bunk hybrids - 22%). Currently in Russia highest value camel breeding occurs in Buryatia, where it is practiced north to 55° N. w. - the animals bred there are the most northern representatives of the family.

In the USSR, mainly three breeds of Bactrians were bred - Kalmyk, Kazakh and Mongolian, among which the Kalmyk was considered especially noteworthy. Camels of this breed are significantly superior to animals of other breeds in size, live weight, wool and milk production. The history of the Kalmyk breed goes back to the first quarter of the 17th century, when Kalmyk tribes wandered from Dzungaria to the lower reaches of the Volga and stole cattle and camels with them. Nomadic farming with year-round grazing and difficult climatic conditions (frequent snowstorms and ice) often led to mass death camels. Only the strongest, hardiest and healthiest individuals survived. As a result of natural selection, Kalmyk camels acquired properties and characteristics that distinguished them favorably from other domestic breeds. However, Kalmyk camels are relatively rare - about 90% of the domestic camel population in the post-Soviet space is of the Kazakh breed. In the Russian Transbaikalia, a variety of the Mongolian breed is found mainly.

In modern Kazakhstan there are about 200 thousand Bactrian camels. The production of camel milk and fermented milk drinks from it is considered by the country's authorities as a very promising area of ​​livestock farming and is supported by special government programs.

In addition to countries with traditional breeding of Bactrians, domestic Bactrian camels can also be found in New Zealand and a number of areas of the USA, where domestic camels have been kept in places for a long time - for example, in 1860, 15 Bactrian camels were brought to the USA for use in transporting salt in desert areas. There are Bactrians in Iran and Pakistan.

Types and breeds of camels

The camel genus (Camelus) is divided into two independent species: two-humped camels - bactrians (Camelus bactrianus) - and one-humped camels - dromedaries (Camelus dromedaries).

Bactrians

The specific features of the Bactrian, in addition to two humps, are a long, massive body with relatively short legs and good hair growth, consisting of fine down and awns. It is the good hair growth that allows the Bactrian to exist in areas with harsh winters without suffering from the cold.

The facial part of Bactrian is wide in the eye sockets, with relatively short facial bones. The neck is shorter than that of the dromedary, but more arched. Along the upper edge the mane reaches 40-60 cm in males, along the entire lower edge there is a beard, and on the forearms there is a “breeches”. The distance between the bases of the front and rear humps is 20-40 cm. This gap is not filled with fat, even in well-fed camels. The base of the posterior hump ends at the line of the ilium. The shoulders and sacrum are poorly developed.

Bactrians often have such exterior defects in the positioning of the limbs as markings, sunken wrists, closeness of the hock joints, and sabering of the hind limbs. These animals are less adapted to pack caravan service than dromedaries.

Kazakh Bactrians

Kazakh Bactrians They live in the Caspian lowland, the Aral Karakum desert, Muyunkum, along the right and left banks of the Syr Darya river. The best camels of this breed are bred in the Ural region. The Kazakh Bactrian is a compact, proportionally built animal, with an elongated body and well-developed muscles of the anterior girdle. Animals are low-legged, with relatively deeper chests.

Milk productivity for the first seven months of lactation is 1200 l, fat content - 6.12%, protein - 3.82, milk sugar - 4.98 and ash - 0.95.

The wool clipping from breeding males is 10.5-11.5 kg, from queens - 5.4 - 5.7 kg, and for some males the clipping reaches 20-21 kg. From young animals 1-2 years old they get 3 - 4.5 kg. The yield of washed wool is 80-90%.

Kalmyk Bactrians

Kalmyk Bactrians- the most valuable of the Bactrian breeds. This is the smallest breed, distinguished by its size, body weight, tall and bony. For example, the champion in live weight camel Beke-Har - exhibit BCXB in 1939 had a mass of 1247 kg.

Camels of the Kalmyk breed were brought to Russia at the beginning of the 17th century, during the period of resettlement of Kalmyks from Dzungaria to the regions of the right bank of the Volga, in the territory of modern Kalmykia and the Astrakhan region. This zone includes year-round pastures of the so-called Black Lands with their relatively mild climate and abundant vegetation, which have a beneficial effect not only on breeding, but also on the improvement of animals of these breeds.

According to available information, in 1803 there were more than 60 thousand Kalmyk Bactrians in Russia. In 1928 there were 5.5 thousand, in 1941 - 4.5 thousand heads. Currently, 685 Kalmyk camels are registered in the republic. The main population of camels, in the amount of 365 heads, is located in the camel breeding plant SPK Polynyny, 116 heads in JSC Kirovsky, 84 heads in SPK Erdnievsky and about 50 heads in SPK Kharba. A small number of camels are found in the Lagansky, Ketchenerovsky and Iki-Burulsky districts.

Kalmyk camels are widespread in the Astrakhan region and Kazakhstan. According to scientists from the Kalmyk Research Institute of Agriculture, there are more than 5.5 thousand animals there. The most valuable livestock of Kalmyk camels is concentrated in the Aksaraysky state breeding plant in the Astrakhan region, the Suyunduksky state breeding plant, and the breeding state farm named after. Kurman Gazy, at the Balkundinsky breeding farm in the Guryev region, at the Urdinsky breeding state farm and named after. Temira Masin, Ural region of Kazakhstan. Breeding animals bred in the Astrakhan region and Kazakhstan are larger than their Kalmyk relatives. Therefore, it is desirable to purchase breeding males and further breeding use of them in order to increase the live weight and wool clippings of Bactrians bred in Kalmykia.

The Kalmyk Bactrian is the most massive, powerful and large camel among the breeds of Bactrian camels bred all over the world. The height (height) of this animal is 180 cm, body length is 160 cm, chest girth is 229 cm and pastern is 20 cm. The average living weight of camels is 650-700 kg. In 1939, phenomenal Bactrians from the Chernozemelsky ulus of the Kalmyk Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic were exhibited at an agricultural exhibition in Moscow, including Beke-Khar II, who weighed 1247 kg at the age of 9 years, and Tolga I, who weighed 1180 kg at the same age. The camel Oner-Shargi weighed 985 kg. As a rule, Kalmyk Bactrians are calm, good-natured and obey people well. In the process of phylogenetic development of the breed, three types were formed - characteristic, massive and lightweight. The color of Bactrians in most cases is represented by various options: brown - 51.1%; dark brown – 11.4%; light brown – 9.3%; light yellow - 15.7% and rarely white - 14.5%. White markings on brown camels occur in the form of blazes and bald spots. Regardless of color, the color of coarse fur: beards, bangs, manes, the edges of humps and riding breeches is somewhat darker than the color of the fur over the entire surface of the animal’s body.

The head is small, dry, wide in the forehead, with a pointed muzzle. The neck is set large and beautifully curved. The sacrum is wide, somewhat drooping. Live weight, depending on the breed type, ranges from 560 to 718 kg.

The animals feed well, the average daily gain in the spring-summer period reaches 1145 g.

The live weight of a newborn camel is 51 kg, which is 7% of the mother’s live weight.

The musculature of camels is well developed, the humps are large in height and length. The constitution is emphatically dense and dry, in some animals with a slight bias towards tenderness. Among animals of this breed, white individuals are more common.

When moving, they surpass other breeds in speed, and in terms of carrying capacity they are not inferior to heavy-duty horses. They are characterized by a clear and correct step and amble.

Kalmyk Bactrians also have good wool productivity and produce wool High Quality. From the famous breed champion at BCXB in 1939, Tolga, 21 kg of excellent quality wool were obtained annually. The amount of coarse fibers in the fleece increases with age: in camels they make up from 9 to 16% of the weight of the fleece, in adults - 28-47%. The largest amount of soft wool is in the fleece of young animals at the age of one year. There are more downy fibers in the fleece of queens than in breeders.

The average milk yield of camels of the Kalmyk breed for 18 months of lactation is 1200 l (with fluctuations from 769 to 1717 l) with a milk fat content of 6.9%. In autumn, milk contains more fat than in summer.

Mongolian Bactrians

Mongolian Bactrians- the smallest of the Bactrians, but at the same time they have a well-defined broad-bodied type. They were brought to Kazakhstan in 1936 from Mongolia. Some of the animals that came to the south of the republic for breeding were better conditions cultivation has noticeably changed its appearance. Already the first generation of Mongolian camels was significantly larger than their parents. The Shaulder camel breeding plant, where they were bred, provided the best opportunities for raising camels. In particular, the queens were not used for work or milked, and their milk was used to feed suckling young animals. And the vegetation of the pastures in the south of the republic was much more diverse and richer than the deserts of Mongolia. This once again proves that by changing the conditions of detention for the better, you can change the type of animals.

Animals of this breed are distinguished by a thick coat with a significant fluff content. The wool clipping for males is 8.1 kg, for females - 5.2 kg.

Over 17 months of lactation, camels produce 319 liters of milk with a fat content of 5.65%.

Males are somewhat superior to females in terms of measurements and hair clipping.

Dromedaries

Dromedaries live in more southern and warmer regions, as they do not tolerate cold winters well. They are bred in the south of Kazakhstan, as well as in Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and other countries.

The specific characteristic of the dromedary is the presence of one compact hump, a short body on long legs and, compared to Bactrians, a larger poor development coat. They have light bones and thinner skin.

Dromedaries are faster maturing animals; the pregnancy of the queens is three weeks shorter than that of Bactrians.

The head of a dromedary has elongated facial bones, a convex forehead, a hook-nosed profile, lips that are thin and mobile, and do not compress like those of horses and cattle. The lower lip is often drooping, the cheeks are greatly enlarged and a large amount of food is placed between them and the molars. The soft palate can protrude from the mouth and hang down by 30-40 cm. This is observed in males during the period of sexual arousal.

The dromedary's neck has well-developed muscles, is long, and mobile. Their bangs and mane are not developed, the beard grows only in the upper part of the neck, there is no “breeches”, but in the area of ​​the shoulder blade there are “epaulets”, consisting of long crimped hair, absent in Bactrian.

Turkmen Arvana

We breed one breed of dromedaries - the Turkmen Arvana. These are large, well-built animals with a deep and wide chest, strong bones and well-developed muscles.

Arvana camels are early maturing animals: sexual maturity occurs by the age of two, females are allowed into mating from the age of three with a weight of 350-400 kg. Males are used for mating from 4-5 to 15-16 years of age. Reproduction of dromedaries and arvana is limited by the season of the year - from January to April. The average fruiting period is 385 days; a camel gives birth every year. In Turkmenistan, compact mating of camels is practiced, which makes it possible to produce two camels in three years.

The weight of camel calves at birth is 38-40 kg. Intensive weight gain in camel calves persists during the first year of life; the average daily gain is 950-1,030 g. Weaning occurs at one year of age.

In terms of milk productivity, Arvana dromedaries are close to factory breed cows. The duration of the lactation period is 15-18 months, V.M. Popova (1948) for a group of queens of the camel breeding plant “Sakar-Chaga” for 13 months of lactation determined the average milk production equal to 4387 kg, in the first foals - 3117 kg of milk. The average daily milk yield of individual animals is 15 kg, the record average daily milk yield is 19 kg, S. M. Terentyev (1975) notes that in addition to the suckling of camel calves, in 12 months of lactation each camel can produce 1718 kg of marketable milk with a fat content of 4.13, depending Camels are milked manually for milk production 2-6 times a day. Machine milking is also practiced.

The qualitative composition of dromedary milk, according to P.V. Kugenev (1982), has the following ratios (%): dry matter 13.6, total protein 3.5, milk sugar 4.9, ash 0.7. The acidity of freshly milked milk is 20-25°T. The increased bactericidal properties of camel milk slow down the increase in acidity and allow it to be stored (at 30°C) for up to 24 hours and transported fresh. The high nutritional, dietary and medicinal properties of camel milk and its processed products have long been known to the peoples of Central Asia and Kazakhstan.

Arvan dromedaries fatten well on pastures and, when slaughtered, produce good and tasty meat, a slaughter yield for animals of average fatness. at the age of 2-3 years is 54.2%.

The average wool clip is 3.23 kg for males and 2.10 kg for females. The fleece wool of adult Arvana is 91.2% sheared, the fiber yield is 78.6%. The fineness of the wool is 12-27 microns, the length of the fibers is 4-12 cm. Dromedar wool has valuable technological properties: low thermal conductivity, softness, and strength. Various technical and warm fabrics are made from it. The local population uses camel wool to produce natural yarn and knitwear.

The main method of breeding the Arvana breed is purebred breeding, which involves improving the breed and productive qualities of animals through targeted selection. IN last years work to improve the breeding and productive qualities of Arvan dromedaries is carried out on the basis of a selection and breeding plan developed by the Turkmen Institute of Livestock and Veterinary Medicine. Animals with a strong constitution, large mass, high performance productivity and known linear origin. When selecting animals, much attention is paid to the adaptive qualities of arvaia - the ability to maintain good fatness and productivity in extreme conditions of year-round grazing.

The selection and breeding program for the Arvana breed is being developed taking into account the existing breed types. In each type, new lines, families and their crosses are created based on outstanding animals. These breeding methods make it possible to maintain the genetic diversity of the breed, independent breeding of individual breed types within the breed, and improvement of the breed and productive qualities of the entire Arvana dromedary population.

Arvana has good working qualities when used under a pack. The average weight of a pack for transportation over a distance of 30-35 km is 240-260 kg, and for long journeys 180-200 kg.

Arvan queens have high milk production. During the first 12 months of lactation, they produce an average of 2000 liters, and from the best up to 3000 liters or more, with a fat content of 4.3%.

The wool productivity of dromedaries is significantly lower. Adult male camels are sheared about 4 kg (from the best - up to 5.5), from queens - 2 kg (from the best - up to 3.5), from young animals 1-2 years old - 1.5-2 kg.

The color of dromedaries is from light to dark brown.

A majestic ship “sails” among the sandy “mountains” of the desert... Who do you think we are talking about? Well, of course, about the camel. This animal has long been called exactly that – “ship of the desert.” And there is no longer an animal in the world that can endure the scorching sun, while carrying a heavy load. The two-humped and one-humped camels are truly unique animals of their kind.

Appearance of a camel

Currently, there are two species of these animals preserved on our planet: camels with one hump (dromedaries) and two-humped camels (Bactrians). Externally, they differ not only in the number of humps.

Dromedaries have a slimmer build. They have long legs, thanks to which they are able to run very fast. The height of the average dromedary camel reaches 2.5 meters, and its weight ranges from 300 to 700 kilograms. The coat color of dromedaries is predominantly ash-yellow.

Distinctive features of Bactrians, in addition to the presence of two humps, are: thick wool, higher height (up to 2.7 meters) and weight (up to 800 kilograms), as well as a color that has a gray-yellow tint.

What are camel humps? Contrary to popular belief that the animal has a large supply of water in its hump, it is worth saying that this part of the camel’s body consists of 100% adipose tissue. And the appearance of the humps directly indicates the physical condition of the animal. If a camel is in excellent shape, well-fed and healthy, then its humps stick up; when the animal is exhausted or sick, then the hump may sag or disappear completely.

Where do dromedaries and bactrians live?

The habitat of dromedary camels is considered mainly to be Africa. But they can also be found in central Asia. More than 100 years ago, dromedaries were even brought to the Australian continent.

Bactrians are inhabitants of the Asian part of the Eurasian continent. They live in Mongolia, China, India, Kazakhstan, Pakistan, Iran, Turkmenistan and Kalmykia.

It is worth noting that camels are becoming less and less common in the wild, as they are being massively domesticated by humans (this is especially true for Bactrians).

Camel behavior and lifestyle

Deserts and semi-deserts with their low trees and thorny bushes are ideal for living and habitat of camels. Camels are sedentary animals, although they are characterized by long journeys within their territories. During the daytime, they prefer to lie down, chewing gum, and when night comes, they go to bed.

Listen to the voice of a dromedary camel

Camels are very good swimmers, despite their height and weight.

A feature of Bactrians is their frost resistance. Thanks to their thick wool, they tolerate low temperatures (down to minus 40 degrees), but heat and drought are very destructive for them. The same cannot be said about dromedaries: they prefer hot sun rather than cold.

What do two-humped and one-humped camels eat?

Camels are ruminant herbivores. They are unpretentious in food and can feed on the most meager plants, such as bitter herbs, thorny branches, etc. Thanks to its fat reserves in the hump, the animal can do without food for about a month!

Camel breeding

The mating season for these animals begins in the winter months (December - February).

Bearing offspring lasts a year, and sometimes several months more. After birth, baby camels feed on their mother's milk. A few hours after birth, the cubs are already standing on their feet and following their mother. Full maturity of the offspring occurs in the fifth year of life. The lifespan of these animals is about 40 – 50 years

Natural enemies of the camel

Usually, none of the animals attacks adults. But the same cannot be said about little camels: they are a favorite object

Most major representative suborder callosopods.

Taxonomy

Russian name - Bactrian camel
Latin name - Camelus bactrianus
English name - Domestic bactrian camel
Order - artiodactyla (Artiodactyla)
Suborder - callosopods (Tylopoda)
Family - camelids (Camelidae)
Genus - camels (Camelus)

There are wild and domestic Bactrian camels. The wild camel in Mongolia, its homeland, is called haptagai, in contrast to the domestic one - bactrian (the word comes from the name of the ancient region in Central Asia, Bactria).

Conservation status of the species

The domestic Bactrian camel is a common animal in Central Asia, Mongolia and China. In Russia greatest number camels are kept in Buryatia and Kalmykia. The world population exceeds 2 million animals.

The wild Bactrian camel is a very rare animal, listed in the IUCN Red List, in the CR category - a species in critical danger of extinction. The population of these animals numbers only a few hundred individuals. According to some reports, the wild camel is the eighth most endangered mammal in terms of threat.

Species and man

The domestic Bactrian camel has long been an important pet in many areas of Asia. First of all, it is a reliable vehicle in desert conditions. People use milk, meat, skin, and camel wool, from which they make a wide variety of knitted and felted products. Even the dung of this animal is very valuable: it serves as an excellent fuel.

The domestication of camels dates back to ancient times. The earliest archaeological information about the breeding of Bactrians dates back to the 7th–6th millennia BC. e. A number of sources indicate that domestic camels appeared about 4,500 years ago. The discovery of a vessel with dung from a Bactrian camel and the remains of the camel’s hair, made during excavations of ancient settlements in eastern Iran, dates back to 2500 BC. e. One of ancient images a domestic camel being led by the bridle by a man dates back to the 9th century BC. e. It is carved on the famous Black Obelisk of the Assyrian king Shalmaneser III and is now in the British Museum. Another image was discovered on the ruins of the Apadana Hall of the palace of the Persian kings in Persepolis, dating back to the 5th century. BC e.

The Bactrian camel has survived in the wild and was first described as a species in 1878 by the famous Russian explorer N. M. Przhevalsky in Mongolia. Currently, the population of the “savage” continues to decline, mainly due to poaching and competition with livestock.

The domestic camel is somewhat different from the wild one, which gives rise to some scientists to distinguish them as individual species, or at least subspecies. The question of the direct origin of Bactrian from the modern wild camel also remains open.

The largest representative of the order Callopods

The largest representative of the order Callopods

The largest representative of the order Callopods

The largest representative of the order Callopods

The largest representative of the order Callopods

The largest representative of the order Callopods

Distribution and habitats

The wild camel in the past apparently occurred over a vast area of ​​much of Central Asia. Now the range of khaptagai (as the locals call it) is small and is represented by four broken areas in Mongolia and China.

The domestic Bactrian camel is bred primarily in the steppe and semi-desert regions of eastern Central Asia, Mongolia and neighboring territories of Russia and China; The world population of Bactrians exceeds 2 million. Breeds of domestic camels have been bred: Kazakh, Kalmyk and Mongolian, which differ in size, quality of coat, shape and size of humps.
As for the modern life of wild Bactrian camels, they constantly migrate from one area to another, but mainly their habitats are rocky, desert plains and foothills with sparse and rough vegetation and rare sources of water. However, camels need water to survive; groups of camels in their habitats are strongly attached to reservoirs and springs. After the rains, groups of camels gather on the banks of rivers or at the foot of mountains, where temporary floods form. In winter, camels make do with snow to quench their thirst. Wild camels are also found in mountainous areas, and they move so well on steep slopes that they are not much inferior to mountain sheep.

In the hot season, haptagai rise quite high - it was noted that they are found at an altitude of 3300 m above sea level. In winter, animals migrate 300–600 km to the south and often stay in mountain valleys, which protect them from the wind, or along dry watercourses. If oases with poplar groves are not occupied by humans, the haptagai spend the winter, and especially autumn, near them. Wild camels are characterized by wide migrations during the day, even with an abundance of food, which is sometimes associated with watering places. Thus, observations have shown that camels can travel 80–90 km or even more per day.

Appearance and morphology

The appearance of the Bactrian camel is so unique and characteristic that it cannot be confused with any other animal. Bactrians are very large animals - the height at the withers often exceeds 2 meters and can reach 2.3 meters, the height of the body with humps is up to 2.7 m. An adult male camel weighs on average about 500 kg, but often much more - up to 800 and even 1000 kg. Females are smaller: 320–450 kg, in rare cases up to 800 kg.

A barrel-shaped body on long knobby legs, with the hind legs as if attached to the general contour of the body, a long curved neck, a rather large head with expressive eyes, pubescent double rows of eyelashes and, of course, humps - this is a camel. In a well-fed camel, the humps stand straight, and their shape is individual for each animal; in a thin camel, the humps completely or partially fall to one side, but rise again when the animal eats itself. The name of the suborder - callosalfoot - is due to the structure of the leg, ending in a forked foot resting on a callus pad, which in Bactrian is very wide, allowing the animal to walk on loose soil. On the front of the foot there is a kind of claw or small hoof. The tail is quite short, with a tuft of long hair at the end. The lips of camels are unusual - they are very mobile, at the same time fleshy, tough, adapted to tearing off the coarsest and thorniest vegetation. The upper lip of all camelids is forked. The ears are round and very small, almost indistinguishable from a great distance. On the back of the head there are paired glands, especially developed in the male, the black, viscous and odorous secretion of which is used for marking territory.

The color of the camel is brown-sand of various shades, from almost white to dark chestnut. The coat is very thick and long (about 7 cm on the body, and up to 30 cm or even more on the bottom of the neck and on the tops of the humps). The structure of the Bactrian's coat is similar to that of the inhabitants of the North - polar bear and reindeer: guard hairs are like tubes, hollow inside. Together with the thick undercoat, this contributes to the low thermal conductivity of the camel's coat. Moulting in camels is also unique - it begins with the onset of warm days and proceeds very quickly. The old fur falls out, coming off the body in large tufts, or even layers, and the new one does not have time to grow during this time, so at the end of May - June the camel in the zoo is practically “naked”. However, 2-3 weeks pass, and the handsome Bactrian is covered with smooth, thick, velvety hair, which will become especially long by winter.

Camels have several morphological and physiological features that allow them to survive in extremely harsh conditions. The camel suffers dehydration that is fatal to all other animals. This animal can survive by losing up to 40% of water in its body (other animals die with a loss of 20% of water). A camel's kidneys can absorb much of the water from urine and return it to the body, so the urine produced is extremely concentrated. The erythrocytes (red blood cells) of camels are oval in shape (in all other mammals they are round), so the blood maintains normal fluidity even with severe thickening, since the narrow oval erythrocytes pass through the capillaries without obstruction. In addition, camel red blood cells have the ability to accumulate liquid, increasing in volume up to 2.5 times. Bactrian manure is much more concentrated than cattle manure - it contains 6–7 times less water and consists of a mixture of coarse, almost dry plant fibers (Bactrian manure is well formed in the form of oblong pellets measuring 4x2x2 cm). When severely dehydrated, a camel noticeably loses weight, but when given access to water, it restores its normal appearance literally before our eyes.

A number of features of the external structure also make it possible to maximize the savings of water reserves in the body. Water evaporation is minimized because the camel keeps its nostrils tightly closed, opening them only during inhalation and exhalation. The camel's ability to thermoregulate is also known. Unlike other mammals, a camel begins to sweat only if its body temperature reaches +41 °C, and its further increase becomes life-threatening. At night, a camel’s body temperature can drop to +34 °C.

The fat contained in the humps is not broken down into water, as was believed for a long time, but plays the role of a food reserve for the body. It also serves to insulate the camel's body, accumulating primarily on the back, which is most exposed to the sun's rays. If fat were evenly distributed throughout the body, it would prevent heat from leaving the body. Both humps can contain up to 150 kg of fat.

Lifestyle and social organization

The Bactrian camel is an animal that is active during daylight hours. At night he either sleeps or is inactive and busy chewing gum. During hurricanes, camels can lie motionless for several days. In inclement weather, they try to hide in bushes or ravines; in extreme heat, they willingly walk, fanning themselves with their tails, against the wind with their mouths open, lowering their body temperature.

Concerning social organization, then the maintenance of domestic Bactrian camels is under the control of a person who comprehensively determines their life. If camels happen to go wild, they restore social structure, characteristic of its wild ancestor. Wild Bactrian camels live in small herds of 5–20 heads (sometimes up to 30), mainly consisting of females and young animals; the leader is the dominant male. Adult males are often found alone. A herd of camels can also include young, sexually mature males, but only outside the rutting period.

Nutrition and feeding behavior

The Bactrian camel is a herbivore and can feed on the roughest and least nutritious food. It is able to eat plants with such spines that no other animal is able to eat. The camel's diet is quite varied. Of course, they love cereals, they eat camel thorn with pleasure, but they also quite willingly eat shrub and semi-shrub saltworts, onions, barnyard grass, parsifolia with its juicy large leaves, they eat ephedra and young shoots of saxaul, and in the fall in the oases - poplar leaves and reeds. When camels are hungry, they can eat animal bones and skins, and even objects made from them. The Bactrian camel is able to withstand very long periods of fasting. It is so adapted to meager food that for the health of a domestic camel, constant underfeeding may be better than abundant nutrition.

Camels show equally high endurance in relation to water. For example, wild camels come to springs no more than once every few days. If they are disturbed there, they can go without water for two or even three weeks - especially in the summer, when there is a lot of moisture in the plants after the rains. The Bactrian camel is notable for its ability to drink brackish water from desert reservoirs without harm to health. This, however, apparently applies only to wild camels - domestic ones avoid drinking salt water. In general, the animal's need for salt is very high - for this reason, domestic camels need to ensure the constant availability of salt bars. Camels in general, and Bactrian camels in particular, are known for their ability to drink huge amounts of water at once. In case of severe dehydration, Bactrian can drink up to 100 liters at a time.

If there is a good food supply, both wild and domestic camels become very fat by autumn. But camels suffer more than, for example, horses in winter from deep snow and especially ice, since due to the lack of real hooves, they cannot, like horses, dig out the snow and feed on the vegetation underneath it.

Vocalization

Camels are not particularly talkative creatures. However, during the rut, males are characterized by a loud roar, which is heard very often. Excited animals make sounds similar to muttering and loud whistles. Cubs calling their mothers roar in higher voices; mothers respond with the same sounds, but lower in frequency.

Reproduction and raising offspring

Female camels become adults at the age of 2–3 years, males somewhat later, sometimes at 5–6 years. The rut of Bactrian camels occurs in the fall. At this time, males behave very aggressively. They attack other males and even try to mate with them, constantly roar loudly, run and rush about; foam comes out of their mouth. Animals make sounds similar to muttering and a sharp, drawn-out whistle. During the rut, dominant males herd females into groups and do not allow them to disperse. In this state, a male camel can be dangerous to both humans and animals. Male domestic camels are often tied or isolated when signs of the rut occur for safety reasons. In Mongolia, rutting camels kept on free grazing wear warning red bands around their necks.

Rutting males often engage in fierce fights with each other, during which they crush the enemy with their necks, trying to bend them to the ground and knock them down. Usually calm and submissive male camels at the moment of sexual arousal become dangerous, vicious, they can attack using their fangs, and beat with their front and hind legs. If teeth are used (usually they grab the opponent’s head with their teeth) or legs, then serious injuries are possible, including the death of one of the fighters. In herds of domestic camels, sometimes only the intervention of shepherds saves the weaker camel from severe injuries. It happens that wild camels attack herds of domestic camels, kill the males and take away the females - therefore, Mongolian shepherds in the Trans-Altai Gobi drive herds of domestic camels away from the desert, into the mountains during the rut, in order to protect them from the raids of the haptagai.

During the rut, males actively use their occipital glands to mark territory, arching their necks and touching their heads to the ground and stones. They also spray their own urine on their hind legs and spread the urine over the back of their body using their tail. The female does the same. Mating in camels occurs while lying down. At the moment of mating, the male Bactrian foams from his mouth, loudly grinds his teeth, and throws his head back. After 13 months of pregnancy, the female gives birth to one camel. It weighs between 35 and 45 kg, which is approximately 5–7% of the mother's weight. Interestingly, a Bactrian camel weighs much less at birth (both absolutely and relative to the mother) than a one-humped camel, which weighs about 100 kg.

A newborn camel is able to follow its mother almost immediately (after about two hours). It has small rudiments of humps without internal fat, but already at the age of one or two months the humps take on a vertical position and become rounded at the base. The cub feeds exclusively on milk until 3–4 months, at which time it begins to try plant foods, but sucks for a long time. Lactation in a female lasts 1.5 years, and there are cases when grown cubs suckled their mothers at the same time as their younger newborn brothers. Camel cubs grow quickly; after reaching maturity, growth slows down, but stops only at the age of 7 years.

At the age of 3–4 years, males leave the maternal herd, form bachelor groups, and later acquire their own harem. A camel gives birth, as a rule, once every 2 years.

Lifespan

Camels live quite a long time, up to 40–50 years.

Keeping animals at the Moscow Zoo

Camels are not only one of the most common animals in zoos, but also one of the most beloved. What child would leave the zoo without seeing a camel! In the history of the Moscow Zoo, it seems, there was no period when we lived without camels, and both two-humped and one-humped camels were kept. Each had their own character, their own habits. The one-humped camel Pan was a feisty one and always tried to grab a person passing by by the head. And the two-humped giant Senya, who came to us from VDNKh, was, on the contrary, an amazing kind person.

When the zoo was being reconstructed, animals were transferred from one area to another. The camel Manka, Senya’s friend, was completely tame and simply followed the call of a familiar person who was holding a piece of bread in his hand. And a funny thing happened to Senya. The staff did not know that he had been bridle trained before and expected the camel to move away from the accessory. Senya, joyfully, but rather sharply moved his huge forehead head towards the man with the bridle, which caused quite a strong fright. It turned out that he was simply delighted with an object familiar from childhood and, happily putting on the bridle, calmly crossed Bolshaya Gruzinskaya Street.

Now the camel can be seen in the New Territory of the zoo; its enclosure is located opposite the entrance to the Exotarium. This is a female, more than 20 years ago she came from the Astrakhan region and now lives with Przhealsky horses, and this company suits everyone quite well. The animals do not show the slightest hostility towards each other, but if the horse presses its ears back (and this is a sign of dissatisfaction), the camel moves away. The camel often approaches visitors, who run away exclaiming: “Oh, he’s about to spit!” There is no need to be afraid, this peace-loving animal spits extremely rarely, only at veterinarians when it is being vaccinated. You don’t need to feed him either; all the animals in the zoo receive the food they need and is healthy for them. The camel is given hay, branches (which it prefers to hay), a mixture of cut vegetables and oats. Be sure to have a salt lick with a special set of salts in the feeder. The beast comes to talk to you. Smile at him!