Why do camel have humps?
Camel and its humps
Camel is called the ship of the desert because it has the ability to survive in the desert without food and water for six to ten days. They are able to withstand the loss of about one-third of their body fluid without danger. Its nose ears and eyes are formed in such a way that are least affected by the dust of the desert. It is a very useful animal for the desert travellers and can carry enormous loads. It is commonaly believed that a camel does not require food very regularly but this notion is not correct.Because of the peculiarity of its body constitution it can store food and water for many days.Camel has a big hump on its back. As a matter of fact, this hump is a storehouse of fats. The camel uses the fat so stored as a source of energy during its long journey in the desert. Inside its belly it has two flask-shaped bags for storing water. When it does not get water it uses this stored water. It is on the strength of the fat and the water stored in the hump and bags respectively that it can go without food for a long time.
In fact before starting on a journey a camel takes large quantities of food and water so that enough fat and water get stored in the body. After a long journey the hump of the camel becomes loose because the fat stored in it is almost exhausted. Even the water stored in the bags gets consumed. After the journey it becomes so exhusted that it lies down on the round for a long time. With the gradual intake of food and water it becomes strong and healthy again. Camel has been man’s companion for a long time. The people of Egypt tamed the camel around 3,000 years ago. Camels are mainly found in Africa and Asia. In Africa the one-humped camel is found while the two-humped or Bacterian camel is found from Asia Minor to Manchuria and there are still a few living wild in Gobi desert.