Dromedary

Theme area:  Reserva de los lagos
Scientific name:  Camelus dromedarius
Class:  Mammals
Continent:  Africa
Habitat:  Desert
Diet:  Herbivore
Weight:  400 - 600 kg
Size:  1.8 - 2 m
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A hump that can hold up to 36 kg of fat

Dromedaries inhabit the arid regions of the Middle East and northern India, and parts of Africa, in particular the Sahara Desert.

It has a single hump that is composed of fat and fibrous tissue that acts as food storage in times of need. The size of the hump varies with the dromedary's nutritional status. The dromedary has remarkable adaptations for its desert lifestyle: its eyes are protected from sand and dust by a double row of eyelashes, it has the ability to close its nostrils to prevent sand from entering, and it can conserve water thanks to its ability to fluctuate its body temperature throughout the day.

It usually forms groups of 2 to 20 individuals consisting of one male and one to several females, adolescents and young. The male prevents contact between females and stray males. The male is the dominant member of the family group and leads the family from behind, while the females take turns leading. Dromedaries tend to travel walking in single file.

Breeding takes place in winter, the female giving birth to a single calf after 15 months of gestation.

They have not existed in the wild for 2,000 years.

Conservation status
Extinct
Extinct in the wild
Critically endangered
Endangered
Vulnerable
Near threatened
Least concern
Insufficient data
Not evaluated

DID YOU KNOW...

that they can tolerate a water loss of more than 30% and rehydrate quickly? It can drink 100 liters of water in just 10 minutes, a feat that would be lethal for any other mammal.
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