1. The Hump: Contrary to
popular belief, the hump does not store water. Instead, it’s filled with fat,
like a gravity-defying beer belly, which allows the camel to go for a month
without food.
If the hump becomes depleted, it will shrink, flop over, and hang at the camel’s
side.
2. The Nipples: Camel milk, the Bedouin beverage of choice, is more nutritious
than cow milk, with more potassium, more iron, and three times as much vitamin
C. In fact, Camel milk will soon become available in grocery stores across
Europe. In the meantime, candy makers from Vienna are developing a chocolate
camel milk for the kids.
3. The Nostrils: Camels can open and close their muscular nostrils at will,
which prevents them from inhaling sand in the event of a sandstorm.
4. The Body Heat: When the outside temperature is higher than body temperature,
most mammals sweat to cool off. But not the camel. To avoid sweating, its body
temperature will rise up to 11 degrees, which is the primary way that camels
conserve water in the desert. In fact, camels often huddle together to stay cool
because their body temperature is often less than the outside air.
5. The Excretions: Camels also conserve water by producing concentrated urine
and dry dung.
6. The Feet: When the thick, leathery pads of a camel’s foot hit the ground,
they spread wide, preventing the camel from sinking into the sand.
7. Those Long Legs: When a camel walks, it moves both legs on one side and the
both legs on the other, rocking side-to-side. This is why camels are nicknamed
“The ships of the desert.” Camel legs are incredibly strong, which allows them
to carry up to 1000 pounds. They also can walk 100 miles per day and sprint at
12 miles per hour.