Quick answer
The camel is a large desert-adapted mammal famous for its humps, which store fat rather than water and let it survive long periods without food. The single-humped dromedary lives in the deserts of North Africa and the Middle East, while the two-humped Bactrian camel inhabits the cold deserts of Central Asia. Camels can go for weeks without drinking and then take in over 100 liters at once, and they have long served people as pack animals and a source of milk, meat, and wool. Domestic camels often live 40 to 50 years.
Key takeaway
The camel is a large desert-adapted mammal famous for its humps, which store fat rather than water and let it survive long periods without food. The single-humped dromedary lives in the deserts of North Africa and the Middle East, while the two-humped Bactrian camel inhabits the cold deserts of Central Asia. Camels can go for weeks without drinking and then take in over 100 liters at once, and they have long served people as pack animals and a source of milk, meat, and wool. Domestic camels often live 40 to 50 years.
Overview
The camel is a large desert-adapted mammal famous for its humps, which store fat rather than water and let it survive long periods without food. The single-humped dromedary lives in the deserts of North Africa and the Middle East, while the two-humped Bactrian camel inhabits the cold deserts of Central Asia. Camels can go for weeks without drinking and then take in over 100 liters at once, and they have long served people as pack animals and a source of milk, meat, and wool. Domestic camels often live 40 to 50 years.
Biology
Camel (Camelus dromedarius) is classified as Mammal with conservation status Least Concern. Typical weight 400–700 kg (880–1,540 lb); lifespan around 40–50 years.
Ecology
Diet: Herbivore. Habitat: Deserts and arid plains. Movement and social systems reflect those pressures.
People and this species
Learn before you travel or keep related pets. Wild individuals are not toys; captive care needs species-specific husbandry.
Further reading
See the full Camel profile for FAQs, taxonomy, and related guides on this site.
Desert adaptations
Camels are superbly adapted to harsh deserts. Their humps store fat that can be broken down for energy and water when food is scarce, and they can tolerate large swings in body temperature to avoid sweating. They have thick lips for eating thorny plants, double rows of long eyelashes and closable nostrils to keep out blowing sand, and broad padded feet that spread their weight on loose ground. They can lose a third of their body water and recover rapidly when they drink.
Diet and feeding
Camels are herbivores that browse and graze on grasses, leaves, and tough, thorny desert shrubs that many animals avoid. Their leathery mouths and specialized digestion let them process dry, salty, and spiny vegetation. Like cattle, they are ruminants that chew cud to extract maximum nutrients from poor forage. When food and water are plentiful they build up the fat reserves stored in their humps.
Domestication and use
Camels were domesticated thousands of years ago and remain vital to people across arid regions as transport, pack animals, and a source of milk, meat, and wool. The dromedary, with one hump, is common in North Africa, the Middle East, and South Asia, while the Bactrian camel, with two humps, is suited to the cold deserts of Central Asia. Their ability to carry heavy loads across desert made them central to historic trade routes. A large feral dromedary population also lives in Australia.
Conservation
The domestic dromedary and Bactrian camel are common and listed as Least Concern, kept in large numbers by people. However, the truly wild Bactrian camel of Central Asia is a separate, Critically Endangered species with only a few hundred individuals remaining. Habitat loss and hunting threaten these wild camels. Conservation programs in Mongolia and China aim to protect the last wild herds.
Research notes
Figures for camels (Camelus dromedarius) come from field studies, museum records, and conservation assessments that do not always agree on exact averages. Prefer ranges over single-point claims, and check whether a source describes wild, captive, or mixed populations.
Practical takeaways
If you encounter camels in the wild, prioritise distance and local guidance. If you care for related domestic or captive animals, match diet and housing to species needs rather than generic pet advice. Share accurate status information (Least Concern) when discussing conservation.
Sources
FAQs
Camel: Key Facts & Natural History?
The camel is a large desert-adapted mammal famous for its humps, which store fat rather than water and let it survive long periods without food. The single-humped dromedary lives in the deserts of North Africa and the Middle East, while the two-humped Bactrian camel inhabits the cold deserts of Central Asia. Camels can go for weeks without drinking and then take in over 100 liters at once, and they have long served people as pack animals and a source of milk, meat, and wool. Domestic camels often live 40 to 50 years.
What is the scientific name of the camel?
Camelus dromedarius
What do camels eat?
Herbivore
Where do camels live?
Deserts and arid plains
Are camels endangered?
Listed here as Least Concern. Check IUCN and national lists for the latest assessment.