Bactrian Camel

Once found over a vast range in Asia, Bactrian camels now inhabit only Mongolia's remote Gobi Desert. They are specially adapted to cope with the extremes of climate found in this region. They form small groups of six to twenty animals that are led by mature male. Young males spend most of their time wandering alone.

A rutting male stretches to hold his head higher than a rival. This displays dominance.

In the wild, Bactrian camels mate in February. The males chase off young animals in order to have access to the females. Mating takes place while the camels are sitting down, but the females give birth in a standing position a year and a month later.

Like domestic cows, camels are ruminants-that is, they feed and then regurgitate the food and chew it again. This is also called chewing cud. Able to survive on extremely sparse vegetation, they eat the tough grass, herbs, thin branches, and foliage of shrubs that grow in their arid environment. They search for food in the morning and evening and chew their cud in the afternoon. The camel can tolerate great variations in its body temperature and therefore loses little water through perspiration. Although camels can go for long periods without water, they do not actually store it in their humps. The humps are, in fact, reserves of fat that are converted into water when the camel becomes dehydrated.