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“Dromedary camels have one hump; Bactrian camels have two.”
The dromedary camel is a desert mammal with one hump, built to survive extreme heat and scarce water. It has carried people and goods across deserts for thousands of years.
Camelus dromedariusArtiodactylaCamelidae
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For thousands of years, the dromedary camel (Camelus dromedarius) has crossed blazing deserts where few other large animals can survive. This one-humped herbivore is built for heat, sand, and long journeys with little water. From the Sahara to the Arabian Peninsula, dromedaries remain essential transport animals and a symbol of desert life.
The dromedary camel belongs to the family Camelidae, along with Bactrian camels, llamas, and alpacas. Its scientific name is Camelus dromedarius. The genus Camelus first evolved in North America millions of years ago before spreading to Asia and Africa.
Dromedaries diverged from two-humped Bactrian camels (Camelus bactrianus) as deserts expanded. Natural selection favored a single large hump, long legs for walking on sand, and extreme water-saving physiology. Today nearly all the world's camels are dromedaries — domesticated herds far outnumber wild ones.
Adult dromedaries stand 6 to 7 feet (1.8 to 2.1 m) tall at the hump and weigh 660 to 1,500 pounds (300 to 680 kg). Their coat is short and sandy brown, reflecting sunlight. A thick fur lining grows in winter and sheds in summer.
The single hump stores up to 80 pounds (36 kg) of fat. When food is scarce, the body metabolizes this fat for energy and water. Contrary to popular belief, the hump is not filled with water.
Long eyelashes, bushy eyebrows, and closable nostrils keep sand out during desert storms. Broad, padded feet spread weight on soft sand without sinking. Oval red blood cells continue circulating even when the animal is severely dehydrated — a unique adaptation among mammals.
Dromedary camels live in desert and semi-desert regions across North Africa, the Middle East, and the Arabian Peninsula. Their range extends from Morocco and Mauritania through Egypt, Sudan, and the Horn of Africa into Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Oman, Yemen, and parts of India.
Australia also has large feral dromedary populations descended from animals introduced in the 19th century. They prefer open sandy and rocky deserts with sparse scrub where they can browse on tough vegetation.
Dromedaries are herbivores with a remarkably flexible diet. They eat dry grasses, leaves, thorny shrubs, seeds, and salt-tolerant plants that most animals avoid. Their tough mouths and multi-chambered stomachs digest coarse desert vegetation efficiently.
Camels are ruminants — they regurgitate food and chew it again to extract maximum nutrition. They can go weeks without drinking when green plants provide enough moisture. When water is available, a dehydrated camel can drink 30 gallons (113 liters) in minutes, refilling its body rapidly.
Wild and feral dromedaries form herds of up to 20 animals, usually led by a dominant male. Domestic camels are managed in larger groups by herders. They communicate with deep bellows and body postures.
When threatened, a camel may spit stomach contents — an unpleasant defense. They kneel by folding their front legs first, allowing riders to mount. Despite their calm appearance, camels are strong and can kick or bite when provoked.
Female dromedaries give birth to a single calf after a gestation of about 13 months. Calves are born with small humps and can stand and walk within hours — essential in open desert where predators may approach.
Calves nurse for 10 to 18 months and stay near their mother for protection. Females may produce a calf every two to three years. Dromedaries live 40 to 50 years, among the longest-lived hoofed mammals.
(Population and conservation trend data sourced from the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species)
The dromedary camel is classified as Least Concern. Globally, an estimated 15 million dromedaries exist, almost all domesticated.
True wild dromedaries are extremely rare — a small population persists in the Gobi-adjacent deserts of Mongolia and China (often classified separately). Domestic camels face few threats, though drought, disease, and declining traditional herding practices affect some regional populations. In Australia, feral camels are sometimes culled because of ecological impact.
Dromedary camels have one hump; Bactrian camels have two.
A camel's hump stores fat, not water — the fat provides energy when food is scarce.
Camels can drink up to 30 gallons of water in one session after a long dry period.
They have three eyelids and two rows of eyelashes to keep sand out.
Dromedary camels are the tallest camels and are sometimes called ships of the desert.
Their red blood cells are oval-shaped, so they keep flowing even when dehydrated.
Select a question to reveal the answer.
A dromedary camel is a large desert mammal with a single hump. It is the most common camel species and lives in hot deserts of Africa and the Middle East.
They live in desert habitats across North Africa, the Arabian Peninsula, the Middle East, and parts of South Asia. Feral populations also exist in Australia.
The hump stores fat that camels can burn for energy when food and water are hard to find. It is not a water tank.
Dromedary camels are herbivores that eat dry grasses, leaves, thorny plants, and desert shrubs that many animals cannot digest.
They conserve water with efficient kidneys, tolerate high body heat, store fat in their hump, and have padded feet and protective eyelashes for sandy conditions.
A baby camel is called a calf. Calves can stand and walk within hours of birth.
Dromedary camels are listed as Least Concern. Millions are kept as domestic animals, though wild populations are rare.
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