Camel Write Up (ACE)

Camels –Masters of Adaptation

Foreword

Ever wondered how camels survive in the desert without drinking or eating food? Or how its knees would not get burned by the desert sand even if it kneeled down? Well I am going to write about all that today!

Introduction

 A camel is an mammal in the dromedary group (large animals with even toes with humps on their backs e.g. Llamas). They live around areas in the Horn of Africa, Middle East, and the Indian subcontinents. 13 million camels are estimated to be living in this world today. Many of its domestic uses include milk, meat, and even modes of transports over desert areas! They are favored as transport animals across the deserts as they are easy to handle, do not require frequent consumption of food and water, and most of all, adapted to travel through harsh conditions in the desert.

Adaptation

Camels spend most of their time in harsh environments that many other animals cannot survive in. However, what makes them able to survive then? Well the answer is simple. Adaptation. Camels have humps on their backs to store fats, therefore they have sufficient food for themselves. At the same time, the action of storing body fats in their humps reduces the surface area for heat insulation, which is very much needed in places like the desert. However, the drawback is that, when the metabolization of their fats take place, water is needed to carry it out. Camels can also go for long periods of time without water due to their blood cells. The cells are oval in shape, unlike other animals which are round in shape. This enables the cells to take in more water without bursting, thus providing camels with the luxury of going long periods of time without water. Their body temperatures also cover a wide range, therefore allowing the camel to survive in harsh conditions. Evaporation only takes place on the surface of the camel’s skin, therefore drastically reducing the water loss that occurs. Another factor would be the camel’s coat, which actually reflects sunlight, therefore reducing its tendency to sweat by almost 50%! Their knees are thick and leathery, with a layer of fat beneath it acting as an insulator, therefore allowing the camel to lie on hot sand without getting burnt. Their hooves are split and broad, allowing them to have perfect balance in the sand. Also, their eyelashes are long so as to keep out the sand, and their nostrils can open or close at will to prevent sand from entering.

As seen from here, camels are “armored” from head to toe with adaptations for the life in the desert. I feel quite fascinated on what living things can actually do to fit in to their surroundings.

Ending note

From this write up, I feel that this is merely an example of the wonders of nature, and how living things can adapt to fit allocation. Nature and science are something that we can never understand, but one thing’s for sure; we can learn from nature to better improve the world we are living now.