Bactrian+Camel

The wild Bactrian camel is a two-humped camel species living in central Asia. It's one of the two surviving camel species alongside the dromedary. It grows to be approximately 3m tall and it weighs 600-1000kg. The wild Bactrian camel has evolved to be resistant to the harsh weather conditions that occur in deserts, and for this purpose, it has long eyelashes and sealable nostrils to protect it from dust, broad toes to help it walk on sand and two large humps on its back to enable it to survive long periods of time with no water. Despite the camels using the humps for hydration, they are not filled with water. They are in fact full of fat, which the camels will turn into water when needed.



The Bactrian camel was domesticated more than 4500 years ago, and has been used for various purposes ever since. It has been mainly used to carry people and goods across deserts. It has been also used for eating and even warfare.

Bactrian Camel Range
 * Size relative to a 6-ft (2-m) man:**[[image:http://images.nationalgeographic.com/wpf/media-live/graphic/size-bactriancamel-160-2612-cb1273161937.gif width="160" height="120" caption="Illustration: Bactrian camel compared with adult man"]]

The wild Bactrian camel is the eight most endangered species, which means that its extinction is even more threatening than that of pandas’. Even though the camels are used to harsh environments and they have even adapted to drinking salty water, the camel population has steadily decreased and, for example, in Mongolia the amount of camels has halved in the last twenty years. There are under thousand of wild Bactrian camels: approximately 600 live in China near the Tibetan mountains and 350 are in Mongolia. China has established a reserve that is about the same size as Poland for the endangered species – the area was formerly used for testing nuclear weapons from 1955 until 1996. In 2000, Mongolia and China agreed form a trans-national protected area for the camels, because the species wander long distances. Regardless of these reserves, the camels are on the brink of extinction. Their biggest threat besides their natural enemy, wolves, are – surprise, surprise – humans. BBC has reported that illegal miners looking for gold and other minerals from the deserts kill camels and destroy their living environments.
 * On the Brink of Extinction**



**DID YOU KNOW?**

 * A Bactrian camel can drink up to 30 percent of its body weight at one time.
 * A camel can survive without water up to ten times as long as a human.
 * They tolerate variations in temperature ranging from -27**°C** to 50**°C**.
 * Males, females, and young camels are known as stallions, mares, and calves.
 * Fifteen Bactrian camels were imported to the US In 1860 to haul salt across the desert.

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 * Sources:**

Otto, Eeva, Erno JAHUUU!!!