THE DROMEDARY: An Exceptional Animal Worth Knowing About!! Part 1
The dromedary, commonly called a "camel" in the desert, might be considered ugly by some, but is in fact beautiful, majestic, highly resilient, intelligent and full of remarkable characteristics.
The dromedary, commonly called a "camel" in the desert, might be considered ugly by some, but is in fact beautiful, majestic, highly resilient, intelligent and full of remarkable characteristics. If you plan to travel to the Middle East or a Saharan African country, it's worth getting to know this animal. You'll discover some surprising facts !
Getting to Know the Dromedary
The dromedary is a herbivorous mammal and ruminant from the camelid family (which includes llamas, alpacas, guanacos and vicuñas). It belongs to the genus camelus divided into two species: camelus dromedarius, the one-humped camel, commonly called the dromedary. About 80% of the population lives in the hot deserts of East and West Africa. The rest inhabit North Africa, Asia (the Thar Desert in India) and Australia.
The species camelus bactrianus, known as the Bactrian camel or two-humped camel, lives in the cold deserts of Central Asia through Chinese Manchuria. When a male camel and female dromedary (the reverse being rare) mate, they produce a hybrid called a turkoman. Thanks to their robustness (capable of carrying 550 kg of baggage for several days), turkomans were used for transporting goods along the Silk Road.
The dromedary is a tall, slender, resilient animal, measuring 1.80 m to 2.10 m in height and 2.20 m to 3.40 m in length, with an average weight of 450 to 650 kg. It can survive in arid and hot environments thanks to several physical adaptations:
Long eyelashes that protect against sand
Nostrils that close to shield against sand and reduce evaporation
Prehensile lips (split upper lip), extremely mobile and sensitive, allowing it to eat leaves surrounded by thorns
A hump filled with fat serving as an energy reserve
Insulating fur and light-colored coat to limit temperature rise
A sternum and knees equipped with calluses for support in a crouching position
Two-toed feet on a broad flexible sole ensuring comfortable gait, pressure distribution and ground sensitivity
A short tail (55 to 75 cm) for distributing urine
Its Distinctive Features:
The dromedary has a life expectancy of 25 years.
When walking, it advances the front and rear legs on the same side simultaneously, like llamas, giraffes, elephants, okapis, bears, maned wolves and certain horse and dog breeds. It can back up if necessary.
The saddle dromedary can travel 50 to 100 km per day at an average speed of 10 to 12 km/h. Some dromedaries can cover 200 km in a single day at speeds of 20 to 25 km/h.
It can eat thorny branches without difficulty thanks to its sticky saliva and mouth lined with scales.
A familiar dromedary responds to its name and enjoys being stroked on the sides of its neck and under its throat.
It possesses an excellent memory, able to find its way back to its master over long distances and even after years. It is also particularly vindictive.
When threatened, a dromedary brings food up from its stomach into its mouth, but does not spit it out like a llama.
A young wild dromedary recently captured can die of stress.
The Dromedary in History and Society
The one-humped camel was introduced to North Africa by humans approximately 2 to 3 million years ago. Skeletons have been found in East and West Africa, but this initial introduction was unsuccessful. Domestication was successfully achieved around 2000 to 3000 B.C. in the Arabian Peninsula, as the animal is docile and naturally walks in single file. Here are some failed introductions:
In the Canary Islands in 1405
In Italy in 1622
In the United States in 1701
In France in the 19th century
In Southern Africa, Spain and Cyprus in the early 20th century
Introduced to Australia in the 19th century, dromedaries became feral, occupying territory spanning more than 3 million square meters across the vast Australian desert. The population (still growing rapidly) of 1 to 1.5 million individuals poses problems today, emitting as much CO2 as 300,000 vehicles. These dromedaries severely trouble farmers and cause significant damage and degradation by approaching roads and populated areas, destroying drinking water reservoirs, breaking pipes, and more. Tens of thousands of dromedaries are exported to the Middle East for meat, but this is insufficient to limit and control the population. The Australian government is considering drastic measures!
The one-humped camel is associated with the nomadic culture of the Sahara, but its significance extends much further. The most notable contemporary dromedary gatherings include:
The Cure Salée at Ingall (Niger), an occasion for nomads to strengthen social bonds and forge new ones
The Touareg Ganis Festival in Agadez (Niger)
The Douz Desert Festival in Tunisia
Markets in Sudan
The Pushkar Fair in India, a religious and commercial celebration lasting about ten days
Dromedary Caravans
When the use of dromedaries spread among Arabian tribes around the beginning of the first millennium B.C., caravan trade connecting the Arabian Peninsula to the rest of the Near East was born. Dromedary caravans are today characteristic of African deserts, particularly the Sahara. They continue to serve as means of transporting goods, as well as for nomadic travel.
There is also the meharée, a type of organized trek through the desert riding on a méhari dromedary. This type of dromedary originated in Arabia, was domesticated in Southern Africa and trained for fast racing. In Mauritania, a meharis company was created to monitor, inform and assist populations in desert regions bordering Mali. Mali itself has 4 companies serving as intermediaries between the authorities and nomadic populations.
Rare companies offer camel treks, giving travelers the opportunity to discover the beauty of desert life and the richness of nomadic culture. Routes are long and punctuated by atypical camps on dunes, beside a well, and so on. Dromedaries naturally move in single file, led by an old female camel who occasionally turns around to wait for stragglers.
To learn more about this fascinating animal, follow the link below: https://savoirspartages.cirad.fr/nos-realisations/compilivres/le-dromadaire-pedagogique
Frequently asked questions
The dromedary (Camelus dromedarius) has a single hump and lives in hot deserts of Africa and the Middle East. The Bactrian camel (Camelus bactrianus) has two humps and inhabits cold deserts of Central Asia. Contrary to popular belief, the word 'camel' is often incorrectly used to refer to the dromedary in English-speaking countries.
The dromedary's hump is a fat reserve, not a water reserve as is commonly believed. This fat constitutes an energy reserve that can be mobilized during long periods without food. When the dromedary draws on this reserve, the hump can soften and deflate.
A saddle dromedary can travel between 50 and 100 km per day at an average speed of 10 to 12 km/h. Some trained specimens can cover up to 200 km in a single day at speeds of 20 to 25 km/h.
Dromedary treks, called méharées, are offered in several desert regions: the Sahara (Morocco, Tunisia, Algeria, Mauritania), the Rajasthan Desert in India (notably around Pushkar Fair), and the Middle East (United Arab Emirates, Jordan). These routes often include camps on the dunes and allow exploration of nomadic culture.
Yes, the dromedary is renowned for its excellent memory. A familiar dromedary is capable of finding its way back to its master after long distances and even after years of separation. It responds to its name and enjoys being stroked on the side of its neck and under its throat.
Dromedaries were introduced to Australia in the 19th century to serve as beasts of burden in desert regions. Having gone feral, they today occupy more than 3 million km² of the Australian desert and their population reaches between 1 million and 1.5 million individuals, creating significant environmental and agricultural problems.
