Visit:
http://www.alaskazoo.org/willowcrest/boris.htmBactrian Camel - Inspiration for "Two Hump" Pillow! Bactrian CamelCamelus bactrianusThere are two kinds of camels in the world. Most people know of the Arabian camel or Dromedary, which has one hump. The Bactrian Camelhas Two Humps. Most Bactrian Camels come from Asia. They are smaller and stockier than the dromedary and can both pull and carry heavy loads. Their Two Humps also make them easier to ride. The Humps form a kind of "Saddle" on the Camel's Back.
* Vital Statistics
Bactrian camels are up to ten feet in length and six to eight feet in height. They weigh anywhere from 1,000 to 1,500 pounds. They live up to 40 years. A calf is five feet tall and weighs about 90 to 100 pounds when it is born in March. The female has one baby at a time. The calf drinks its mother's milk and according to one source drinks up to a gallon of milk every day for a year and a half.
* Habitat
Bactrian camels live in Mongolia and China. Most Bactrian camels live in mountain deserts where it can get very cold. They prefer the steppe grassland, mainly valleys and canyons, in these mountainous areas. In the winter, it may get as cold as 25 degrees below zero! It's not uncommon for these camels to be covered in snow. To stay warm, they grow heavy coats and on some parts of their bodies their hair may be more than 10 inches long so that it almost reaches the ground. In the summer, temperatures may get to 122 degrees Fahrenheit. They shed their long winter coats. Bactrian camels don't have to live in hot, flat deserts. They prefer the mountains of central Asia where the one-hump camel could never live. Most are domesticated and live with people, but a few wild herds exist in the Gobi Desert. Wild Bactrian camels are much thinner than domestic Bactrians, and they have shorter hair.
* Food
Bactrian camels are plant eaters or herbivores. They prefer grass, leaves and shrubs. However, they will eat thorns, dry vegetation, and salty plants that most other animals will avoid. Camels store fat in their humps, which allow them to survive many days without eating or drinking. When the animal has no water or food, its body can turn the fat into energy and water. Bactrian camels can drink up to 30 gallons of water at one time! Their bodies have a unique way of saving/conserving water. They can go several months without taking a drink of water.
* Behaviour
Wild Bactrian camels live in small groups that look for places to eat in the desert of Central Asia. They migrate to the northern part of their range in spring and return southwards in fall. They sleep at night in open spaces and eat during the day.
Male camels have teeth that look like the teeth of meat-eating animals. The front teeth of males are long and sharp. Male camels use their teeth when they fight other males and will nip at one another. They try to force each other to the ground especially during mating season. However, bactrian camels tend to be good-tempered.
* Conservation
The wild Bactrian camel is an endangered animal. There are only a few hundred of them left. It's an amazing animal that has survived in some of the world's harshest environments and in some places where there is no fresh water. It has adapted to drinking salt-water slush. Its main enemy is the wolf in the Mongolian Gobi. The Bactrian camel is protected by law. The hunting of these animals is not allowed in Mongolia and China. The Wild Camel Foundation was established in 1997 for the protection of the wild Bactrian camel.
* Other Interesting Facts
- Camels are the desert's biggest animals.
- A Bactrian Camel can outrace a horse over long distances.
- Bactrian Camels can walk up to 30 miles a day carrying a heavy load (450-550 pounds)!
- Camels have two rows of eyelashes to prevent sand from getting in their eyes, and special muscles to close ears, nostrils, and lips.
- Bactrian Camels can climb mountains up to 13,000 feet in height.
- Bactrian Camels can endure terrible snowstorms but shrinks from great heat.
- Camel's milk is more nutritious than cow's milk. It is lower in fat and higher in potassium, iron and Vitamin C.
----------------

----------------
Have Sound Sleep ... Dreaming of "The Bactrian Camel "!
---------------
