No, i camels he is dromedariescontrary to a widespread belief, do not transport water to the hole on the back, but fatty reserves which, with a weight of even 35 kg, provide energy To survive for a long time without water and food. These animals, nicknamed “desert ships”, are part of the Camelid family and are close relatives of Lama and Alpaca. Nowadays there are three species in the world: the dromedary (Camelus Dromedarius), characterized by a single hump and widespread in the desert regions of Africa and Asia; The domestic battiano camel (Camelus Bactrianus), with two humps and inhabitants of Central Asia; and the wild battian camel (Camelus Ferus), a species at risk of extinction with two humps, present in remote areas of Mongolia and China. These animals demonstrate an extraordinary ability to adapt to extreme climatesboth hot and cold, thanks to a series of evolutionary strategies that allow them to thrive in environments with scarcity of water and vegetation.
The humps of camels and dromedaries: a reserve of energy and heat
The hole They allow camels and dromedaries to resist for long periods without drinking and eating but not because they are water tanks but because they are important reserves of adipose tissue. The fat, in fact, deposits in the humps when camels and dromedaries eat and, when the livelihood of food is missing, it can be metabolized and used for the energy production. Through the beta-oxidation process, fatty acids are converted into molecules that can be used by mitochondria, cells of cells, to produce energy. As the camel consumes this pantry of energy in periods without food, the hump can empty losing volume but will return to the original state once the camel is able to refresh themselves.
In addition to this, fat accumulated In a distinct area, unlike the other mammals that distribute it throughout the body, it helps these animals a adjust the body temperature. This feature is fundamental in deserts where temperatures can be very high during the day and drastically descend into the night. With the fat concentrated on the back, the camels succeed in isolate The rest of the body is very well in the daytime when it is very hot while at night the excess heat accumulated in the hole is dissipated by heating the whole animal during the cold hours.
The ability to preserve water and tolerate the dehydration of camels
The camels and dromedaries, while not transporting water to the humps, are known to be able to resist a long time without drinkingreally weeks or monthsmanaging to resist a loss of 30% of their body weight. This ability is given by some evolutionary precautions that have made these animals suitable for living in environments with extreme climatic conditions.
These animals manage to minimize water losses by their body through:
- Minimization of sweating: the hair forms a woolly cloak that isolates the body and allows the animal to reach the temperature of 41 ° C before sweating reducing the loss of water
- Production of urine dense and syrupy and of feces very dry thanks to the ability of the intestine to absorb water
- Nose as a dehumidifier: The air that we human beings expire contains water vapor that is “thrown out”, the camel nose instead, thanks to a large contact surface formed by folds and membranes manages to cool the outgoing air by condensing the steam and transforming it into water that can be reabsorbed.
It is not over here, the adaptation of camelides to the desert environment has also changed the morphology of theirs in a unique way red blood cellsmaking them a key element for survival. Unlike the rounded biconcava form typical of the red blood cells of most mammals, including humans, those of camelides have one oval. This form gives the cells an extraordinary expansion capacityallowing them to resist the rapid entrance of large quantities of water without breaking. Furthermore, in conditions of dehydration, when the blood tends to become more viscousthis particular shape and the unique composition of the cell membrane guarantee that the blood of the camels maintain one fluidity sufficient for circulation.
