Adaptation in Camel Adaptation for Desert – Imaluop

Hi, now we will try to understand about the adaptation in camel which helps them to live in very dry and hot environments easily. Like other animals present in desert they also have some specific features which enables them to sustain in the adverse conditions of desert.

Their anatomy and physiology have some special features which makes them desert ships. From their feet to eyes everything has some special features which gives them extra advantage to sustain in such adverse conditions.

Now we will discuss all features one by one which gives them the ability to sustain in such condition. 

We know that deserts have sand here and there to walk through the sand their feet should be specialised. Their feet are wide and flat which helps to step on sand properly. Otherwise their feet would dip inside sand enough which would make their walking on sand very difficult.

Due to flat and wide feet their whole body weight spread through the sand. Due to that type of feet they are able to walk on sand comfortably even when they carry heavy weight with them. 

Now their fur on the body is not equal in thickness in all regions. On top side maximum sunlight they received so the upper side should be saved from sunlight. If we notice carefully we can see that the fur on the upper side is very thick which protects them from intense sunlight.

But on the lower side their fur is very thin. Now think what should be the benefits of having thin fur on the lower side. If the fur on the lower side is very thick then it is difficult to lose their body height but as their fur on lower side is thin it becomes easy to lose heat. 

They can tolerate a wide range of temperatures which makes them comfortable to live in hot conditions which are not easy for other organisms. Perspiration does not occur in them which saves them from a great water loss in such an environment where water is not available easily. Their excretory material is semi-solid which also prevents water loss in such water deficient conditions. 

Now I hope you have known about a term surface volume ratio which has a great importance in body heat loss. They have a large surface volume ratio which helps them to lose body heat very easily.  

Camel can drink a lot of water in a single drinking session as compared to other animals. They can drink upto 47 litres of water in single drinking time which makes them able to sustain themselves without drinking water for a week or more. 

Do you know what is present in their hump no they do not contain water they store fat in their hump. Fat present in their hump respire to make metabolic water which can be utilised during water shortage.

So their hump can compensate for water during drought conditions. Not only water camels can survive without any food for several months, they can compensate their food material from the respiration of fat stored in their hump. 

Now come to their long eyelashes, do you know why their eye lashes are so long. Long eye lashes save their eyes from sand during sandstorm which is very frequent in the desert.  

Their nostrils also adapted to the desert environment. Camels can open and close their nostrils which save the camel from entering the sand into their nostrils during sandstorm or taking air through their nostrils.  

Their ears also have hair even on the inner side which ensures no entry for sand. Their eyebrow is thicker than usual because their eyes should be protected from sand. 

Reference: Adaptation in Camel Adaptation for Desert

Read More: Adaptation in Animals of Different Environment