A camel is a even toed in the genus Camelus that carries distinctive fatty deposits known as “Humps ” on its backs. The camels were domesticated long ago and, like cattle, provide food (milk and meat) and textiles (fibre and felt hair). As working animals, camels, which adapt exclusively to their deserted habitats, are a vital means of transportation for passengers and cargo. There are three surviving camel species. The Dromedary of a single embrace constitutes 94% of the population of the world’s camels, and the Bactrian camel of two hugs compensates for the remainder. The Wild Bactrian Camel is a separate species and is now in critical danger.
The Word camel is derived through Latin: Camelus and Greek: Κάμηλος (Kamēlos) of the Hebrew or Phoenician: Gāmāl. Informally Used, “Camel ” (or, more correctly, “Camelid ” refers to any of the seven members of the Camelidae family: the Dromedary, the Bactrian, and the wild Bactrian (the real camels), plus the Lhama, the alpaca, the Guanaco, and the Vicuña (The “New World ” Camelids).
The Druid (C. Dromedarius), also known as the Arabian Camel, inhabits the Middle East and the Horn of Africa, while the Bactrian (C. Bactrianus) inhabits Central Asia, including the historical region of Bactria. The critically threatened Wild Bactrian (C. Ferus) is found only in remote areas of China and northwest Mongolia. An extinct species of camel in the separate genus Camelops, known as C. Hesternus, [lived in western North America until human beings entered the continent at the end of the Pleistocene.
