Dromedary Camel
(Tallulah)

Hello, my name is Tallulah and I am a camel. There are two kinds of camels. One is called a Bactrian. A Bactrian has two humps. That is easy to remember because Bactrian starts with the letter "B". If you turn a "B" on it's side, it has two humps. The other kind of camel has only one hump and is called a Dromedary. Dromedary starts with the letter "D" and if you turn a "D" on it's side, it only has one hump like me! That makes me a Dromedary Camel. Are you wondering what I have in my hump? I bet you think it is water right? Well, there's no water in my hump. It's all fat! Can you guess why I need fat in my hump? Camels are normally found in the desert, such as the deserts of Egypt , Asia and North Africa . There isn't a lot of food out there, so we camels are always on the move. That's why we are called nomadic animals. A nomadic animal is an animal that is always on the move and never stays in the same place for too long. As we travel many miles in our search for food and water, the fat in our hump nourishes us. It gives us the energy we need when there isn't much to eat. Under severe conditions, we can go without water for seven days! But we don't like that very much.

Camels help people in more ways than one. We produce milk just like cows and people are discovering that camel's milk is very healthy. People use us to carry things and to ride us across the desert. You may think we are funny looking, but that's what makes us perfect for life in the desert. My extra long eyelashes protect my eyes from the sun and keep the sand from blowing into them. My nose also shuts tightly to keep the sand out. You'll notice I have thick pads on my feet. These help me walk across the hot desert sand without being burnt and it also helps keep me from sinking into the sand. We also have calluses on our chests and knees. These calluses allow us to lay down in the hot sand and not be burnt. Many people have the wrong idea about camels and think we are mean and not too bright. WRONG! I am very sweet and loving and I groan for your attention. So don't be scared when you hear me groaning! I love your attention and especially those carrots you have in your hand! Oh yes, one more thing, I won't spit on you either! (I don't know how!)

Question: True or False... Camels are mean and nasty animals that want to spit on people?

A = True
B = False

[see bottom of page to see if you were right].

FUN Animal Fact: Did you know ...

A dromedary camel can down 15 gallons of water at a time, then go for 17 days without another drop!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Answer: If you said "B"... FALSE, you are right! ...

Camels are very affectionate animals that love attention. Though they may moan and groan a lot, it doesn't mean that they are mad. Camels do not know how to spit and actually have to learn how.