Fun Camel Facts

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Including a thin, transparent one that acts like a windshield wiper during sandstorms) and two rows of long eyelashes to protect their eyes from blowing sand and debris.

Camels can completely shut their nostrils and ears to keep out sand during intense desert storms, preventing irritation or blockage.

Contrary to popular myth, a camel's hump doesn't store water—it stores up to 80 pounds of fat, which provides energy and releases water as a byproduct when metabolized, allowing them to survive weeks without food or drink.

When they finally access water, camels can drink an astonishing 200 liters/53 gallons in under three minutes without suffering from water intoxication, thanks to their unique physiology.

Camels have oval-shaped red blood cells (unlike the circular ones in most mammals, including humans), which helps their blood flow more easily even when they're dehydrated and their blood thickens.

Their kidneys are so efficient at conserving water that camels can drink salt water, including concentrations saltier than seawater in some cases, without suffering ill effects. This allows them to tolerate brackish or saline sources that would be harmful to most other mammals. Both dromedary (one-humped) and Bactrian (two-humped) camels possess this adaptation, though wild Bactrian camels are particularly noted for surviving on extremely salty water in their harsh Gobi Desert habitat.

Despite their lumbering appearance, camels can sprint at speeds up to 40 miles per hour—matching a racehorse—and sustain 25 mph for longer distances.

When threatened or annoyed, camels "spit" as a defense mechanism.

Newborn camel calves are often born completely white (changing to brown as they mature) and without humps, which only start forming around 10 months old as they build up fat reserves.

Wild Bactrian camels (the two-humped species) are critically endangered, with fewer than 1,000 individuals left in the world, primarily due to habitat loss, hunting, and competition with domestic animals.