Twining in Camel - Facts

Twining in Camel - Facts

Camels are mammals with long legs, a big-lipped snout and a humped back. There are two types of camels: dromedary camels, which have one hump, and Bactrian camels, which have two humps. Camels' humps consist of stored fat, which they can metabolize when food and water is scarce.

 After a gestation of 12 to 14 months, a mother camel will find a private spot to have her young. Female camels usually only have one baby, but sometimes camels have twins. The newborn is able to walk within 30 minutes, though the two won't rejoin the herd until around two weeks later. Camels become fully mature when they are 7 years old. The two types of camel are found in different parts of the world. The dromedary camel, also called an Arabian camel, can be found in North Africa and the Middle East.

 The Bactrian camel lives in Central Asia. No matter the type, camels are usually found in the desert, prairie or steppe. Camels have been domesticated for 3,000 years, according to the San Diego Zoo, and used for transportation, meat, fur, leather and milk. Camels can run at 25 mph (40 kph) for long periods. If their owner is in a hurry, they can kick their speed up to 40 mph (67 kph).

The camel's hump is like a storage container. When camels use their stored fat, their hump will diminish. When they eat and drink again the hump will refill with fat.

Camels have oval-shaped red blood cells that help continue blood flow during times when water is scarce. A female camel gave birth to twins in a normal delivery. DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Identical twin camels have been born in the United Arab Emirates. A camel giving birth to twins is very rare. The twin male camel calves were "produced by a micromanipulation technique" and born in March to separate surrogate mothers.