There are two distinct species of camel, both characterized by their great bodily size and bulk, and the presence of one or two large fatty humps on the back. Generally these animals have a temper and general stupidity of disposition which can scarcely be paralleled elsewhere among domesticated animals.
The two species of camel are both now unknown in the wild condition, although in some localities there are half-wild herds of which the parents have escaped from captivity. There is also a half-breed between the two species, which is said to display better qualities than either of the parent stocks.
The first of these two species is the true or Arabian camel, which is found in Africa and Asia, and is characterized by a single hump. It is a long-limbed animal, with a comparatively short coat of hair, and soft feet, adapted for walking on yielding sandy soil, and standing from about 6 feet to 7 feet in height. The hump, when the animal is in good condition, stands upright, but it alters considerably in shape according to age. The richer the food of the camel, the larger it hump; while, when food is poor and dry, the hump decreases in size; and accordingly in the rainy season this appendage attains its maximum development, while in the dry months it proportionately shrinks. In high-conditioned animals, the hump should form a regular pyramid, and occupy at least a quarter of the whole length, but when the animals are half-starved it almost disappears.
There are numerous breeds of camels differing more or less from another, and the Arabs recognize no less than twenty distinct strains. Roughly speaking, they may, however, be divided into two classes, namely, baggage-camels and riding-camels, or dromedaries. The unpleasant motion of even the best camels is due to the circumstance that the two legs of one side are moved simultaneously. The ordinary pace of a baggage camel is from two and a half to three miles an hour when fully loaded, but a good dromedary will keep up a pace of eight to ten miles an hour for a long period.
There has been much discussion as to what country was the original home of the Arabian camel; but it has been considered that Arabia has the best title to this honor. There is evidence furnished by papyrus of the 14th century B.C. that shows camels were well known in Egypt. Pictures of camels were absent from the frescoes of Egypt, and possibly there were some superstitions that led to this absence.
The Arabian camel is essentially an animal fitted to exist only in dry or desert districts, and consequently all attempts to introduce it into the moist and wooded regions of Southern India and Equatorial Africa have signally failed. Where, however, the climate is at all favorable, its introduction into new regions has generally been attended with success. Camels are reported to have been introduced into Italy in the year 1622, and again in 1738. On a flat plain near Pisa the number in 1810 was forty, and in 1840 forty-one, while later it had increased to upwards of two hundred. Their attempted introduction into Sicily, as beasts of burden in the sulphur mines, was, on account of the climate, a failure; but in Spain they appear to have thriven.
In the year 1856 a drove of seventy-five camels was procured by the United States Government, and distributed over Texas, Arizona, and New Mexico. During the Civil War, the whole of these animals fell into the hands of the Confederates, and were used for carrying mails, some of them making journeys of upwards of 120 miles in a day. At the conclusion of the war the remnant of these once more came under the Government of the United States, and others were purchased in 1866. These were distributed through Arizona and Texas for breeding purposes; but many died, and the experiment proved unsatisfactory. Consequently, those that survived were turned adrift to fend for themselves; and it appears that some remained in the wilder districts of California and Arizona. In Australia, the introduction of camels had greater success, and they have proved invaluable in the expeditions to explore the deserts of the interior.
The food of the camel in its natural state probably consisted entirely of branches and leaves of trees, and although grain is now largely given, a certain amount of green food is absolutely essential to the animal's health. No matter how thorny the boughs be, they are quite acceptable to the camel; and it is perfectly marvelous how the animals manage to eat such food without injury to their mouths. On such a diet, or even on dates, camels will do well; but when compelled to work for days with little or no food, they soon break down. For a few days, owing to the peculiar condition of their stomachs, camels can exist comfortably without water, but their endurance in this respect is often taxed sadly beyond its natural capability.
Although the camel is undoubtedly the most valuable and useful of all animals in dry and desert countries, its disposition and temper are decidedly of the very worst description. In addition to its ordinary surliness and want of attachment to its master, the male camel during the pairing-season is subject to almost uncontrollable outbreaks of rage; and, at the same time, owing to the swelling of the uvula, makes a loud bubbling noise which is unpleasant to the human occupants of the camp. An instance of the savage disposition of camels is afforded by the habit they have, when passing a mounted man on a narrow path, of suddenly turning their heads around and trying to inflict a bite on the rider's arm or shoulder; a camel's bite being, by the way, exceptionally severe. Camels are mostly impatient and utter loud cries of indignation when receiving their loads. They are often obstinate, and frequently vicious.
In addition to its value as a beast of burden, the camel is also esteemed by the natives of many countries on account of its milk and flesh, while its hair is woven into ropes and cloth, and in some parts of India its bones are used in lieu of ivory for inlaying and turning. The milk is extremely thick and rich, but unsuitable for use with tea or coffee, as it then immediately curdles. From remote antiquity camels have been kept in enormous herds. When the young camels are too feeble to undergo the fatigues of a days' march, they are slung in nets on the backs or by the sides of some adult members of the drove. But a single calf is produced at a birth, after a gestation of rather more than eleven months; and the calf is suckled by the dam for at least a year.
