Editing Bactrian camel (section)

=== Diet ===
[[File:Camel skull 2.JPG|left|frameless|Skull]]
Bactrian camels are [[Diurnality|diurnal]], sleeping in the open at night and foraging for food during the day. They are primarily herbivorous. With tough mouths that can withstand sharp objects such as thorns, they are able to eat plants that are dry, prickly, salty or bitter, and can ingest virtually any kind of vegetation. When other nutrient sources are not available, these camels may feed on carcasses, gnawing on bones, skin, or various different kinds of flesh. In more extreme conditions, they may eat any material they find, which has included rope, sandals, and even tents. Their ability to feed on a wide range of foods allows them to live in areas with sparse vegetation. The first time food is swallowed, it is not fully chewed. The partly masticated food (called cud) goes into the stomach and later is brought back up for further chewing.

Bactrian camels belong to a fairly small group of animals that regularly eat snow to provide their water needs. Animals living above the snowline may have to do this, as snow and ice can be the only forms of water during winter, and by doing so, their range is greatly enlarged. The [[latent heat]] of snow and ice is large compared with the [[heat capacity]] of water, forcing animals to eat only small amounts at a time.<ref>{{cite web |first1=C. |last1=Wand |first2=C. |last2=Richardson |date=November 2009 |title=Replacing water with clean snow for ewes and beef cows |id=9–065 AGDEX 424/433 |publisher=Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food, and Rural Affairs |website=OMAFRA.gov.on.ca |url=http://www.omafra.gov.on.ca/english/livestock/beef/facts/09-065.pdf |access-date=February 9, 2017 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402111550/http://www.omafra.gov.on.ca/english/livestock/beef/facts/09-065.pdf |archive-date=April 2, 2015 }}</ref>