Editing Dromedary

{{Short description|One-humped camel}}
{{About| the animal|other uses|Dromedary (disambiguation)}}
{{Good article}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2023}}
{{Speciesbox
| taxon = Camelus dromedarius
| name = Dromedary 
| image = Camelus dromedarius on Sinai.jpg
| image_caption = Dromedary in a [[wadi]] on the [[Sinai Peninsula]], Egypt
| status = DOM
| authority = [[Carl Linnaeus|Linnaeus]], [[10th edition of Systema Naturae|1758]]
| synonyms_ref=<ref name=msw3>{{MSW3|id=14200115|page=646}}</ref>
| synonyms={{collapsible list|title=<small>List</small>
|''C. aegyptiacus'' <small>[[Friedrich August Rudolph Kolenati|Kolenati]], 1847</small>
|''C. africanus'' <small>([[Gloger]], 1841)</small>
|''C. arabicus'' <small>[[Charles Desmoulins|Desmoulins]], 1823</small>
|''C. dromas'' <small>[[Peter Simon Pallas|Pallas]], 1811</small>
|''C. dromos'' <small>Kerr, 1792</small>
|''C. ferus'' <small>Falk,1786</small>
|''C. lukius'' <small>Kolenati, 1847</small>
|''C. polytrichus'' <small>Kolenati, 1847</small>
|''C. turcomanichus'' <small>[[Johann Fischer von Waldheim|J. Fischer]], 1829</small>
|''C. vulgaris'' <small>Kolenati, 1847</small>}}
| range_map = Dromedary Range.png
| range_map_caption = {{legend0|#ff8040|&nbsp;Range of the dromedary in 2000}}
}}

The '''dromedary''' ('''''Camelus dromedarius'''''), also known as the '''dromedary camel''', '''Arabian camel''' and '''one-humped camel''', is a large [[camel]] of the genus ''[[Camelus]]'' with one hump on its back. It is the tallest of the three camel species; adult males stand {{cvt|1.8|–|2.4|m}} at the shoulder, while females are {{cvt|1.7|–|1.9|m}} tall. Males typically weigh between {{cvt|400|and|690|kg}}, and females weigh between {{cvt|300|and|540|kg}}.
The dromedary's distinctive features include its long, curved neck, narrow chest, a single hump, and long hairs on the throat, shoulders, and hump. The coat is generally a shade of brown. The hump, {{cvt|20|cm|abbr=on}} tall or more, is made of fat bound together by [[fibrous tissue]].

The dromedary feeds on foliage and desert vegetation; several adaptations, such as the ability to tolerate losing more than 30% of its total water content, allow it to thrive in its desert habitat. Mating occurs annually and peaks in the rainy season; females bear a single calf after a [[gestation]] of 15 months. It is mainly active during daylight hours and forms herds of about 20 individuals, which are led by a [[Dominance (ethology)|dominant]] male.

The dromedary has not occurred naturally in the wild for nearly 2,000 years. It was probably first [[Domestication of animals|domesticated]] in the [[Arabian Peninsula]] about 4,000 years ago, or in [[Somalia]] where paintings of it found in [[Laas Geel]] date from 5,000 to 9,000 years ago. In the wild, the dromedary inhabited arid regions, including the [[Sahara]]<!-- desert is redundant -->. The domesticated dromedary is generally found in the semiarid to arid regions of the Old World, mainly in Africa and the Arabian Peninsula, and a significant feral population occurs in Australia. Products of the dromedary, including its meat and milk, support several North African tribes; it is also commonly used for riding and as a pack animal.

==Etymology==
The common name "dromedary" comes from the [[Old French]] ''{{Lang|fro|dromedaire}}'' or the [[Late Latin]] {{Lang|la|dromedarius}}. These originated from the [[Greek language|Greek]] word {{Transliteration|el|dromas}}, {{lang|el|δρομάς (ο, η)}} (<small>[[genitive|GEN (γενική)]]</small> ''{{Transliteration|el|dromados}}'', {{lang|el|δρομάδος}}), meaning "running" or "runner",<ref name="LSJ">{{LSJ|droma/s|δρομάς|ref}}.</ref><ref name=oxford>{{Cite encyclopedia |url=http://www.lexico.com/definition/Dromedary |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200129194458/https://www.lexico.com/definition/dromedary |url-status=dead |archive-date=29 January 2020 |title=Dromedary |dictionary=[[Lexico]] UK English Dictionary |publisher=[[Oxford University Press]]}}</ref> used in Greek in the combination {{lang|grc|δρομάς κάμηλος}} ({{Transliteration|el|dromas kamelos}}), literally "running camel", to refer to the dromedary.<ref name="LSJ"/><ref>{{OEtymD|dromedary|access-date=5 May 2016}}</ref> The first recorded use in English of the name "dromedary" occurred in the 14th century.<ref name="English dromedary">{{cite book|last1=Heller|first1=L.|last2=Humez|first2=A.|last3=Dror|first3=M.|title=The Private Lives of Words|year=1984|publisher=Routledge & Kegan Paul|isbn=978-0-7102-0006-8|edition=1st|location=Abingdon, UK|pages=58–9}}</ref> The dromedary possibly originated in Arabia or Somalia, so is sometimes referred to as the Arabian or East African camel.<ref name=nowak/> The word "camel" generally refers either to the dromedary or the [[Conspecificity|congeneric]] [[Bactrian camel|Bactrian]]; the word came into English via [[Old Norman]], from the [[Latin]] word ''{{Lang|la|camēlus}}'', from [[Ancient Greek]] {{lang|grc|κάμηλος}} (''{{Transliteration|grc|kámēlos}}''),<ref>{{Cite encyclopedia |url=http://www.lexico.com/definition/Camel |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200322184114/https://www.lexico.com/definition/camel |url-status=dead |archive-date=22 March 2020 |title=Camel |dictionary=[[Lexico]] UK English Dictionary |publisher=[[Oxford University Press]]}}</ref> ultimately from a [[Semitic language|Semitic]] source akin to [[Hebrew language|Hebrew]] {{lang|he|גמל}} (''{{Transliteration|he|gamál}}'') and [[Arabic language|Arabic]] {{lang|ar|جمل}} (''{{Transliteration|ar|jamal}}'').<ref>{{MerriamWebsterDictionary|Camel|access-date=31 January 2016}}</ref>

==Taxonomy and classification==
{{cladogram|title=
|caption=Phylogenetic relationships of the dromedary compared to living and recently extinct camels<ref name="Yuanetal2024">{{Cite journal|last1=Yuan |first1=Junxia |last2=Hu |first2=Jiaming |last3=Liu |first3=Wenhui |last4=Chen |first4=Shungang |last5=Zhang |first5=Fengli |last6=Wang |first6=Siren |last7=Zhang |first7=Zhen |last8=Wang |first8=Linying |last9=Xiao |first9=Bo |last10=Li |first10=Fuqiang |last11=Hofreiter |first11=Michael |last12=Lai |first12=Xulong |last13=Westbury |first13=Michael V. |last14=Sheng |first14=Guilian |date=May 2024 |title=Camelus knoblochi genome reveals the complex evolutionary history of Old World camels |url=https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S0960982224005244 |journal=Current Biology |volume=34 |issue=11 |pages=2502–2508.e5 |language=en |doi=10.1016/j.cub.2024.04.050|pmid=38754423|bibcode=2024CBio...34.2502Y |url-access=subscription }}</ref>
{{clade
|label1=Camelidae
|1={{clade
|1=[[Lamini]] (llamas)
|label2=[[Camelini]]
|2={{clade
|1={{extinct}}''[[Camelops]]''
|label2=''[[Camelus]]''
|2={{clade
|1='''''Camelus dromedarius''''' (dromedary)
|2={{clade
|1={{extinct}}''[[Camelus knoblochi]]''
|2=''[[Camelus ferus]]'' (wild Bactrian camel)
|3=''[[Camelus bactrianus]]'' (domestic Bactrian camel)
}}}}}}}}}}}}
The dromedary shares the [[genus (biology)|genus]] ''[[Camelus]]'' with the Bactrian camel (''C. bactrianus'') and the wild Bactrian camel (''C. ferus''). The dromedary belongs to the family [[Camelidae]].<ref name=msw3/><ref name=colin>{{cite book|last1=Groves|first1=C.|last2=Grubb|first2=P.|author-link1=Colin Groves|author-link2=Peter Grubb (zoologist)|title=Ungulate Taxonomy|year=2011|publisher=Johns Hopkins University Press|isbn=978-1-4214-0093-8|page=32}}</ref> [[ancient Greece|Ancient Greek]] philosopher [[Aristotle]] (fourth century BC) was the first to [[species description|describe]] the species of ''Camelus''. He named two species in his ''[[History of Animals]]''; the one-humped Arabian camel and the two-humped Bactrian camel.<ref>{{cite book|last1=de Buffon|first1=C.|author-link=Georges-Louis Leclerc, Comte de Buffon|title=Natural History, General and Particular|date=1791|volume=6|publisher=Alexander Strahan|page=121|location=London, UK|url=https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/item/77169#page/135/mode/1up|access-date=14 January 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171001074921/http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/item/77169#page/135/mode/1up|archive-date=1 October 2017|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|last1=Smith|first1=W.|last2=Anthon|first2=C.|title=A Dictionary of Greek and Roman Antiquities|year=1870|publisher=[[Harper (publisher)|Harper and Brothers Publishers]]|location=New York, US|edition=3rd|page=204}}</ref> The dromedary was given its current binomial name ''Camelus dromedarius'' by Swedish zoologist [[Carl Linnaeus]] in his 1758 publication ''[[10th edition of Systema Naturae|Systema Naturae]]''.<ref name=SN>{{cite book|last1=Linnaeus|first1=C.|author-link=Carl Linnaeus|title=Systema Naturæ Per Regna Tria Naturae|date=1758|publisher=Laurentius Salvius|location=Stockholm, Sweden|page=65|edition=[[10th edition of Systema Naturae|10th]]|url=https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/726965|access-date=20 February 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180617001212/https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/726965|archive-date=17 June 2018|url-status=live}}</ref> In 1927, British veterinarian [[Arnold Leese]] classified dromedaries by their basic habitats; the hill camels are small, muscular animals and efficient beasts of burden; the larger plains camels could be further divided into the desert type that can bear light burdens and are apt for riding, and the riverine type&nbsp;&ndash; slow animals that can bear heavy burdens; and those intermediate between these two types.<ref name="camel">{{cite book|last=Mukasa-Mugerwa|first=E.|title=The Camel (''Camelus dromedarius''): A Bibliographical Review|year=1981|publisher=[[International Livestock Centre for Africa]]|location=Addis Ababa, Ethiopia|url=http://pdf.usaid.gov/pdf_docs/PNAAP013.pdf|pages=1–147|access-date=27 January 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160202032116/http://pdf.usaid.gov/pdf_docs/PNAAP013.pdf|archive-date=2 February 2016|url-status=dead}} {{open access}}</ref>

In 2007, Peng Cui of the [[Chinese Academy of Sciences]] and colleagues carried out a [[phylogenetic]] study of the evolutionary relationships between the two [[Tribe (biology)|tribes]] of Camelidae; [[Camelini]] – consisting of the three ''Camelus'' species (the study considered the wild Bactrian camel as a [[subspecies]] of the Bactrian camel) – and [[Lamini]], which consists of the [[alpaca]] (''Vicugna pacos''), the [[guanaco]] (''Lama guanicoe''), the [[llama]] (''L. glama''), and the [[vicuña]] (''V. vicugna''). The study showed the two tribes had [[genetic divergence|diverged]] 25 million years ago (early [[Miocene]]), earlier than previously estimated from North American fossils.

The dromedary and the Bactrian camels often interbreed to produce fertile offspring. Where the ranges of the species overlap, such as in northern Punjab, Persia, and Afghanistan, the [[phenotypic]] differences between them tend to decrease as a result of extensive crossbreeding. The fertility of their [[Hybrid (biology)|hybrid]] has given rise to speculation that the dromedary and the Bactrian camel should be merged into a single species with two varieties.<ref name="camel"/> However, a 1994 analysis of the [[mitochondria]]l [[cytochrome b]] [[gene]] showed the species display 10.3% divergence in their [[DNA sequencing|sequences]].<ref name=stanley>{{cite journal|last1=Stanley|first1=H.F.|last2=Kadwell|first2=M.|last3=Wheeler|first3=J.C.|title=Molecular evolution of the family Camelidae: a mitochondrial DNA study|journal=Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences|date=1994|volume=256|issue=1345|pages=1–6|doi=10.1098/rspb.1994.0041|pmid=8008753|bibcode=1994RSPSB.256....1S|s2cid=40857282}}</ref>

==Genetics and hybrids==
{{main|Hybrid camel}}
The dromedary has 74 [[diploidy|diploid]] chromosomes, the same as other camelids. The [[autosome]]s consist of five pairs of small to medium-sized [[Centromere#Metacentric|metacentrics]] and [[Centromere#Submetacentric|submetacentrics]].<ref name=benirschke>{{cite book|last1=Benirschke|first1=K.|last2=Hsu|first2=T.C.|title=An Atlas of Mammalian Chromosomes|volume=8|date=1974|publisher=Springer|location=New York, US|isbn=978-1-4615-6432-4|pages=153–6}}</ref> The [[X chromosome]] is the largest in the metacentric and submetacentric group.<ref name=mammal/> There are 31 pairs of [[acrocentric]]s.<ref name=benirschke/> The dromedary's [[karyotype]] is similar to that of the Bactrian camel.<ref name=taylor1968>{{cite journal|last1=Taylor|first1=K.M.|last2=Hungerford|first2=D.A.|last3=Snyder|first3=R.L.|last4=Ulmer|first4=F.A.Jr.|title=Uniformity of karyotypes in the Camelidae|journal=Cytogenetic and Genome Research|date=1968|volume=7|issue=1|pages=8–15|doi=10.1159/000129967|pmid=5659175}}</ref>

Camel hybridization began in the first millennium BC.<ref name=hybrid>{{cite journal|last=Potts|first=D.T.|title=Camel hybridization and the role of ''Camelus bactrianus'' in the ancient Near East|journal=Journal of the Economic and Social History of the Orient|date=2004|volume=47|issue=2|pages=143–65|doi=10.1163/1568520041262314}}</ref> For about a thousand years, Bactrian camels and dromedaries have been successfully bred in regions where they are [[sympatric]] to form hybrids with either a long, slightly lopsided hump or two humps – one small and one large. These hybrids are larger and stronger than their parents – they can bear greater loads.<ref name=mammal/><ref name=hybrid/> A cross between a [[F1 hybrid|first-generation]] female hybrid and a male Bactrian camel can also produce a hybrid. Hybrids from other combinations tend to be bad-tempered or [[runt]]s.<ref name=kolpakaw>{{cite journal|last1=Kolpakow|first1=V.N.|title=Über Kamelkreuzungen|trans-title=About camel crossings|journal=Berliner und Münchner Tierärztliche Wochenschrift|date=1935|volume=51|pages=617–22|language=de}}</ref>

==Evolution==
The extinct ''[[Protylopus]]'', which occurred in North America during the upper [[Eocene]], is the oldest and the smallest-known camel.<ref name="mikesell">{{cite journal|last1=Mikesell|first1=M.W.|title=Notes on the dispersal of the dromedary|journal=Southwestern Journal of Anthropology|date=1955|volume=11|issue=3|pages=231–45|jstor=3629022|doi=10.1086/soutjanth.11.3.3629022|s2cid=131677653}}</ref> During the transition from [[Pliocene]] to [[Pleistocene]], several mammals faced extinction. This period marked the successful radiation of the ''Camelus'' species, which migrated over the [[Bering Strait]] and dispersed widely into Asia, eastern Europe, and Africa.<ref name=novoa>{{cite journal|last1=Novoa|first1=C.|title=Reproduction in Camelidae|journal=Reproduction|date=1970|volume=22|issue=1|pages=3–20|doi=10.1530/jrf.0.0220003|pmid=4911974|doi-access=free}}</ref><ref name=payne>{{cite book|last1=Williamson|first1=G.|last2=Payne|first2=W.J.A.|title=An Introduction to Animal Husbandry in the Tropics|date=1978|publisher=Longman|location=London, UK|isbn=978-0-582-46813-9|page=485|edition=3rd}}</ref> By the Pleistocene, ancestors of the dromedary occurred in the Middle East and northern Africa.<ref name=donald>{{cite book|last1=Prothero|first1=D.|last2=Schoch|first2=R.M.|author-link1=Donald Prothero|title=Horns, Tusks, and Flippers : The Evolution of Hoofed Mammals|year=2002|publisher=Johns Hopkins University Press|location=Baltimore, US|isbn=978-0-8018-7135-1|pages=53–4}}</ref>

The modern dromedary probably evolved in the hotter, arid regions of western Asia from the Bactrian camel, which in turn was closely related to the earliest Old World camels.<ref name=payne/> This hypothesis was once thought to be supported by the dromedary [[foetus]] having two humps, but modern studies have shown this to be false.<ref name="embryonic">{{cite journal |last1=Kinne |first1=J |last2=Wani |first2=NA |last3=Wernery |first3=U |last4=Peters |first4=J |last5=Knospe |first5=C |title=Is there a two-humped stage in the embryonic development of the dromedary? |journal=Anatomia, Histologia, Embryologia |date=Oct 2010 |volume=39 |issue=5 |pages=479–480  |doi=10.1111/j.1439-0264.2010.01011.x |pmid=20608925 |url=https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/j.1439-0264.2010.01011.x |access-date=14 June 2024|url-access=subscription }}</ref> A jawbone of a dromedary that [[Radiocarbon dating#Calibration|dated]] from 8,200 BC was found in Saudi Arabia on the southern coast of the [[Red Sea]].<ref name=nowak>{{cite book|last=Nowak|first=R.M.|title=Walker's Mammals of the World|year=1999|publisher=Johns Hopkins University Press|isbn=978-0-8018-5789-8|pages=1078–81|volume=2|edition=6th}}</ref><ref name=jaw>{{cite journal|last1=Grigson|first1=C.|last2=Gowlett|first2=J.A.J.|last3=Zarins|first3=J.|title=The camel in Arabia—a direct radiocarbon date, calibrated to about 7000 BC|journal=Journal of Archaeological Science|date=1989|volume=16|issue=4|pages=355–62|doi=10.1016/0305-4403(89)90011-3|bibcode=1989JArSc..16..355G }}</ref>

In 1975, [[Richard Bulliet]] of [[Columbia University]] wrote that the dromedary exists in large numbers in areas from which the Bactrian camel has disappeared; the converse is also true to a great extent. He said this substitution could have taken place because of the heavy dependence on the milk, meat, and wool of the dromedary by Syrian and Arabian nomads, while the Asiatic people domesticated the Bactrian camel, but did not have to depend upon its products.<ref name=bulliet>{{cite book|last1=Bulliet|first1=R.W.|author-link=Richard Bulliet|title=The Camel and the Wheel|url=https://archive.org/details/camelwheel0000bull|url-access=registration|date=1975|publisher=Columbia University Press|location=New York, US|isbn=978-0-231-07235-9|pages=[https://archive.org/details/camelwheel0000bull/page/28 28–259]|access-date=14 November 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190703090057/https://archive.org/details/camelwheel0000bull/|archive-date=3 July 2019|url-status=live}}</ref>

==Characteristics==
[[File:Dromadaire d'Algérie.jpg|thumbnail|left|This camel has thick, double-layered eyelashes and bushy eyebrows. (Algeria)]]
[[File:Dromadaire4478.jpg|thumbnail|The dromedary has a long curved neck, single hump, and long hair on the throat, shoulders, and hump.]]

The dromedary is the tallest of the three camel species. Adult males range in height between {{convert|1.8|and|2.4|m|ft|abbr=on}} at the shoulder;<ref>[[Arab News]], 2018, [https://www.arabnews.com/node/1232611/offbeat Check out the world's tallest camel]</ref><ref name=Guinness>[[Guinness World Records]], [https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/largest-species-of-camel Largest species of camel]</ref> females range between {{convert|1.7|and|1.9|m|ft|abbr=on}}. Males typically weigh between {{convert|400|and|690|kg|lb|abbr=on}};<ref name=Guinness /> females range between {{convert|300|and|540|kg|lb|abbr=on}}. The distinctive features are its long, curved neck, narrow chest, and single hump (the Bactrian camel has two), thick, double-layered eyelashes, and bushy eyebrows.<ref name=mammal>{{cite journal|last=Kohler-Rollefson|first=I.U.|title=''Camelus dromedarius''|journal=[[Mammalian Species]]|date=1991|issue=375|pages=1–8|url=http://www.science.smith.edu/msi/pdf/i0076-3519-375-01-0001.pdf|doi=10.2307/3504297|jstor=3504297|access-date=9 August 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130521140058/http://www.science.smith.edu/msi/pdf/i0076-3519-375-01-0001.pdf|archive-date=21 May 2013|url-status=dead}} {{open access}}</ref> They have sharp vision and a good sense of smell.<ref name=nowak/> The male has a soft [[palate]] ({{transliteration|ar|dulaa}} in Arabic) nearly {{convert|18|cm|in|abbr=on}} long, which he inflates to produce a deep pink sac. The palate, which is often mistaken for the tongue, dangles from one side of the mouth and is used to attract females during the mating season.<ref name=lee/>

The [[coat (animal)|coat]] is generally brown, but can range from black to nearly white.<ref name=mammal/> Leese reported [[Piebaldism|piebald]] dromedaries in [[Kordofan]] and [[Darfur]] in Sudan.<ref name=leese/> Piebald coloration in some camels is thought to be caused by the ''KIT<sup>W1</sup>'' allele of the [[KIT (gene)|''KIT'' gene]], though at least one other mutation likely also causes white spotting.<ref name=Holl2017>{{cite journal | title = A Frameshift Mutation in KIT is Associated with White Spotting in the Arabian Camel | year = 2017| doi = 10.3390/genes8030102| doi-access = free| last1 = Holl| first1 = Heather| last2 = Isaza| first2 = Ramiro| last3 = Mohamoud| first3 = Yasmin| last4 = Ahmed| first4 = Ayeda| last5 = Almathen| first5 = Faisal| last6 = Youcef| first6 = Cherifi| last7 = Gaouar| first7 = Semir| last8 = Antczak| first8 = Douglas| last9 = Brooks| first9 = Samantha| journal = Genes| volume = 8| issue = 3| page = 102| pmid = 28282952| pmc = 5368706}}</ref> The hair is long and concentrated on the throat, shoulders, and hump. The large eyes are protected by prominent [[supraorbital ridge]]s; the ears are small and rounded. The hump is at least {{convert|20|cm|in|abbr=on}} high.<ref name=mammal/> The dromedary has long, powerful legs with two toes on each foot. The feet resemble flat, leathery pads.<ref name=gauthiers/> Like the [[giraffe]], dromedaries move both legs on one side of the body at the same time.<ref name="Rafferty">{{cite book|editor1-last=Rafferty|editor1-first=J.P.|title=Grazers|date=2011|publisher=Britannica Educational Pub.|location=New York, US|isbn=978-1-615-30336-6|page=[https://archive.org/details/grazers0000raff/page/181 181]|edition=1st|url=https://archive.org/details/grazers0000raff/page/181}}</ref>

Compared with the Bactrian camel, the dromedary has a lighter build, longer limbs, shorter hairs, a harder palate, and an insignificant or absent [[ethmoid bone|ethmoidal]] [[fissure (anatomy)|fissure]].<ref name=lesbre>{{cite journal|last1=Lesbre|first1=F.X.|title=Recherches anatomiques sur les camélidés|trans-title=Anatomical research on camels|journal=Archives du Musée d'Histoire Naturelle de Lyon|date=1903|volume=8|pages=1–195|language=fr}}</ref> Unlike the camelids of the genus ''Lama'', the dromedary has a hump, and in comparison has a longer tail, smaller ears, squarer feet, and a greater height at the shoulder. The dromedary has four teats instead of the two in the ''Lama'' species.<ref name=mammal/>

===Anatomy===
{{multiple image
 | direction = vertical
 | width = 200
 | align = right
 | image1 = Camelus dromedarius 3d scan Natural History Museum University of Pisa C 2832.stl
 | alt1 = Skeleton
 | caption1 = [[Skeleton]]
 | image2 = Domestic Dromedary Merzouga.jpg
 | alt2 = Body
 | caption2 = Body for comparison with skeleton
}}
[[File:Dromedary heart.jpg|thumb|left|150px|Dromedary heart]]

The [[cranium]] of the dromedary consists of a [[postorbital bar]], a [[tympanic bulla]] filled with [[Substantia spongiosa|spongiosa]], a well-defined [[sagittal crest]], a long facial part and an indented [[nasal bone]].<ref name=sandhu>{{cite journal|last1=Sandhu|first1=P.S.|last2=Dhingra|first2=L.D.|title=Cranial capacity of Indian camel. Short communication|journal=Indian Journal of Animal Sciences|date=1986|volume=56|pages=870–2|url=http://agris.fao.org/agris-search/search.do?recordID=IN870071488|access-date=25 August 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170825234105/http://agris.fao.org/agris-search/search.do?recordID=IN870071488|archive-date=25 August 2017|url-status=live}}</ref> Typically, there are eight [[sternum|sternal]] and four non-sternal pairs of [[rib]]s.<ref name=leese/> The spinal cord is nearly {{convert|214|cm|in|abbr=on}} long; it terminates in the second and third [[sacral vertebra]].<ref name="hifny">{{Cite journal |last1=Hifny |first1=A.K. |last2=Mansour |first2=A.A. |last3=Moneim |first3=M.E.A. |date=1985 |title=Some anatomical studies of the spinal cord in camel |url=https://avmj.journals.ekb.eg/article_190226.html |journal=Assiut Veterinary Medicine Journal |volume=15 |issue=29 |pages=11–20 |doi=10.21608/avmj.1985.190226 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220228210823/https://avmj.journals.ekb.eg/article_190226.html |archive-date=2022-02-28}}</ref> The [[fibula]] is reduced to a [[Malleolus|malleolar bone]]. The dromedary is a [[digitigrade]] animal; it walks on its toes, which are known as [[Digit (anatomy)|digits]]. It lacks the second and fifth digits.<ref name=simpson>{{cite book|last1=Simpson|first1=C.D.|chapter=Artiodactyls|date=1984|publisher=John Wiley and Sons|location=New York, US|pages=563–87|title=Orders and families of recent mammals of the world|editor1-last=Anderson|editor1-first=S.|editor2-last=Jones Jr.|editor2-first=J.K.)}}</ref> The front feet are {{convert|19|cm|in|abbr=on}} wide and {{convert|18|cm|in|abbr=on}} long; they are larger than the hind feet, which measure {{convert|17|cm|in|abbr=on}} wide and {{convert|16|cm|in|abbr=on}} long.<ref name=gauthiers/>

[[File:Camelus dromedarius (Dromedary) (48724323241).jpg|thumb|right|A dromedary skull]]
The dromedary has 22 [[milk teeth]], which are eventually replaced by 34 [[permanent teeth]]. The [[dental formula]] for permanent dentition is {{DentalFormula|upper=1.1.3.3|lower=3.1.2.3}}, and {{DentalFormula|upper=1.1.3|lower=3.1.2}} for [[Deciduous teeth|milk]] dentition.<ref name=wilson>{{cite book|last1=Wilson|first1=R.T.|title=The Camel|date=1988|publisher=Longman|location=London, UK|isbn=978-0-582-77512-1|pages=1–223|edition=2nd}}</ref> In the juvenile, the lower first [[Molar (tooth)|molars]] develop by 12 to 15 months and the permanent lower [[incisor]]s appear at 4.5 to 6.5 years of age. All teeth are in use by 8 years.<ref name=rabagliati>{{cite book|last1=Rabagliati|first1=D.S.|title=The Dentition of the Camel|date=1924|publisher=Egypt Ministry of Agriculture|location=Cairo, Egypt|pages=1–32}}</ref> The [[Lens (anatomy)|lenses]] of the eyes contain [[crystallin]], which constitutes 8 to 13% of the protein present there.<ref name=garland>{{cite journal|last1=Garland|first1=D.|last2=Rao|first2=P.V.|last3=Del Corso|first3=A.|last4=Mura|first4=U.|last5=Zigler Jr.|first5=J.S.|title=zeta-Crystallin is a major protein in the lens of ''Camelus dromedarius''|journal=Archives of Biochemistry and Biophysics|date=1991|volume=285|issue=1|pages=134–6|doi=10.1016/0003-9861(91)90339-K|pmid=1990971}}</ref>

The skin is black; the [[epidermis (skin)|epidermis]] is {{convert|0.038|-|0.064|mm|in|abbr=on}} thick and the [[dermis]] is {{convert|2.2|-|4.7|mm|in|abbr=on}} thick.<ref name=ghobrial>{{cite journal|last1=Ghobrial|first1=L.I.|title=A comparative study of the integument of the camel, Dorcas gazelle and jerboa in relation to desert life|journal=Journal of Zoology|date=1970|volume=160|issue=4|pages=509–21|doi=10.1111/j.1469-7998.1970.tb03094.x}}</ref> The hump is composed of fat bound together by [[fibrous tissue]].<ref name=mammal/> There are no glands on the face; males have glands that appear to be modified [[apocrine sweat gland]]s that secrete pungent, coffee-coloured fluid during the [[Rut (mammalian reproduction)|rut]], located on either side of the neck midline. The glands generally grow heavier during the rut, and range from {{convert|20|to|115|g|oz|abbr=on}}.<ref name=singh>{{cite journal|last1=Singh|first1=U.B.|last2=Bharadwaj|first2=M.B.|title=Anatomical, histological and histochemical observations and changes in the poll glands of the camel (''Camelus dromedarius'') Part III |url=https://karger.com/aan/article-abstract/102/1/74/1282/Anatomical-histological-and-histochemical |url-access=subscription |journal=Acta Anatomica |date=1978 |volume=102 |issue=1 |pages=74–83 |doi=10.1159/000145621 |pmid=676657 }}</ref> Each cover hair is associated with an [[arrector pilli]] muscle, a [[hair follicle]], a ring of [[sebaceous gland]]s and a [[sweat gland]].<ref name=lee>{{cite journal|last1=Lee|first1=D.G.|last2=Schmidt-Nielsen|first2=K.|title=The skin, sweat glands and hair follicles of the camel (''Camelus dromedarius'')|journal=The Anatomical Record|date=1962|volume=143|issue=1|pages=71–7|doi=10.1002/ar.1091430107|s2cid=85873711}}</ref><ref name=dowling>{{cite journal|last1=Dowling|first1=D.F.|last2=Nay|first2=T.|title=Hair follicles and the sweat glands of the camel (''Camelus dromedarius'')|journal=[[Nature (journal)|Nature]]|date=1962|volume=195|issue=4841|pages=578–80|doi=10.1038/195578a0|bibcode=1962Natur.195..578D|s2cid=4248325}}</ref> Females have cone-shaped, four-chambered [[mammary gland]]s that are {{convert|2.4|cm|in|abbr=on}} long with a base diameter of {{convert|1.5|cm|in|abbr=on}}.<ref name=saleh>{{cite journal|last1=Saleh|first1=M.S.|last2=Mobarak|first2=A.M.|last3=Fouad|first3=S.M.|title=Radiological, anatomical and histological studies of the mammary gland of the one-humped camel (''Camelus dromedarius'')|journal=Zentralblatt für Veterinärmedizin. Reihe A|date=1971|volume=18|issue=4|pages=347–52|doi=10.1111/j.1439-0442.1971.tb00587.x|pmid=4998115}}</ref> These glands can produce milk with up to 90% water content even if the mother is at risk of dehydration.<ref name=mammal/>

[[File:Camel kidney (longitudinal cut).- FMVZ USP-30.jpg|thumb|300x300px|Camel kidney (longitudinal cut)]]

The heart weighs around {{convert|5|kg|lb|abbr=on}}; it has two [[ventricle (heart)|ventricles]] with the tip curving to the left. The [[pulse rate]] is 50 beats per minute.<ref name=hegazi1954>{{cite journal|last1=Hegazi|first1=A.H.|title=The liver of the camel as revealed by macroscopic and microscopic examinations|journal=American Journal of Veterinary Research|date=1954|volume=15|issue=56|pages=444–6|pmid=13171506}}</ref> The dromedary is the only mammal with oval [[red blood corpuscles]], which facilitates blood flow during dehydration.<ref name="hegazi1953" /> The [[pH]] of the blood varies from 7.1 to 7.6 (slightly alkaline). The individual's state of hydration and sex and the time of year can influence [[blood values]].<ref name=barakat>{{cite journal|last1=Barakat|first1=M.Z.|last2=Abdel-Fattah|first2=M.|title=Seasonal and sexual variations of certain constituents of normal camel blood|journal=Zentralblatt für Veterinärmedizin. Reihe A|date=1971|volume=18|issue=2|pages=174–8|doi=10.1111/j.1439-0442.1971.tb00852.x|pmid=4995838}}</ref> The [[lung]]s lack lobes.<ref name=leese/> A dehydrated camel has a lower [[breathing rate]].<ref name=schmidt1967>{{cite journal|last1=Schmidt-Nielsen|first1=K.|last2=Crawford|first2=E.C.Jr.|last3=Newsome|first3=A.E.|last4=Rawson|first4=K.S.|last5=Hammel|first5=H.T.|title=Metabolic rate of camels: effect of body temperature and dehydration|journal=American Journal of Physiology|date=1967|volume=212|issue=2|pages=341–6|doi=10.1152/ajplegacy.1967.212.2.341|pmid=6018015|doi-access=free}}</ref> Each kidney has a capacity of {{convert|858|cm3|cuin|abbr=on}}, and can produce urine with high [[chloride]] concentrations. Like the horse, the dromedary has no [[gall bladder]]. The grayish violet, crescent-like [[spleen]] weighs less than {{convert|500|g|oz|abbr=on}}.<ref name=hegazi1953>{{cite journal|last1=Hegazi|first1=A.H.|title=The spleen of the camel compared with other domesticated animals and its microscopic examination|journal=Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association|date=1953|volume=122|issue=912|pages=182–4|pmid=13044660}}</ref> The triangular, four-chambered liver weighs {{Convert|6.5|kg|lb|abbr=on}}; its dimensions are {{convert|60|x|42|x|18|cm|in|0|abbr=on}}.<ref name=mammal/>

===={{anchor|Reproductive system}}Reproductive system====
The [[Ovary|ovaries]] are reddish, circular and flattened.<ref name=arthur>{{cite journal|last1=Arthur|first1=G.H.|last2=A/Rahim|first2=A.T.|last3=Al Hindi|first3=A.S.|title=Reproduction and genital diseases of the camel|journal=British Veterinary Journal|date=1985|volume=141|issue=6|pages=650–9|doi=10.1016/0007-1935(85)90014-4|pmid=4063788}}</ref> They are enclosed in a conical [[Bursa (anatomy)|bursa]] and have the dimensions {{convert|4|x|2.5|x|0.5|cm|in|abbr=on|round=each}} during [[anestrus]]. The [[oviduct]]s are {{convert|25|-|28|cm|in|abbr=on}} long. The [[uterus]] is [[Bicornuate uterus|bicornuate]]. The [[vagina]] is {{convert|3|-|3.5|cm|in|abbr=on}} long and has well-developed [[Bartholin's gland]]s.<ref name=novoa/> The [[vulva]] is {{convert|3|-|5|cm|in|abbr=on}} deep and has a small [[clitoris]].<ref name=wilson/> The [[placenta]] is diffuse and [[Placentation#Placentation in mammals|epitheliochorial]], with a crescent-like [[chorion]].<ref name=morton>{{cite journal|last1=Morton|first1=W.R.M.|title=Observations on the full-term foetal membranes of three members of the Camelidae (''Camelus dromedarius'' L., ''Camelus bactrianus'' L., and ''Lama glama'' L.)|journal=Journal of Anatomy|date=1961|volume=95|issue=2|pages=200–9|pmc=1244464|pmid=13772976}}</ref>

The [[penis]] is covered by a triangular [[penile sheath]] that opens backwards; it is about {{convert|60|cm|in|abbr=on}} long.<ref name=mobarak>{{cite journal|last1=Mobarak|first1=A.M.|last2=ElWishy|first2=A.B.|last3=Samira|first3=M.F.|title=The penis and prepuce of the one-humped camel (''Camelus dromedarius'')|journal=Zentralblatt für Veterinärmedizin. Reihe A|date=1972|volume=19|issue=9|pages=787–95|doi=10.1111/j.1439-0442.1972.tb00532.x|pmid=4629466|url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/286418303}}</ref> The [[scrotum]] is located high in the [[perineum]] with the [[testicles]] in separate sacs. {{anchor|Testicles}} Testicles are {{convert|7|-|10|cm|in|abbr=on}} long, {{convert|4.5|cm|in|abbr=on}} deep and {{convert|5|cm|in|abbr=on}} wide.<ref name=mammal/> The right testicle is often smaller than the left.<ref name=camel/> The typical mass of either testicle is less than {{convert|140|g|lb|abbr=on}}; during the rut the mass increases from {{convert|165|to|253|g|lb|abbr=on}}.<ref name=mammal/> The [[Cowper's gland]] is white, almond-shaped and lacks [[seminal vesicles]]; the [[prostate gland]] is dark yellow, disc-shaped and divided into two lobes.<ref name=mobarak/>
The camel epididymis interstitium revealed several blood vessels harboring special regulatory devices such as the spiral arteries, spiral veins, and throttle arterioles.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Hussein and Abdel-maksoud |first1=Manal and Fatma |title=Structural Investigation of Epididymal Microvasculature and Its Relation to Telocytes and Immune Cells in Camel |journal=Microscopy and Microanalysis |year=2020 |volume=26 |issue=5 |pages=1024–1034 |doi=10.1017/S1431927620001786 |pmid=32665042 |bibcode=2020MiMic..26.1024H |s2cid=220527872 |url=https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/microscopy-and-microanalysis/article/abs/structural-investigation-of-epididymal-microvasculature-and-its-relation-to-telocytes-and-immune-cells-in-camel/E131C8C01E9DD822F2FF1621E25E805C|url-access=subscription }}</ref>

===Health and diseases===
The dromedary generally suffers from fewer diseases than other domestic livestock such as goats and cattle.<ref name=leupold>{{cite journal|last1=Leupold|first1=J.|title=Camel-an important domestic animal of the subtropics|journal=Blue Book for the Veterinary Profession|date=1968|volume=15|pages=1–6}}</ref> Temperature fluctuations occur throughout the day in a healthy dromedary – the temperature falls to its minimum at dawn, rises until sunset and falls during the night.<ref name=leese1918>{{cite book|last1=Leese|first1=A.S.|author-link=Arnold Leese|title="Tips" on camels for veterinary surgeons on active service|date=1918|pages=1–56|url=http://krishikosh.egranth.ac.in/bitstream/1/22454/1/SVAC3800.pdf|publisher=Bailliere, Tindall And Cox|location=London, UK|access-date=28 January 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160206224554/http://krishikosh.egranth.ac.in/bitstream/1/22454/1/SVAC3800.pdf|archive-date=6 February 2016|url-status=dead}}</ref> Nervous camels may vomit if they are carelessly handled; this does not always indicate a disorder. Rutting males may develop nausea.<ref name=camel/>

The dromedary is prone to [[trypanosomiasis]], a disease caused by a parasite transmitted by the [[tsetse fly]]. The main symptoms are recurring fever, [[anaemia]] and weakness; the disease is typically fatal for the camel.<ref name=currason>{{cite journal|last1=Currason|first1=G.|title=Le chameau et ses maladies|journal=Paris: Vigotfreres|date=1947|pages=188–237|trans-title=The camel and its diseases|language=fr}}</ref> [[Brucellosis]] is another prominent malady. In an observational study, the [[seroprevalence]] of this disease was generally low (2 to 5%) in nomadic or moderately free dromedaries, but it was higher (8 to 15%) in denser populations. Brucellosis is caused by different [[biotype]]s of ''[[Brucella abortus]]'' and ''[[Brucella melitensis|B. melitensis]]''.<ref name=brucella>{{cite journal|last1=Abbas|first1=B.|last2=Agab|first2=H.|title=A review of camel brucellosis|journal=Preventive Veterinary Medicine|date=2002|volume=55|issue=1|pages=47–56|doi=10.1016/S0167-5877(02)00055-7|pmid=12324206}}</ref> Other internal parasites include ''[[Fasciola gigantica]]'' ([[trematode]]), two types of [[cestode]] (tapeworm) and various [[nematode]]s (roundworms). Among external parasites, ''[[Sarcoptes]]'' species cause [[sarcoptic mange]].<ref name=mammal/> In a 2000 study in [[Jordan]], 83% of the 32 camels studied tested positive for sarcoptic mange.<ref name=Jordan>{{cite journal|last1=Al-Rawashdeh|first1=O.F.|last2=Al-Ani|first2=F.K.|last3=Sharrif|first3=L.A.|last4=Al-Qudah|first4=K.M.|last5=Al-Hami|first5=Y.|last6=Frank|first6=N.|title=A survey of camel (''Camelus dromedarius'') diseases in Jordan|journal=Journal of Zoo and Wildlife Medicine|date=2000|volume=31|issue=3|pages=335–8|issn=1042-7260|pmid=11237140|doi=10.1638/1042-7260(2000)031[0335:ASOCCD]2.0.CO;2|s2cid=24597310 }}</ref> In another study, dromedaries were found to have natural [[antibody|antibodies]] against the [[rinderpest virus|rinderpest]] and [[ovine rinderpest]] viruses.<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Roger|first1=F.|last2=Yesus|first2=M. G.|last3=Libeau|first3=G.|last4=Diallo|first4=A.|last5=Yigezu|first5=L.M.|last6=Yilma|first6=T.|title=Detection of antibodies of rinderpest and peste des petits ruminants viruses (Paramyxoviridae, Morbillivirus) during a new epizootic disease in Ethiopian camels (''Camelus dromedarius'')|journal=Revue de Médecine Vétérinaire|year=2001|volume=152|issue=3|pages=265–8|url=http://www.revmedvet.com/2001/RMV152_265_268.pdf|access-date=9 April 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160419161006/http://www.revmedvet.com/2001/RMV152_265_268.pdf|archive-date=19 April 2016|url-status=usurped}}</ref>

In 2013, a seroepidemiological study (a study investigating the patterns, causes and effects of a disease on a specific population on the basis of [[serologic]] tests) in Egypt was the first to show the dromedary might be a host for the [[Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus]] (MERS-CoV).<ref name=merscov2>{{cite journal|last1=Perera|first1=R.|last2=Wang|first2=P.|last3=Gomaa|first3=M.|last4=El-Shesheny|first4=R.|last5=Kandeil|first5=A.|last6=Bagato|first6=O.|last7=Siu|first7=L.|last8=Shehata|first8=M.|last9=Kayed|first9=A.|last10=Moatasim|first10=Y.|last11=Li|first11=M.|last12=Poon|first12=L.|last13=Guan|first13=Y.|last14=Webby|first14=R.|last15=Ali|first15=M.|last16=Peiris|first16=J.|last17=Kayali|first17=G.|title=Seroepidemiology for MERS coronavirus using microneutralisation and pseudoparticle virus neutralisation assays reveal a high prevalence of antibody in dromedary camels in Egypt, June 2013|journal=[[Eurosurveillance]]|date=2013|volume=18|issue=36|page=20574|doi=10.2807/1560-7917.ES2013.18.36.20574|pmid=24079378|doi-access=free}}</ref> A 2013–14 study of dromedaries in Saudi Arabia concluded the unusual genetic stability of MERS-CoV coupled with its high seroprevalence in the dromedary makes this camel a highly probable host for the virus. The full genome sequence of MERS-CoV from dromedaries in this study showed a 99.9% match to the genomes of human clade B MERS-CoV.<ref name=merscov1>{{cite journal|last1=Hemida|first1=M. G.|last2=Chu|first2=D.K.W.|last3=Poon|first3=L.L.M.|last4=Perera|first4=R.A.P.M.|last5=Alhammadi|first5=M.A.|last6=Ng|first6=H.Y.|last7=Siu|first7=L.Y.|last8=Guan|first8=Y.|last9=Alnaeem|first9=A.|last10=Peiris|first10=M.|title=MERS coronavirus in dromedary camel herd, Saudi Arabia|journal=Emerging Infectious Diseases|date=2014|volume=20|issue=7|pages=1231–4|doi=10.3201/eid2007.140571|pmc=4073860|pmid=24964193}}</ref> Another study in Saudi Arabia showed the presence of MERS-CoV in 90% of the evaluated dromedaries and suggested that camels could be the animal source of MERS-CoV.<ref name=merscov3>{{cite journal|last1=Hemida|first1=M.|last2=Perera|first2=R.|last3=Wang|first3=P.|last4=Alhammadi|first4=M.|last5=Siu|first5=L.|last6=Li|first6=M.|last7=Poon|first7=L.|last8=Saif|first8=L.|last9=Alnaeem|first9=A.|last10=Peiris|first10=M.|title=Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) coronavirus seroprevalence in domestic livestock in Saudi Arabia, 2010 to 2013|journal=[[Eurosurveillance]]|date=2013|volume=18|issue=50|page=20659|doi=10.2807/1560-7917.ES2013.18.50.20659|pmid=24342517|doi-access=free}}</ref>

[[File:DromedaryGroupIsrael052611.jpg|thumb|Herd of dromedaries in the [[Negev]], Israel]]
Fleas and ticks are common causes of physical irritation. ''[[Hyalomma dromedarii]]'' is especially adapted to arid conditions, changing its [[moulting]] process to complete more or all of its life cycle on a single host if stressed, and having an unusually wide host range. The larvae are not well understood but [[larval questing|their questing]] phase is assumed to occur during the winter, which is also when rain arrives. The nymphs infest the host mostly in January, then the adults May to September.<ref name="Leal-et-al-2020">{{cite journal | last1=Leal | first1=Brenda | last2=Zamora | first2=Emily | last3=Fuentes | first3=Austin | last4=Thomas | first4=Donald B. | last5=Dearth | first5=Robert K. | editor-last=Reddy | editor-first=Gadi VP | title=Questing by Tick Larvae (Acari: Ixodidae): A Review of the Influences That Affect Off-Host Survival | journal=[[Annals of the Entomological Society of America]] | publisher=[[Entomological Society of America]] ([[Oxford University Press|OUP]]) | volume=113 | issue=6 | date=22 June 2020 | issn=0013-8746 | doi=10.1093/aesa/saaa013| pmc=7677832  | pages=425–438| pmid=33244354 }}</ref> In a study in Egypt, ''H. dromedarii'' was dominant in dromedaries, comprising 95.6% of the adult ticks isolated from the camels. In Israel, the number of ticks per camel ranged from 20 to 105. Nine camels in the date palm plantations in [[Arava Valley]] were injected with [[ivermectin]], which is not effective against ''Hyalomma'' tick infestations.{{clarify|date=November 2021}}<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Straten|first1=M.|last2=Jongejan|first2=F.|title=Ticks (Acari: Ixodidae) infesting the Arabian camel (''Camelus dromedarius'') in the Sinai, Egypt with a note on the acaricidal efficacy of ivermectin|journal=Experimental and Applied Acarology|date=1993|volume=17|issue=8|pages=605–16|doi=10.1007/BF00053490|pmid=7628237|s2cid=43598032}}</ref> Larvae of the camel nasal fly ''[[Cephalopsis titillator]]'' can cause possibly fatal [[brain compression]] and [[Neurological disorder|nervous disorders]]. Illnesses that can affect dromedary productivity are [[Pus|pyogenic]] diseases and wound infections caused by ''[[Corynebacterium]]'' and ''[[Streptococcus]]'', [[pulmonary disease|pulmonary disorders]] caused by ''[[Pasteurella]]'' such as [[hemorrhagic septicemia]] and ''[[Rickettsia]]'' species, [[camelpox]], [[anthrax]], and [[cutaneous]] [[necrosis]] caused by ''[[Streptothrix]]'' and deficiency of salt in the diet.<ref name=mammal/>

==Ecology==
[[File:Lion Attacking a Dromedary full.jpg|thumb|"Lion Attacking a Dromedary," a 19th-century [[taxidermy]] [[diorama]] by [[Jules Verreaux|Jules]] and [[Édouard Verreaux]]<ref name="ngNews" />]]
The dromedary is [[diurnality|diurnal]] (active mainly during daylight); free-ranging herds feed and roam throughout the day, though they rest during the hottest hours around noon. The night is mainly spent resting. Dromedaries form cohesive groups of about 20 individuals, which consist of several females led by a dominant male. Females may also lead in turns.<ref name=mammal/> Some males either form bachelor groups or roam alone.<ref name=klingel>{{cite journal|last1=Klingel|first1=H.|title=Social organization of the camel (''Camelus dromedarius'')|journal=Verhandlungen der Deutschen Zoologischen Gesellschaft|date=1985|volume=78|page=210}}</ref> Herds may congregate to form associations of hundreds of camels during migrations at the time of natural disasters. The males of the herd prevent female members from interacting with bachelor males by standing or walking between them and sometimes driving the bachelor males away. In Australia, short-term [[home range]]s of feral dromedaries cover {{convert|50|to|150|sqkm|sqmi|abbr=on}}; annual home ranges can spread over several thousand square kilometres.<ref name=mammal/>

Special behavioral features of the dromedary include snapping at others without biting them and showing displeasure by stamping their feet. They are generally non-aggressive, with the exception of rutting males. They appear to remember their homes; females, in particular, remember the places they first gave birth or suckled their offspring.<ref name=mammal/> Males become aggressive in the mating season, and sometimes wrestle. A 1980 study showed [[androgen]] levels in males influences their behavior. Between January and April when these levels are high during the rut, they become difficult to manage, blow out the palate from the mouth, vocalize and throw urine over their backs.<ref name=yagil>{{cite journal|last1=Yagil|first1=R.|last2=Etzion|first2=Z.|title=Hormonal and behavioral patterns in the male camel (''Camelus dromedarius'')|journal=Reproduction|date=1 January 1980|volume=58|issue=1|pages=61–5|doi=10.1530/jrf.0.0580061|pmid=7359491|doi-access=free}}</ref> Camels scratch parts of their bodies with their legs or with their lower incisors. They may also rub against tree bark and roll in the sand.<ref name=mammal/>

Free-ranging dromedaries face large predators typical of their regional distribution, which includes [[Subspecies of Canis lupus#Eurasia and Australia|wolves]], [[lion]]s<ref name="ngNews">{{cite web |last1=Chambers |first1=Delaney |title=150-year-old Diorama Surprises Scientists With Human Remains |date=29 January 2017 |url=http://news.nationalgeographic.com/2017/01/taxidermy-carnegie-museum-skull/ |website=news.nationalgeographic.com |publisher=National Geographic |access-date=22 April 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170423063435/http://news.nationalgeographic.com/2017/01/taxidermy-carnegie-museum-skull/ |archive-date=23 April 2017 |url-status=dead }}</ref> and [[tiger]]s.<ref name=gauthiers>{{cite book|last1=Gauthier-Pilters|first1=H.|title=The Camel, Its Evolution, Ecology, Behavior, and Relationship to Man|url=https://archive.org/details/camelitsevolutio0000gaut|url-access=registration|publisher=University of Chicago Press|location=Chicago, US|isbn=978-0-226-28453-8|last2=Dagg|first2=A.I.|date=1981|author2-link=Anne Innis Dagg}}</ref>

===Diet===
[[File:SFEC-2006-10-EGYPT-LUXOR-CAMEL0303.JPG|thumb|Dromedaries are primarily browsers]]

The dromedary's diet consists mostly of foliage, dry grasses and desert vegetation&nbsp;&ndash; mostly thorny plants.<ref name=diet1>{{cite journal|last=Sambraus|first=H.H.|title=Biological function of morphologic peculiarities of the dromedary|journal=Tierarztliche Praxis|date=June 1994|volume=22|issue=3|pages=291–3|pmid=8048041}}</ref> A study said the typical diet of the dromedary is dwarf shrubs (47.5%), trees (29.9%), grasses (11.2%), other herbs (0.2%) and vines (11%).<ref name=field>{{cite book|last1=Field|first1=C.R.|title=Ecology and management of camels, sheep and goats in northern Kenya. Mimeo, Nairobi, UNEP/MAB/IPAL|date=1979|pages=1–18|publisher=United Nations Environmental Programme/Man and Biosphere -Integrated Project in Arid Lands}}</ref> The dromedary is primarily a browser; [[forb]]s and shrubs comprise 70% of its diet in summer and 90% of its diet in winter. The dromedary may also graze on tall, young, succulent grasses.<ref name=newman/>

In the Sahara, 332 plant species have been recorded as food plants of the dromedary. These include ''[[Aristida pungens]]'', ''[[Acacia tortilis]]'', ''[[Panicum turgidum]]'', ''[[Launaea arborescens]]'' and ''[[Balanites aegyptiaca]]''.<ref name=gauthiers/> The dromedary eats ''[[Acacia]]'', ''[[Atriplex]]'' and ''[[Salsola]]'' when they are available.<ref name=newman>{{cite journal|last1=Newman|first1=D.M.R.|title=The feeds and feeding habits of Old and New World camels|journal=The Camelid|date=1979|volume=1|pages=250–92|url=http://www.diva-portal.org/smash/get/diva2:277808/FULLTEXT01.pdf#page=252|access-date=28 January 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160203081016/http://www.diva-portal.org/smash/get/diva2:277808/FULLTEXT01.pdf#page=252|archive-date=3 February 2016|url-status=live}}</ref> Feral dromedaries in Australia prefer ''[[Trichodesma zeylanicum]]'' and ''[[Euphorbia tannensis]]''. In India, dromedaries are fed with forage plants such as ''[[Vigna aconitifolia]]'', ''[[Vigna mungo|V. mungo]]'', ''[[Cyamopsis tetragonolaba]]'', ''[[Melilotus parviflora]]'', ''[[Eruca sativa]]'', ''[[Trifolium]]'' species and ''[[Brassica campestris]]''.<ref name=newman/> Dromedaries keep their mouths open while chewing thorny food. They use their lips to grasp the food and chew each bite 40 to 50 times. Its long eyelashes, eyebrows, lockable nostrils, [[Caudal (anatomical term)#Anterior and posterior|caudal]] opening of the [[foreskin|prepuce]] and a relatively small vulva help the camel avoid injuries, especially while feeding.<ref name=diet1/> They graze for 8–12 hours per day and ruminate for an equal amount of time.<ref name=mammal/>

==Biology==
===Adaptations===
[[File:Dromedary Footprint in Sand.jpg|thumb|upright|Footprint in dry sand]]

The dromedary is specially adapted to its desert habitat; these adaptations are aimed at conserving water and regulating body temperature. The bushy eyebrows and the double row of eyelashes prevent sand and dust from entering the eyes during strong windstorms, and shield them from the sun's glare.<ref name=King>{{cite book|last1=King|first1=S.A.|title=Animal Dreaming: The Spiritual and Symbolic Language of the Australasian Animals|date=2007|publisher=Blue Angel Gallery|location=Melbourne, Australia|isbn=978-0-9803983-0-4|pages=78–9|edition=Revised and expanded}}</ref> The dromedary is able to close its nostrils voluntarily; this assists in water conservation.<ref name="ngNews" /> The dromedary can conserve water by reducing perspiration by fluctuating the body temperature throughout the day from {{convert|31|to|41.7|C|F}}. The kidneys are specialized to minimize water loss through excretion. Groups of camels avoid excess heat from the environment by pressing against each other. The dromedary can tolerate greater than 30% water loss, which is generally impossible for other mammals. In temperatures between {{convert|30|and|40|C|F}}, it needs water every 10 to 15 days. In the hottest temperatures, the dromedary takes water every four to seven days. Dromedaries have a quick rate of rehydration, drinking up to {{convert|114|L|impgal|abbr=on}} in a single sitting,<ref name="h559">{{cite web|last=Gonzalez|first=Nora|title=Do Camels Store Water in Their Humps?|website=Encyclopedia Britannica|date=30 November 2023|url=https://www.britannica.com/story/do-camels-store-water-in-their-humps|access-date=9 February 2025}}</ref> at a rate of {{convert|10|-|20|L|impgal|abbr=on}} per minute.<ref name=mammal/> The dromedary has a [[rete mirabile]], a complex of arteries and veins lying very close to each other which uses countercurrent blood flow to cool blood flowing to the brain. This effectively controls the temperature of the brain.<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Zguigal|first1=H.|last2=Ghoshal|first2=N.G.|title=Gross and histologic study of the rostral epidural rete mirabile and the cavernous sinus in one-humped camels|journal=American Journal of Veterinary Research|date=1991|volume=52|issue=7|pages=1173–7|doi=10.2460/ajvr.1991.52.07.1173 |pmid=1892276}}</ref>

The hump stores up to {{convert|80|lb|kg|abbr=on}} of fat, which the camel can break down into energy to meet its needs when resources are scarce; the hump also helps dissipate body heat.<ref>{{cite journal|last1=MacFarlane|first1=W.V.|title=Survival in an arid land|journal=Australian Natural History|date=1977|volume=19|pages=18–23}}</ref> When this tissue is metabolized, through [[lipolysis|fat metabolization]], it releases energy while causing water to evaporate from the lungs during [[breathing|respiration]] (as oxygen is required for the metabolic process): overall, there is a net decrease in water.<ref name=vannjones>{{cite web|url=http://www.djur.cob.lu.se/Djurartiklar/Kamel.html|title=What secrets lie within the camel's hump?|first=Kerstin|last=Vann Jones|publisher=Lund University|location=Sweden|access-date=7 January 2008|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090523104134/http://www.djur.cob.lu.se/Djurartiklar/Kamel.html|archive-date=23 May 2009}}</ref><ref name=rastogi71>{{cite book | publisher = New Age International | isbn = 9788122412796 | last = Rastogi | first = S. C. | title = Essentials Of Animal Physiology | year = 1971|pages=180–181}}</ref> If the hump is small, the animal can show signs of starvation. In a 2005 study, the mean volume of adipose tissues (in the external part of the hump that have cells to store lipids) is related to the dromedary's unique mechanism of food and water storage.<ref name=adaptation>{{cite book|editor1-last=Faye|editor1-first=B.|title=Desertification Combat and Food Safety: the Added Value of Camel Producers, Ashgabad, Turkmenistan|year=2005|publisher=IOS Press|isbn=978-1-58603-473-3|pages=135–45|series=NATO Science Series (I): Life and Behavioural Sciences|volume=362|editor2-last=Esenov|editor2-first=P.|last1=Chilliard|first1=Y.|last2=Bengoumi|first2=M.|last3=Delavaud|first3=C.|last4=Faulconnier|first4=Y.|last5=Faye|first5=B.|chapter=Body lipids and adaptation of camel to food and water shortage: new data on adipocyte size and plasma leptin}}</ref> In case of starvation, they can even eat fish and bones, and drink brackish and salty water.<ref name=nowak/> The hair is longer on the throat, hump and shoulders. Though the padded hooves effectively support the camel's weight on the ground,<ref name=ngCamel>{{cite web|title=Arabian (Dromedary) Camel (''Camelus dromedarius'')|date=10 May 2011|url=http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/dromedary-camel/|publisher=[[National Geographic Society|National Geographic]]|access-date=12 April 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121119062839/http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/dromedary-camel|archive-date=19 November 2012|url-status=dead}}</ref> they are not suitable for walking on slippery and muddy surfaces.<ref name=mammal/>

===Reproduction===
[[File:Desert (6486255967).jpg|right|thumb|Mating]]
[[File:Camelcalf-feeding.jpg|right|thumb|Calf suckling]]

Camels have a slow growth rate and reach sexual maturity slower than sheep or goat.<ref name=chatty>{{cite journal|last1=Chatty|first1=D.|title=Structural forces of pastoral nomadism, with special reference to camel pastoral nomadism|journal=Institute of Social Studies (The Hague) Occasional Papers|date=1972|issue=16|pages=1–96}}</ref> The age of sexual maturity varies geographically and depends on the individual, as does the reproductive period. Both sexes might [[sexual maturity|mature]] by three to five years of age, though successful breeding could take longer. Camels are described as atypical seasonal breeders; they exhibit spermatogenesis throughout the whole year with a reduction in spermatogenesis during the nonbreeding season compared to that in the
breeding season (Zayed et al., 1995). The breeding season in Egypt is during spring; the spring months.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Abdel-maksoud |first1=Fatma |title=Seasonal Variation of the Intraepithelial Gland in Camel Epididymis with Special Reference to Autophagosome |journal=Microscopy and Microanalysis |year=2019 |volume=25 |issue=4 |pages=1052–1060 |doi=10.1017/S1431927619014557 |pmid=31210121 |bibcode=2019MiMic..25.1052A |s2cid=190514348 |url=https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/microscopy-and-microanalysis/article/abs/seasonal-variation-of-the-intraepithelial-gland-in-camel-epididymis-with-special-reference-to-autophagosome/06B802194F2F461A3AE85BDBF80777F1|url-access=subscription }}</ref> Mating occurs once a year, and peaks in the rainy season. The mating season lasts three to five months, but may last a year for older animals.<ref name=camel/><ref>{{cite journal|last1=Abdel Rahim|first1=S.E.|title=Studies on the age of puberty of male camels (''Camelus dromedarius'') in Saudi Arabia|journal=Veterinary Journal |date=1997|volume=154|issue=1|pages=79–83|pmid=9265856|doi=10.1016/s1090-0233(05)80011-5}}</ref>

During the reproductive season, males splash their urine on their tails and nether regions. To attract females they extrude their soft palate – a trait unique to the dromedary.<ref name=pilters>{{cite journal|last1=H.|first1=Pilters|last2=T.|first2=Krumbach|last3=W.G.|first3=Kükenthal|title=Das verhalten der Tylopoden|journal=Handbuch der Zoologie|date=1956|volume=8|issue=10|pages=1–24}}</ref> As the male gurgles, copious quantities of [[saliva]] turns to foam and covers the mouth. Males threaten each other for [[Dominance (ethology)|dominance]] over the female by trying to stand taller than the other, making low noises and a series of head movements including lowering, lifting and bending their necks backward. Males try to defeat other males by biting the opponent's legs and taking the head between his jaws.<ref name=singh/> Copulation begins with foreplay; the male smells the female's genitalia and often bites her there or around her hump.<ref name=kohli>{{cite journal|last1=Khan|first1=A.A.|last2=Kohli|first2=I.S.|title=A note on the sexual behavior of male camel (''Camelus dromedarius'')|journal=The Indian Journal of Animal Sciences|date=1973|volume=43|issue=12|pages=1092–4|pmid=4806534}}</ref> The male forces the female to sit, then grasps her with his forelegs. Camelmen often aid the male insert his penis into the female's vulva.<ref name=hartley>{{cite journal|last1=Hartley|first1=B.J.|title=The dromedary of the Horn of Africa|journal=Paper Presented at Workshop on Camels|date=1979|pages=77–97|publisher=International Foundation for Science|location=Stockholm}}</ref> The male dromedary's ability to penetrate the female on his own is disputed, though feral populations in Australia reproduce naturally.<ref name=camel/> Copulation takes from 7 to 35 minutes, averaging 11 to 15 minutes. Normally, three to four ejaculations occur.<ref name=camel/> The [[semen]] of a [[Bikaner]]i dromedary is white and viscous, with a pH of around 7.8.<ref name=kohli/>

A single calf is born after a [[Pregnancy (mammals)|gestation period]] of 15 months. Calves move freely by the end of their first day. Nursing and maternal care continue for one to two years. In a study to find whether young could exist on milk substitutes, two male, month-old camels were separated from their mothers and were fed on milk substitutes prepared commercially for lambs, and they grew to normal weights for male calves after 30 days.<ref name="milk substitute">{{cite journal|last1=Elias|first1=E.|last2=Cohen|first2=D.|last3=Steimetz|first3=E.|title=A preliminary note on the use of milk substitutes in the early weaning of dromedary camels|journal=Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology A|year=1986|volume=85|issue=1|pages=117–9|doi=10.1016/0300-9629(86)90471-8|pmid=2876805}}</ref> Lactational yield can vary with species, breed, individual, region, diet, management conditions and lactating stage.<ref name=dina>{{cite journal|last1=Klintegerg|first1=R.|last2=Dina|first2=D.|title=Proposal for a rural development training project and study concerned with camel utilization in arid lands in Ethiopia|journal=Addis Abab (Mimeographed)|date=1979|pages=1–11}}</ref> The largest quantity of milk is produced during the early period of lactation.<ref name=camel/> The lactation period can vary between nine and eighteen months.<ref name=bremaud>{{cite journal|last1=Bremaud|first1=O.|title=Notes on camel production in the Northern districts of the Republic of Kenya|journal=Maisons-Alfort, IEMVT (Institut d'Elevage et de Médecine Vétérinaire des Pays Tropicaux)|date=1969|pages=1–105|publisher=ILCA}}</ref>

Dromedaries are [[Induced ovulation (animals)|induced ovulators]].<ref name="Chen">{{cite journal|journal=J. Reprod. Fertil.|year=1985|volume=74|issue=2|pages=335–339|title=Semen-induced ovulation in the bactrian camel (Camelus bactrianus).|last1=Chen|first1=B.X.|last2=Yuen|first2=Z.X.|last3=Pan|first3=G.W.|doi=10.1530/jrf.0.0740335|pmid=3900379|doi-access=free}}</ref> Oestrus may be cued by the nutritional status of the camel and the length of day.<ref name=shalash>{{cite journal|last1=Shalash|first1=M.R.|last2=Nawito|first2=M.|title=Some reproductive aspects in the female camel|journal=World Rev. Anim. Prod|date=1965|volume=4|pages=103–8}}</ref> If mating does not occur, the [[Ovarian follicle|follicle]], which grows during oestrus, usually regresses within a few days.<ref name=skidmore2>{{cite journal|last=Skidmore|first=J. A.|title=Reproduction in dromedary camels: an update|journal=Animal Reproduction|date=July–September 2005|volume=2|issue=3|pages=161–71|url=http://www.cbra.org.br/pages/publicacoes/animalreproduction/issues/download/AR060.pdf|access-date=6 August 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304050856/http://www.cbra.org.br/pages/publicacoes/animalreproduction/issues/download/AR060.pdf|archive-date=4 March 2016|url-status=live}}</ref> In one study, 35 complete oestrous cycles were observed in five nonpregnant females over 15 months. The cycles were about 28 days long; follicles matured in six days, maintained their size for 13 days, and returned to their original size in eight days.<ref name=musa>{{cite journal|last1=Musa|first1=B.|last2=Abusineina|first2=M.|title=The oestrous cycle of the camel (''Camelus dromedarius'') |journal=[[Veterinary Record]] |date=16 December 1978|volume=103|issue=25|pages=556–7|doi=10.1136/vr.103.25.556|doi-broken-date=1 November 2024 |pmid=570318|s2cid=29630264}}</ref> In another study, ovulation could be best induced when the follicle reaches a size of {{convert|0.9|-|1.9|cm|in|abbr=on}}.<ref name=skidmore>{{cite journal|last1=Skidmore|first1=J. A.|last2=Billah|first2=M.|last3=Allen|first3=W. R.|title=The ovarian follicular wave pattern and induction of ovulation in the mated and non-mated one-humped camel (''Camelus dromedarius'')|journal=Reproduction|date=1 March 1996|volume=106|issue=2|pages=185–92|doi=10.1530/jrf.0.1060185|pmid=8699400|doi-access=free}}</ref> In another study, pregnancy in females could be recognized as early as 40 to 45 days of gestation by the swelling of the left [[uterine horn]], where 99.5% of pregnancies were located.<ref name=elwishy>{{cite journal|last=ElWishy|first=A. B.|title=A study of the genital organs of the female dromedary (''Camelus dromedarius'')|journal=Journal of Reproduction and Fertility|date=March 1988 |volume=82|issue=2|pages=587–93|doi=10.1530/jrf.0.0820587|pmid=3361493|doi-access=free}}</ref>

==Range==
Its range included hot, arid regions of northern Africa, Ethiopia, the [[Near East]], and western and central Asia.<ref>{{cite journal|last=Wardeh|first=M. F.|title=Classification of the dromedary camels|journal=Camel Science|year=2004|volume=1|pages=1–7|citeseerx = 10.1.1.137.2350 }}</ref> The dromedary typically thrives in areas with a long dry season and a short wet season.<ref name=wilson2>{{cite journal|last1=Wilson|first1=R.T.|last2=Bourzat|first2=D.|title=Research on the dromedary in Africa|journal=Scientific and Technical Review|date=1987|volume=6|issue=2|pages=383–9|pmid=32370330|url=http://www.oie.int/doc/ged/D8489.PDF|access-date=28 January 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150607073643/http://www.oie.int/doc/ged/D8489.PDF|archive-date=7 June 2015|url-status=live}}</ref> They are sensitive to cold and humidity,<ref name=wilson/> though some breeds can thrive in humid conditions.<ref name=wilson2/>

[[File:2019 10 15 Socio Economic Development-18 (49126379212).jpg|thumb|A herd of dromedaries in [[Baidoa]], Somalia]]

The dromedary was first domesticated in the southern Arabian Peninsula around 4000–3000 BC.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Fuquay |first1=John W. |last2=Fox |first2=Patrick F. |last3=McSweeny |first3=Paul L.H. |title=Encyclopedia of Dairy Sciences |year=2011 |publisher=Academic Press |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=dXE0ZfUnCKwC&q=The+Dromedary+was+first+domesticated |isbn= 9780128187678}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |author=National Park Service |title=Arid and Semiarid Lands: Sustainable Use and Management in Developing Countries |page=65 |year=1984 |publisher=National Park Service}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last=Fowler |first=Murray |title=Medicine and Surgery of Camelids |page=30 |year=2011 |publisher=Wiley |isbn=9780470961698}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last=Kingdon |first=Johnathan |title=East African Mammals: An Atlas of Evolution in Africa, Volume 3, Part B: Large Mammals |page=281 |year=1984 |publisher=University of Chicago Press |isbn=9780226437224}}</ref> In the ninth or tenth century BC, the dromedary became popular in the Near East. The Persian invasion of Egypt under [[Cambyses II|Cambyses]] in 525&nbsp;BC introduced domesticated camels to the area. The Persian camels were not well-suited to trading or travel over the Sahara; journeys across the desert were made on chariots pulled by horses.<ref name="bromiley">{{cite book|last=Bromiley|first=G. W.|title=The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, Volume One: AD|year=1979|publisher=W.B. Eerdmans|isbn=978-0-8028-3781-3}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|last=Gellner|first=A. M. K.|title=Nomads and the Outside World|year=1994|publisher=University of Wisconsin Press|isbn=978-0-299-14284-1|edition=2nd|page=[https://archive.org/details/isbn_9780299142841/page/108 108]|url-access=registration|url=https://archive.org/details/isbn_9780299142841/page/108}}</ref> The dromedary was introduced into Egypt from south-western Asia (Arabia and Persia).<ref name="currason" /><ref name="epstein">{{cite journal|last1=Epstein|first1=H.|title=History and origin of the African camel|journal=The Origin of the Domestic Animals in Africa|date=1971|pages=558–64|publisher=African Publishing Corporation}}</ref> The popularity of dromedaries increased after the [[Islamic conquest of North Africa]]. While the invasion was accomplished largely on horseback, new links to the Middle East allowed camels to be imported ''en masse''. These camels were well-suited to long desert journeys and could carry a great deal of cargo, allowing substantial [[trans-Saharan trade]] for the first time.<ref name="harris">{{cite book|last=Harris|first=N.|title=Atlas of the World's Deserts|year=2003|publisher=Fitzroy Dearborn|isbn=978-0-203-49166-9|page=223}}</ref><ref name="kaegi">{{cite book|last=Kaegi|first=W. E.|title=Muslim Expansion and Byzantine Collapse in North Africa|year=2010|publisher=Cambridge University Press|isbn=978-0-521-19677-2|edition=1|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=zexq5Hl42mQC&q=camel}}</ref> In Libya, dromedaries were used for transport and their milk and meat constituted the local diet.<ref name="lawless">{{cite book|last1=Lawless|first1=R. I.|title=North Africa: Contemporary Politics and Economic Development|year=1984|publisher=Croom Helm|isbn=978-0-7099-1609-3|edition=1|last2=Findlay|first2=A. M.|page=128}}</ref>

[[File:Camels in Dasht-e Lar, Alborz mountains, Kamardasht Lar, Tehran province چرای شترها در کمردشت لار - panoramio.jpg|thumb|Dromedaries near the base of the [[Alborz]] mountain range in [[Iran]]]]

Dromedaries were also shipped from south-western Asia to Spain, Italy, Turkey, France, [[Canary Islands]], the Americas and Australia.<ref name=camel/> Dromedaries were introduced into Spain in 1020&nbsp;AD and to [[Sicily]] in 1059&nbsp;AD.<ref name=schulz>{{cite journal|last1=Schulz|first1=U.|last2=Tupac-Yupanqui|first2=I.|last3=Martínez|first3=A.|last4=Méndez|first4=S.|last5=Delgado|first5=J. V.|last6=Gómez|first6=M.|last7=Dunner|first7=S.|last8=Cañón|first8=J.|title=The Canarian camel: a traditional dromedary population|journal=Diversity|date=2010|volume=2|issue=4|pages=561–71|doi=10.3390/d2040561|issn=1424-2818|doi-access=free|bibcode=2010Diver...2..561S }}</ref> Camels were exported to the [[Canary Islands]] in 1405 during the European colonisation of the area, and are still extant there, especially in [[Lanzarote]] and to the south of [[Fuerteventura]].<ref name=schulz/> Attempts to introduce dromedaries into the [[Caribbean]], Colombia, Peru, Bolivia and Brazil were made between the 17th and 19th centuries; some were imported to the western United States in the 1850s and some to Namibia in the early 1900s, but presently they exist in small numbers or are absent in these areas.<ref name=leese/>

In 1840, about six camels were shipped from Tenerife to [[Adelaide]], but only one survived the journey to arrive on 12 October that year. The animal, a male called Harry, was owned by the explorer [[John Ainsworth Horrocks]]. Harry was ill-tempered but was included in an expedition the following year because he could carry heavy loads. The next major group of camels were imported into Australia in 1860, and between 1860 and 1907 10 to 12 thousand were imported. These were used mainly for riding and transport.<ref name=gov>{{cite web|title=Afghan Cameleers in Australia|url=http://www.australia.gov.au/about-australia/australian-story/afghan-cameleers|website=Australian Government|access-date=28 January 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160805054200/http://www.australia.gov.au/about-australia/australian-story/afghan-cameleers|archive-date=5 August 2016|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name=bw>{{cite web|title=The Introduction of camels into Australia|url=http://www.burkeandwills.net.au/Camels/Introducing_Camels_Into_Australia.htm|website=Burkes & Wills Web (Digital Research Archive)|publisher=The Burke & Wills Historical Society|access-date=28 January 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160229052936/http://www.burkeandwills.net.au/Camels/Introducing_Camels_Into_Australia.htm|archive-date=29 February 2016|url-status=live}}</ref>

===Current distribution of captive animals===
In the early 21st century, the domesticated dromedary is found in the semi-arid to arid regions of the [[Old World]].<ref name=wilson2/>

====Africa====
Africa has more than 80% of the world's total dromedary population; it occurs in almost every desert zone in the northern part of the continent. The [[Sahel]] marks the southern extreme of its range, where the annual rainfall is around {{convert|550|mm|in|abbr=on}}. The [[Horn of Africa]] has nearly 35% of the world's dromedaries;<ref name=wilson2/> most of the region's stock is in [[Somalia]], followed by [[Sudan]], [[Eritrea]], and [[Ethiopia]] (as of the early 2000s).<ref name=rosati>{{cite book|last1=Rosati|first1=A.|last2=Tewolde|first2=A.|last3=Mosconi|first3=C.|title=Animal Production and Animal Science Worldwide|date=2007|publisher=Wageningen Academic Publishers|location=Wageningen (The Netherlands)|isbn=9789086860340|pages=168–9}}</ref> According to the Yearbook of the [[Food and Agriculture Organization]] (FAO) for 1984, eastern Africa had about 10 million dromedaries, the largest population of Africa. Western Africa followed with 2.14 million, while northern Africa had nearly 0.76 million.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Food and Agriculture Organization|first1=United Nations|title=Food and Agriculture Organization Production Yearbook|date=1984|publisher=United Nations|location=Rome|author1-link=Food and Agriculture Organization}}</ref> Populations in Africa increased by 16% from 1994 to 2005.<ref name=rosati/><ref name=sghaier>{{cite journal|last1=Sghaier|first1=M.|title=Camel production systems in Africa|journal=ICAR Technical Series|date=2004|pages=22–33|url=http://agtr.ilri.cgiar.org/agtrweb/documents/Library/docs/tec_series_11_sousse.pdf#page=22|access-date=28 January 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160201041712/http://agtr.ilri.cgiar.org/agtrweb/documents/Library/docs/tec_series_11_sousse.pdf#page=22|archive-date=1 February 2016|url-status=live}}</ref>

====Asia====
[[File:Uoth.JPG|thumb|Dromedaries in [[Punjab, Pakistan]]]]

In Asia, nearly 70% of the population occurs in India and Pakistan. The combined population of the dromedary and the Bactrian camel decreased by around 21% between 1994 and 2004.<ref name=kr2005>{{cite journal|last1=Köhler-Rollefson|first1=I.|title=The camel in Rajasthan: Agricultural biodiversity under threat|journal=Saving the Camel and Peoples' Livelihoods|date=2005|volume=6|pages=14–26|url=http://www.pastoralpeoples.org/docs/camel_conf_proc.pdf#page=14|access-date=28 January 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160202192415/http://www.pastoralpeoples.org/docs/camel_conf_proc.pdf#page=14|archive-date=2 February 2016|url-status=live}}</ref> The dromedary is sympatric with the Bactrian camel in Afghanistan, Pakistan, and central and southwestern Asia.<ref name=geer>{{cite book|last=Geer|first=A.|title=Animals in Stone : Indian Mammals Sculptured Through Time|year=2008|publisher=Brill|isbn=978-90-04-16819-0|issn=0169-9377|pages=144–9}}</ref> India has a dromedary population of less than one million, with most (0.67 million) in the state of [[Rajasthan]].<ref name=rosati/> Populations in Pakistan decreased from 1.1 million in 1994 to 0.8 million in 2005 – a 29% decline.<ref name=kr2005/> According to the FAO, the dromedary population in six countries of the [[Persian Gulf]] was nearly 0.67 million in 2003. In the Persian Gulf region the dromedary is locally classified into breeds including Al-Majahem, Al-Hamrah, Al-Safrah, Al-Zarkah and Al-Shakha, based on coat colour. The UAE has three prominent breeds: Racing camel, Al-Arabiat and Al-Kazmiat.<ref name=kadim>{{cite journal|last1=Kadim|first1=I.T.|last2=Maghoub|first2=O.|title=Camelid genetic resources. A report on three Arabian Gulf Countries|journal=ICAR Technical Series|date=2004|pages=81–92|url=http://agtr.ilri.cgiar.org/AGTRWEB/documents/Library/docs/tec_series_11_sousse.pdf#page=81|access-date=28 January 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160201041712/http://agtr.ilri.cgiar.org/agtrweb/documents/Library/docs/tec_series_11_sousse.pdf#page=81|archive-date=1 February 2016|url-status=live}}</ref>

===Feral population===
{{main|Australian feral camel}}
[[File:07. Camel Profile, near Silverton, NSW, 07.07.2007.jpg|thumb|A dromedary in [[outback Australia]], near [[Silverton, New South Wales]], Australia. Feral dromedaries are only found in Australia.]]

Feral dromedary populations occur in Australia, where they were introduced in 1840.<ref name=roth>{{cite book|last1=Roth, H. H.|title=Wildlife Resources : A Global Account of Economic Use|year=1996|publisher=Springer|isbn=978-3-540-61357-2|pages=272–7|last2=Merz|first2=G.}}</ref> The total dromedary population in Australia was 500,000 in 2005. Nearly 99% of the populations are feral, and they have an annual growth rate of 10%.<ref name=rosati/> Most of the Australian feral camels are dromedaries, with only a few Bactrian camels. Most of the dromedaries exist in [[Western Australia]], with smaller populations in the [[Northern Territory]], [[Western Queensland]] and northern [[South Australia]].<ref name=rosati/>

Feral dromedary populations notwithstanding, the wild dromedary camel as opposed to the now domesticated species has been functionally extinct from the wild for the past 2,000 years.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Naumann |first=Robert |title=Camelus dromedarius (dromedary) |url=https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Camelus_dromedarius/ |access-date=2023-11-24 |website=Animal Diversity Web |language=en}}</ref>

==Relationship with humans==
The strength and docility of the dromedary make it popular as a domesticated animal.<ref name=camel/> According to [[Richard Bulliet]], they can be used for a wide variety of purposes: riding, transport, ploughing, and trading and as a source of milk, meat, wool and leather.<ref name=bulliet/> The main attraction of the dromedary for nomadic desert-dwellers is the wide variety of resources they provide, which are crucial for their survival. It is important for several [[Bedouin]] pastoralist tribes of northern [[Arabia]], such as the [[Ruwallah]], the [[Rashaida]], the [[Bani Sakhr]] and the [[Mutayr]].<ref name=sweet>{{cite journal|last1=Sweet|first1=L.E.|title=Camel raiding of North Arabian Bedouin: a mechanism of ecological adaptation|journal=[[American Anthropologist]]|date=1965|volume=67|issue=5|pages=1132–50|doi=10.1525/aa.1965.67.5.02a00030}}</ref>

Camel urine and camel milk are used for [[Prophetic medicine|medicinal purposes]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sunnah.com:80/bukhari/4/100|title=Ablutions (Wudu) What is said about the urine of camels, sheep and other animals and about their folds|publisher=Sunnah.com|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131213060307/http://www.sunnah.com/bukhari/4/100|archive-date=13 December 2013|access-date=14 November 2021|url-status=live}}</ref>

===Riding camels===
{{main|Camel racing}}
[[File:Bait al-Faqih.jpg|thumb|Dromedaries at [[Bait al-Faqih]] Market, Yemen]]

Although the role of the camel is diminishing with the advent of technology and modern means of transport, it is still an efficient mode of communication in remote and less-developed areas. The dromedary has been used in warfare since the 6th century BC.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Herodotus, The Histories, Book 1, chapter 80 |url=http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus:text:1999.01.0126:book=1:chapter=80 |access-date=12 February 2023 |website=www.perseus.tufts.edu}}</ref> It is particularly prized for its capability to outrun horses in the deserts.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Hilliam|first=Paul|title=Islamic Weapons, Warfare, and Armies: Muslim Military Operations Against the Crusaders|publisher=The Rosen Publishing Group|year=2004|isbn=0-8239-4215-5|location=New York|pages=33}}</ref> Record of its use during the time of [[Alexander the Great]] indicate that the animal could cover up to 50 miles per day for a week and they could go for up to a month without water.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Archer|first=Christon I.|title=World History of Warfare|publisher=University of Nebraska Press|year=2002|isbn=0-8032-4423-1|location=Lincoln|pages=157}}</ref> An account by [[Aurelian]] also cited that, in his escape to [[Euphrates]], [[Zenobia]] used a dromedary to outrun her pursuers after she was defeated at [[Palmyra]].<ref>{{Cite book|last=Whiston|first=William|title=The Complete Works of Flavius Josephus|publisher=New Leaf Publishing Group|year=2008|isbn=978-0-89051-549-5|location=Green Forest, AR|pages=663–664}}</ref>

The dromedary also remains popular for racing, particularly in the [[Arab world]].<ref name="camel" /> Riding camels of Arabia, Egypt and the Sahara are locally known as the Dilool, the Hageen, and the Mehara respectively; several local breeds are included within these groups.<ref name="leese" />

The ideal riding camel is strong, slender and long-legged with thin, supple skin. The special adaptations of the dromedary's feet allow it to walk with ease on sandy and rough terrain and on cold surfaces.<ref name="bligh">{{cite book|last1=Bligh|first1=J.|last2=Cloudsley-Thompson|first2=J.L.|last3=Macdonald|first3=A.G.|title=Environmental Physiology of Animals|year=1976|publisher=Blackwell Scientific Publications|location=Oxford, UK|isbn=978-0-632-00416-4|pages=142–5}}</ref> The camels of the [[Beja people|Bejas]] of [[Sudan]] and the [[Hedareb]], [[Bilen people|Bilen]], and the [[Tigre people|Tigre]] people of [[Eritrea]]<ref name="epstein" /> and the Anafi camel bred in Sudan are common breeds used as riding camels.<ref name="camel" />

According to Leese, the dromedary walks with four speeds or gaits: walk, jog, fast run and canter. The first is the typical speed of walking, around {{convert|4|km/h|mph|abbr=on}}. Jog is the most common speed, nearly {{convert|8|-|12|km/h|mph|abbr=on}} on level ground. He estimated a speed of {{convert|14|-|19|km/h|mph|abbr=on}} during a fast run, by observing northern African and Arabian dromedaries. He gave no speed range to describe the [[Canter and gallop|canter]], but implied it was a type of gallop that if induced could exhaust the camel and the rider. Canter could be used only for short periods of time, for example in races.<ref name=gillespie>{{cite journal|last1=Gillespie|first1=L.A.|title=Riding camels of the Sudan|journal=Sudan Journal of Veterinary Science and Animal Husbandry|date=1962|volume=3|issue=1|pages=37–42}}</ref>[[File:Camel in desert.JPG|thumb|A camel decorated for a tourist camel ride in the [[Judean Desert]]]]

The ideal age to start training dromedaries for riding is three years,<ref name=singh/> although they may be stubborn and unruly.<ref name=nanda>{{cite journal|last1=Nanda|first1=P.N.|title=Camel and their management|journal=Indian Council of Agricultural Research Review Series|issue=16|date=1957|pages=1–17}}</ref> At first the camel's head is controlled, and it is later trained to respond to sitting and standing commands, and to allow mounting.<ref name=leese/> At this stage a camel will often try to escape when a trainer tries to mount it.<ref name=camel/> The next stage involves training it to respond to reins. The animal must be given loads gradually and not forced to carry heavy loads before the age of six.<ref name=leese/> Riding camels should not be struck on their necks, rather they should be struck behind the right leg of the rider.<ref name=singh/> Leese described two types of saddles generally used in camel riding: the Arabian ''markloofa'' used by single riders and the Indian ''pakra'' used when two riders mount the same camel.<ref name=leese/>

===Baggage and draught camels===
[[File:Eylcamel.jpg|thumb|Camel carrying supplies on its back in [[Eyl]], [[Puntland]], Somalia]]

The baggage camel should be robust and heavy. Studies have recommended the camel should have either a small or a large head with a narrow [[aquiline nose]], prominent eyes and large lips. The neck should be medium to long so the head is held high. The chest should be deep and the hump should be well-developed with sufficient space behind it to accommodate the saddle. The hindlegs should be heavy, muscular and sturdy.<ref name=acland>{{cite journal|last1=Acland|first1=P.B.E.|title=Notes on the camel in the eastern Sudan|journal=Sudan Notes and Records|date=1932|volume=15|issue=1|pages=119–49|jstor=41716025}}</ref> The dromedary can be trained to carry baggage from the age of five years, but must not be given heavy loads before the age of six.<ref name=matharu>{{cite journal|last1=Matharu|first1=B.S.|title=Camel care|journal=Indian Farming|date=1966|volume=16|pages=19–22}}</ref> The ''hawia'' is a typical baggage saddle from Sudan.<ref name=acland/> The methods of training the baggage camels are similar to those for riding camels.<ref name=camel/>

Draught camels are used for several purposes including ploughing, processing in oil mills and pulling carts. There is no clear description for the ideal draught camel, though its strength, its ability to survive without water and the flatness of its feet could be indicators.<ref name=camel/> It may be used for ploughing in pairs or in groups with buffaloes or bullocks.<ref name=leese/> The draught camel can plough at around {{convert|2.5|km/h|mph|abbr=on}}, and should not be used for more than six hours a day&nbsp;&ndash; four hours in the morning and two in the afternoon.<ref name=nanda/> The camel is not easily exhausted unless diseased or undernourished, and has remarkable endurance and hardiness.<ref name=payne/>

===Dairy products===
{{main|Camel milk}}
[[File:Camel milking in Niger.jpg|thumb|Dromedary being milked in Niger]]

Camel milk is a staple food of nomadic tribes living in deserts. It consists of 11.7% solids, 3% protein, 3.6% fat, 0.8% [[Ash (analytical chemistry)|ash]], 4.4% lactose and 0.13% acidity ([[pH]] 6.5).<ref name="milk" /> The quantities of sodium, potassium, zinc, iron, copper, manganese, [[Niacin (substance)|niacin]] and [[vitamin C]] were relatively higher than the amounts in cow milk. However, the levels of [[thiamin]], [[riboflavin]], [[folacin]], [[Vitamin B12|vitamin B<sub>12</sub>]], [[pantothenic acid]], [[vitamin A]], [[lysine]], and [[tryptophan]] were lower than those in cow milk. The [[mole (unit)|molar]] percentages of the [[fatty acid]]s in milk fat were 26.7% for [[palmitic acid]], 25.5% [[oleic acid]], 11.4% [[myristic acid]] and 11% [[palmitoleic acid]].<ref name=milk>{{cite journal|last1=Sawaya|first1=W.N.|last2=Khalil|first2=J.K.|last3=Al-Shalhat|first3=A.|last4=Al-Mohammad|first4=H.|title=Chemical composition and nutritional quality of camel milk|journal=Journal of Food Science|date=1984|volume=49|issue=3|pages=744–7|doi=10.1111/j.1365-2621.1984.tb13200.x}}</ref> Camel milk has higher thermal stability compared with cow milk,<ref name=farah>{{cite journal|last1=Farah|first1=Z.|last2=Atkins|first2=D.|title=Heat coagulation of camel milk|journal=Journal of Dairy Research|date=1992|volume=59|issue=2|page=229|doi=10.1017/S002202990003048X|citeseerx=10.1.1.536.8232|s2cid=33408154 }}</ref> but it does not compare favourably with sheep milk.<ref name=camel/>

Daily milk yield generally varies from {{convert|3.5|to|35|kg|lb|abbr=on}} and from 1.3% to 7.8% of the body weight.<ref>{{cite journal|last=Knoess|first=K. H.|title=Milk production of the dromedary|journal=Provisional Report, International Foundation for Science|year=1980|issue=6|pages=201–14|url=http://www.cabdirect.org/abstracts/19810467277.html|access-date=20 August 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121025062941/http://www.cabdirect.org/abstracts/19810467277.html|archive-date=25 October 2012|url-status=live}}</ref> Milk yield varies geographically and depends upon the animals' diet and living conditions.<ref name=camel/> At the peak of lactation, a healthy female would typically provide {{convert|9|kg|lb|abbr=on}} milk per day.<ref name=payne/> Leese estimated a lactating female would yield {{convert|4|to|9|L|impgal|abbr=on}} besides the amount ingested by the calf.<ref name=leese>{{cite book|last1=Leese|first1=A.S.|author-link=Arnold Leese|title=A Treatise on the One-Humped Camel in Health and in Disease|publisher=Haynes and Son|location=Lincolnshire, UK|date=1927}}</ref> The Pakistani dromedary, which is considered a better milker and bigger, can yield {{convert|9.1|-|14.1|kg|lb|abbr=on}} when well-fed.<ref name=yasin>{{cite journal|last1=Yasin|first1=S.A.|last2=Wahid|first2=A.|title=Pakistan camels. A preliminary survey.|journal=Agriculture Pakistan|date=1957|volume=8|pages=289–97|url=http://www.cabdirect.org/abstracts/19581404476.html}}</ref> Dromedaries in Somalia may be milked between two and four times a day,<ref name=bremaud/> while those in [[Afar Region|Afar]], Ethiopia, may be milked up to seven times a day.<ref name=knoess1977>{{cite journal|last1=Knoess|first1=K.H.|title=The camel as a meat and milk animal|journal=World Animal Review|date=1977|url=http://agris.fao.org/agris-search/search.do?recordID=XF19780324336|access-date=27 January 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160203071953/http://agris.fao.org/agris-search/search.do?recordID=XF19780324336|archive-date=3 February 2016|url-status=live}}</ref>

The acidity of dromedary milk stored at {{convert|30|C|F|abbr=on}} increases at a slower rate than that of cow milk.<ref name=mammal/> Though the preparation of butter from dromedary milk is difficult, it is produced in small amounts by nomads, optimized at 22.5% fat in the cream.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Brezovečki|first=Andreja|date=2015|title=Camel milk and milk products|url=https://hrcak.srce.hr/file/203026|journal=Mljekarstvo|type=PDF|volume=65|pages=81–90|doi=10.15567/mljekarstvo.2015.0202 |access-date=22 February 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160822192533/http://hrcak.srce.hr/file/203026|archive-date=22 August 2016|url-status=live}}</ref> In 2001, the ability of dromedary milk to form curd was studied; coagulation did not show curd formation, and had a pH of 4.4. It was much different from curd produced from cow milk, and had a fragile, heterogeneous composition probably composed of [[casein]] flakes.<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Attia|first1=H.|last2=Kherouatou|first2=N.|last3=Dhouib|first3=A.|title=Dromedary milk lactic acid fermentation: microbiological and rheological characteristics|journal=Journal of Industrial Microbiology and Biotechnology|year=2001|volume=26|issue=5|pages=263–70|doi=10.1038/sj.jim.7000111|pmid=11494100|s2cid=21484536|doi-access=free}}</ref> Nevertheless, cheese and other dairy products can be made from camel milk. A study found bovine calf [[rennet]] could be used to coagulate dromedary milk.<ref name=ramet>{{cite journal|last1=Ramet|first1=J.P.|title=Saudi Arabia: use of bovine calf rennet to coagulate raw camel milk|journal=World Animal Review|date=1987|volume=61|pages=11–16}}</ref> A special factory has been set up in [[Nouakchott]] to pasteurise and make cheese from camel milk.<ref>{{cite book|last=Bonnet|first=P.|title=Dromadaires et chameaux, animaux laitiers: actes du colloque |trans-title=Dromedaries and Camels, Milking Animals|year=1998|publisher=CIRAD|isbn=978-2-87614-307-4|page=195|language=fr}}</ref> Mystical beliefs surround the use of camel milk in some places; for example, it may be used as an aphrodisiac in Ethiopia.<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Rao|first1=M.B.|last2=Gupta|first2=R.C.|last3=Dastur|first3=N.N.|title=Camels' milk and milk products|journal=Indian Journal of Daily Science|date=1970|volume=23|issue=2|pages=71–8}}</ref>

===Meat===
{{main|Camel meat}}
The meat of a five-year-old dromedary has a typical composition of 76% water, 22% protein, 1% fat, and 1% ash.<ref name=shalash/> The carcass, weighing {{cvt|141|-|310|kg}} for a five-year-old dromedary,<ref name=shalash/> is composed of nearly 57% muscle, 26% bone and 17% fat.<ref name=meat/> A seven-to-eight-year-old camel can produce a carcass of {{cvt|125|-|400|kg}}. The meat is bright red to a dark brown or maroon, while the fat is white. It has the taste and texture of beef.<ref name=meat/> A study of the meat of Iranian dromedaries showed its high [[glycogen]] content, which makes it taste sweet like [[horse meat]]. The carcasses of well-fed camels were found to be covered with a thin layer of good quality fat.<ref name=khatami>{{cite book|last1=Khatami|first1=K. |title=Camel meat: A new promising approach to the solution of meat and protein in the arid and semi-arid countries of the world|date=1970|publisher=Ministry of Agriculture |location=Tehran |pages=1–4}}</ref> In a study of the fatty acid composition of raw meat taken from the hind legs of seven one-to-three years old males, 51.5% of the fatty acids were saturated, 29.9% mono-unsaturated, and 18.6% polyunsaturated. The major fatty acids in the meat were palmitic acid (26.0%), oleic acid (18.9%) and [[linoleic acid]] (12.1%). In the hump, palmitic acid was dominant (34.4%), followed by oleic acid (28.2%), myristic acid (10.3%) and [[stearic acid]] (10%).<ref name="fatty acid">{{cite journal |last1=Rawdah |first1=T. N.|last2=El-Faer|first2=M. Z.|last3=Koreish|first3=S. A. |title=Fatty acid composition of the meat and fat of the one-humped camel (''Camelus dromedarius'') |journal=Meat Science|year=1994|volume=37|issue=1|pages=149–155|doi=10.1016/0309-1740(94)90151-1 |pmid=22059419}}</ref>

Dromedary slaughter is more difficult than the slaughter of other domestic livestock because of its size and the significant manual work involved. More males than females are slaughtered.<ref name=kadim2013>{{cite book |last1=Kadim|first1=I.T. |title=Camel Meat and Meat Products |date=2013|publisher=[[CABI (organisation)|CABI]]|location=Oxfordshire, UK |isbn=978-1-78064-101-0 |pages=54–72}}</ref> Though less affected by mishandling than other livestock, the pre-slaughter handling of the dromedary plays a crucial role in determining the quality of meat obtained; mishandling can often disfigure the hump.<ref name=cortesi>{{cite journal |last1=Cortesi |first1=M.L. |title=Slaughterhouses and humane treatment |journal=Revue Scientifique et Technique |date=1994 |volume=13 |issue=1 |pages=171–193 |pmid=8173095 |doi=10.20506/rst.13.1.759 |doi-access=free}}</ref> The animal is stunned, seated in a crouching position with the head in a caudal position and slaughtered.<ref name=kadim2013/> The dressing percentage of the mass of the dromedary that forms the carcass is 55–70%,<ref name=shalash/> more than of cattle.<ref name=camel/> Camel meat is often eaten by African camel herders, who use it only during severe food scarcity or for rituals.<ref name=camel/>

Camel meat is processed into food items, such as burgers, patties, sausages and ''[[shawarma]]''.<ref name=meat>{{cite journal |last1=Kadim |first1=I.T. |last2=Mahgoub |first2=O. |last3=Purchas|first3=R.W.|title=A review of the growth, and of the carcass and meat quality characteristics of the one-humped camel (''Camelus dromedarius'') |journal=Meat Science |date=2008 |volume=80 |issue=3 |pages=555–569 |doi=10.1016/j.meatsci.2008.02.010 |pmid=22063567}}</ref> Dromedaries can be slaughtered between four and ten years of age. As the animal ages, the meat grows tougher and deteriorates in taste and quality.<ref name=camel/>

A 2005 report issued jointly by the [[Ministry of Health (Saudi Arabia)]] and the United States [[Centers for Disease Control and Prevention]] details five cases of [[bubonic plague]] in humans resulting from the ingestion of raw camel liver. Four of the five patients had severe [[pharyngitis]] and submandibular [[lymphadenitis]]. ''[[Yersinia pestis]]'' was isolated from the camel's bone marrow, from the [[jird]] (''Meriones libycus'') and from fleas (''[[Xenopsylla cheopis]]'') captured at the camel's [[corral]].<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Saeed| first1=A.A.B. |title=Plague from eating raw camel liver |journal=[[Emerging Infectious Diseases]]|volume=11 |issue=9 |pages=1456–1457 |date=2005 |pmid=16229781 |last2=Al-Hamdan|first2=N.A. |last3=Fontaine |first3=R.E. |doi=10.3201/eid1109.050081 |pmc=3310619}}</ref>

===Camel hair, wool and hides===
Camels in hot climates generally do not develop long coats. Camel hair is light, and has low [[thermal conductivity]] and durability, and is thus suitable for manufacturing warm clothes, blankets, tents, and rugs.<ref name=camel/> Hair of highest quality is typically obtained from juvenile or feral camels.<ref name=singh/>{{Failed verification|date=January 2025|reason=This article seems to cover only that which its title indicates, and has little to do with the behavioral or cultural facts it is cited for in this article.}} In India, camels are clipped usually in spring and around {{convert|1|-|1.5|kg|lb|abbr=on}} hair is produced per clipping. In colder regions one clipping can yield as much as {{convert|5.4|kg|lb|abbr=on}}.<ref name=singh/><ref name=nanda/> A dromedary can produce {{convert|1|kg|lb|abbr=on}} wool per year, whereas a Bactrian camel has an annual yield of nearly {{convert|5|-|12|kg|lb|abbr=on}}.<ref name=leupold/> Dromedaries under the age of two years have a fine undercoat that tends to fall off and should be cropped by hand.<ref name=knoess1977/> Little information about camel hides has been collected but they are usually of inferior quality and are less preferred for manufacturing leather.<ref name=camel/>

==See also==
{{Portal|Animals|Mammals|Kenya|Mauritania}}
* [[Camel urine]]
* [[List of animals with humps]]
* [[National symbols of Saudi Arabia]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons category|Camelus_dromedarius|Camelus dromedarius}}
{{Wikispecies|Camelus dromedarius}}
{{Wiktionary|Dromedary}}
* {{ITIS|id=625027|taxon=''Camelus dromedarius''|access-date=8 April 2016}}
* [https://www.thenational.ae/uae/science/could-emirati-camels-hold-the-key-to-treating-venomous-snake-bites-1.843889 "Could Emirati camels hold the key to treating venomous snake bites?"]

{{Artiodactyla|T.}}
{{Camelids}}
{{Working animals}}
{{Animal domestication}}
{{Taxonbar|from=Q71516}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Camels]]
[[Category:Fauna of Iran]]
[[Category:Fauna of Iraq]]
[[Category:Fauna of Jordan]]
[[Category:Fauna of Syria]]
[[Category:Fauna of the Middle East]]
[[Category:Fauna of the Sahara]]
[[Category:Livestock]]
[[Category:Mammals described in 1758]]
[[Category:Mammals of Africa]]
[[Category:Mammals of Asia]]
[[Category:Mammals of North Africa]]
[[Category:Mammals of Pakistan]]
[[Category:Mammals of Somalia]]
[[Category:Mammals of Kenya]]
[[Category:Mammals of the Arabian Peninsula]]
[[Category:National symbols of Algeria]]
[[Category:National symbols of Bahrain]]
[[Category:National symbols of Eritrea]]
[[Category:National symbols of Guinea-Bissau]]
[[Category:National symbols of Kenya]]
[[Category:National symbols of Kuwait]]
[[Category:National symbols of Libya]]
[[Category:National symbols of Mauritania]]
[[Category:National symbols of Morocco]]
[[Category:National symbols of Oman]]
[[Category:National symbols of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic]]
[[Category:National symbols of Saudi Arabia]]
[[Category:National symbols of Tunisia]]
[[Category:National symbols of Yemen]]
[[Category:Pack animals]]
[[Category:Symbols of Rajasthan]]
[[Category:Taxa named by Carl Linnaeus]]