How many toes?
Camels have two toes on each foot. A hoof that looks like a toenail grows at the front of each toe. Cows, horses, and many other animals walk on their hoofs. But a camel walks on a broad pad that connects its two long toes. This cushion like pad spreads when the camel places its foot on the ground. The pad supports the animal on loose sand in much the same way that a snowshoe helps a person walk on snow. The camel’s cushioned feet make almost no sound when the animal walks or runs.
How many eyelids does a camel have?
Camels have 3 sets of eyelids. Yes, 3! And one is like a windscreen washer!
A camel has large eyes on the sides of its head. Each eye is protected by 2 rows of long, curly eyelashes that keep out sand. In the daytime, when the sun is high, the eyes do not allow excessive light in. Glands supply the eyes with a great deal of water to keep them moist. Thick eyebrows shield the eyes from the desert sun.
Where are a camel’s ears?
The camel’s small, rounded ears are located far back on its head. The ears are covered with hair, even on the inside. The hair helps keep out sand or dust that might blow into the animal’s ears. A camel can hear well.
How tall and heavy are camels?
We have dromedary or one humped camels in Australia, imported from Afghanistan, India and Pakistan between 1860 and 1930. A dromedary camel stands from 1.8 to just over 2 metres tall at the shoulders, and weighs from 250 to 680 kilograms. Its rope like tail is over 50 centimetres long. Camels seem larger than they are because of their thick wool in wintertime, which may be all shades of brown, from nearly white to almost black. It may grow about 25 centimetres long on the animal’s head, neck, and humps.
Does a camel have fur or wool?
Our camels have wool that they loose in early summer and grow a new coat before the next winter. As the camel wool begins to molt, our camels look very messy, usually during December. Once the molting wool is removed naturally, or by the camel rubbing itself on a tree, or by us combing its wool off, our camels look sleek and slender for about a month. Then the wool begins to grow ready for the cold times ahead.
What is that big thing on a camel’s chest?
Camels have callus like bare spots on their chests and on their leg joints. These spots look as though the hair has been rubbed off, but they are natural and not signs of wear. Even young camels have them although they are not born with the callus. Thick, leathery skin grows there and becomes tough when the animal is about five months old.