The camel can live in the extremely harsh desert because of its peculiar body structure. In summer, the sun is burning, the desert surface sand temperature can reach 70 ℃, traveling on it is like walking on a hot pan, it is difficult to move. But the camel is not afraid of hot. The camel's paws have a thick cushion of flesh. This thick layer of meat pads not only has the role of anti-scald, but also to ensure that it in the sand normal walking. ?
The camel has very long eyelashes and flaps on its nostrils, which can all do a good job of shielding it from the wind and sand. In addition, it also has long, thin hairs growing in its ears and eyes, which are used to keep the wind and sand out.
The camel's body has one or two humps, which store fat, which will automatically be converted into nutrients to sustain their life activities and ensure that they won't starve to death when they walk for a long time and lack food. In addition to food, there is an important point - water. The camel, as a means of transportation in the desert, is very resistant to thirst. This function has to do with the distribution and breakdown of fat in its body. Most of the fat in the camel's body is distributed over the hump and back. There are about 40 kilograms of fat in the hump, which insulates the camel's back on hot summer days when the sun shines directly on it. On this occasion, the fat also produces water during oxidation, which facilitates the production of water needed to sustain life activities. In addition to the fact that camels can produce water within their bodies, they can also store water within their bodies. When a camel encounters a water source, it drinks vigorously, and the water it drinks is rapidly dispersed throughout the body and spreads to cells throughout the body for backup through circulatory action.
The camel's body has another amazing feature, its body temperature can change with the outside air temperature changes, thus reducing the evaporation of water. The camel's body temperature rises to 40 degrees Celsius before it starts to sweat, and when the temperature rises during the day the camel's body temperature does not rise immediately, so it avoids emitting water due to sweating. At night, the temperature in the desert drops dramatically, and the camel's body temperature drops to 34℃. In this way, the camel's body temperature will expand the day-night gap as the temperature changes, reducing the time of sweating and the unnecessary loss of moisture.
It is because of the camel's special body structure that they are able to travel long distances in the desert and are used as an indispensable means of transportation by people living in desert areas.
: ? Trivia
Camels can survive without water for up to 2 weeks and without food for up to a month. Humans living on the edge of the desert began domesticating camels as early as 3000 BC as draft animals for carrying and riding, and there are many countries that have camel herders who rely on camels for their livelihoods, are the only means of transportation in the desert, and even have camel jockeys.