Camels are even-toed ungulates, meaning 'hoofed animals'. There are several groups of ungulate mammals whose weight is distributed about equally by the third and fourth toes as they move around. Camels are native to the dry desert areas of western Asia and central and east Asia. … [Read more...]
Camelids
A camelid is a member of the Camelidae family, which includes camels, llamas, alpacas, and vicunas.
Camelids are characterized by their long necks, humps, and knobby knees. They are also known for their ability to spit.
Camelids are herbivores, and they eat mostly grasses and other plants. They are able to extract a lot of water from the plants they eat, which helps them survive in dry climates.
Camelids live in deserts, mountains, and other harsh environments.
There are two main types of camelids: Old World camelids and New World camelids.
Old World camelids include camels; the New World camelids include llamas, alpacas, vicunas, and guanacos.
Camelids are used for their wool, meat, and milk. They are also used as beasts of burden in some parts of the world.
Bactrian Camels
The Bactrian Camel (Camelus bactrianus) is a large even-toed ungulate native to the steppes of eastern Asia. The Bactrian camel has two humps on its back, in contrast to the dromedary camel which has one and are rugged cold-climate camels. Bactrain Camels have two coats, the warm … [Read more...]
Dromedary Camels
The Dromedary Camel (Camelus dromedarius) is a large even-toed ungulate native to northern Africa and western Asia, also the land of east Africa, Sudan, Ethiopia and Somalia. Dromedary Camels have one hump and are desert dwellers. The Dromedary Camels is also the best-known … [Read more...]
Llama
The llama (Lama glama) is a large camelid that originated in North America about 40 million years ago. Llamas migrated to South America and Asia about 3 million years ago. By the end of the last ice-age (10,000 - 12,000 years ago) camelids were extinct in North America. As of … [Read more...]