---
title: "What the sources say about the Dromedary | AnimalTracks.wiki"
description: "34 claims from the Dromedary profile, each beside the words of the source that backs it."
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---

# What the sources say about the Dromedary (*Camelus dromedarius*)

> 34 claims from the Dromedary profile, each beside the words of the source that backs it. A "..." marks a cut in a quote and [brackets] an insertion.

Profile: [Dromedary](https://animaltracks.wiki/animals/dromedary/)

## Camelus dromedarius. Animal Diversity Web.

https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Camelus_dromedarius/

| The page says | The source says |
| :--- | :--- |
| The desert animal that lets its body warm to 41.7 degrees Celsius instead of sweating as the day heats up. | fluctuate its body temperature throughout the day from 34 degrees Celsius to 41.7 degrees Celsius. This fluctuation in body temperature allows the camel to conserve water by not sweating as the external temperature rises. (note: tagline) |
| Arid regions of the Middle East, northern India and Africa, including the Sahara, and introduced to central Australia | occupy arid regions of the Middle East through northern India and arid regions in Africa, most notably, the Sahara Desert. They have also been introduced to arid regions of central Australia (note: stats.habitat) |
| Thorny plants, dry grasses and saltbush | They eat primarily thorny plants, dry grasses and saltbush (note: stats.diet) |
| Lets its body temperature swing from 34 to 41.7 degrees Celsius so it can save water by not sweating as the day heats up | fluctuate its body temperature throughout the day from 34 degrees Celsius to 41.7 degrees Celsius. This fluctuation in body temperature allows the camel to conserve water by not sweating as the external temperature rises. (note: stats.superpower) |
| A dromedary lets its body temperature climb and fall through the day, from 34 degrees Celsius to 41.7 degrees Celsius. | fluctuate its body temperature throughout the day from 34 degrees Celsius to 41.7 degrees Celsius |
| That swing lets it conserve water by not sweating as the air heats up. | This fluctuation in body temperature allows the camel to conserve water by not sweating as the external temperature rises. |
| It can also tolerate a water loss of more than 30%, a level that is lethal for most other mammals at 15%. | can tolerate greater that 30% water loss, a condition which is lethal for most other mammals at 15% (note: source spells 'greater that') |
| Groups avoid excess heat by pressing against each other. | Groups of camels also avoid excess heat from the environment by pressing against each other. |
| Its eyes have a double row of eyelashes against blowing sand, and at the onset of a sandstorm it can close its nostrils. | Their eyes are protected from blowing sand and dust by a double row of eyelashes. Additionally, at the onset of a sandstorm, these camels have the ability to close their nostrils |
| Its feet are pad-shaped and suited to sand, but sharp stones injure them easily. | The feet of dromedaries are pad-shaped and adapted for traveling on sand. They can be easily injured on sharp stones |
| The lips are thickened for coarse, thorny plants, and the camel chews each bite 40 to 50 times. | The lips of dromedary camels are thickened to allow consumption of coarse, thorny plants. (note: chewing quote is the next claim) |
| the camel chews each bite 40 to 50 times | then chew each bite 40-50 times |
| The hump is fat bound together by fibrous tissue, stored for times of need. | The hump is composed of fat bound together by fibrous tissue, acting as food storage in times of need. |
| Males weigh 400 to 600 kg and stand 1.8 to 2.0 m at the shoulder. | weighing 400-600 kg, and are about 10 cm taller at shoulder height, measuring 1.8-2.0 m |
| The mass range for the species is 300 to 690 kg. | Range mass 300 to 690 kg |
| Dromedaries occupy arid regions of the Middle East through northern India, and arid regions of Africa, notably the Sahara. | occupy arid regions of the Middle East through northern India and arid regions in Africa, most notably, the Sahara Desert. |
| They have also been introduced to arid central Australia. | They have also been introduced to arid regions of central Australia |
| Because dromedaries are domesticated, they have no special conservation status. | Since dromedary camels are domesticated they have no special conservation status |
| Not Evaluated | IUCN Red List No special status (note: stats.conservationStatus. ADW's 'No special status' anchors only that no Red List category applies. The dromedary is domesticated and has no Red List assessment of its own; the prefetch's 2025 DOI (taxon 63543) is Camelus ferus, the wild Bactrian camel, so no IUCN reference is cited. Precedent llama, domestic-cat, goat.) |
| They eat mainly thorny plants, dry grasses and saltbush, and can browse up to 3.5 m high. | They eat primarily thorny plants, dry grasses and saltbush ... Dromedaries browse up to a height of 3.5 m |
| Through the day it can range from 34 degrees Celsius to 41.7 degrees Celsius. Warming up instead of sweating as the outside temperature rises is one of the ways it conserves water. | Dromedary camels are able to conserve water in a variety of ways. Water is conserved by the camel's ability to fluctuate its body temperature throughout the day from 34 degrees Celsius to 41.7 degrees Celsius. This fluctuation in body temperature allows the camel to conserve water by not sweating as the external temperature rises. |
| Males weigh 400 to 600 kg, about 10% more than females. The mass range given for the species as a whole is 300 to 690 kg. | Male dromedaries, in comparison to females, are about 10% heavier, weighing 400-600 kg ... Range mass 300 to 690 kg |
| Fat, held together by fibrous tissue. It works as food storage, and the hump shrinks and leans to one side when the camel is starving. | The hump is composed of fat bound together by fibrous tissue, acting as food storage in times of need. The size of the hump varies with the nutritional status of the camel, becoming smaller and leaning to one side during times of starvation. |
| They need 6 to 8 times as much salt as other animals to absorb and store water, so a third of their food must be halophytic plants | dromedaries need 6 to 8 times as much salt as other animals for absorption and storage of water. Consequently, 1/3 of their food intake must be halophytic plants. (note: 'meaning plants that thrive in salty soil' is a gloss on halophytic, not a claim) |
| Moving them to other climates has proven unsuccessful, because they are sensitive to cold and humidity. | Introduction of dromedary camels into other climates has proven unsuccessful as they are sensitive to cold and humidity |
| A dromedary lets its body warm to 41.7 degrees Celsius as the day heats up, instead of sweating | fluctuate its body temperature throughout the day from 34 degrees Celsius to 41.7 degrees Celsius. This fluctuation in body temperature allows the camel to conserve water by not sweating as the external temperature rises. (note: vibe.reason) |
| dangerLevel: Medium | may, by virtue of their size, hurt humans, but with appropriate husbandry this is unlikely to occur (note: stats.dangerLevel) |

## AnAge entry for Camelus dromedarius. Human Ageing Genomic Resources, AnAge.

https://genomics.senescence.info/species/entry.php?species=Camelus_dromedarius

| The page says | The source says |
| :--- | :--- |
| The record life in captivity is 28.4 years. | Record longevity in captivity, however, is 28.4 years |
| A potential lifespan of up to 50 years has been suggested, but AnAge notes that anecdotal reports of longer lives in domestic animals have not been verified. | It has been suggested that the potential longevity of dromedaries is up to 50 years [ 0434 ]. ... Anecdotal reports indicate a longer lifespan of domestic animals, but this has not been verified. |
| The longest recorded life in captivity is 28.4 years. Up to 50 years has been put forward as a possible maximum, but longer lives reported for domestic camels are anecdotal and unverified. | It has been suggested that the potential longevity of dromedaries is up to 50 years [ 0434 ]. Record longevity in captivity, however, is 28.4 years [ 0671 ]. Anecdotal reports indicate a longer lifespan of domestic animals, but this has not been verified. |
| weightKg: 434 | Adult weight 434,000 g (note: battleStats.weightKg) |

## Hamers-Casterman et al. (1993). Naturally occurring antibodies devoid of light chains. Nature.

https://doi.org/10.1038/363446a0

| The page says | The source says |
| :--- | :--- |
| The serum of the dromedary holds antibodies made of paired heavy chains with no light chains, and they still bind a wide range of targets. | These molecules are composed of heavy-chain dimers and are devoid of light chains, but nevertheless have an extensive antigen-binding repertoire |
| The same paper reports that heavy-chain antibodies are a feature of all camelids. | Heavy-chain IgGs are a feature of all camelids. |

## Wu et al. (2014). Camelid genomes reveal evolution and adaptation to desert environments. Nature Communications.

https://doi.org/10.1038/ncomms6188

| The page says | The source says |
| :--- | :--- |
| A 2014 genome study of the dromedary, Bactrian camel and alpaca found complex features related to desert adaptations, including fat and water metabolism. | Here we present high-quality genome sequences of these three species. ... Comparative genomic analysis reveals complex features related to desert adaptations, including fat and water metabolism |