Camel 

Here are some facts about this remarkable animal. The average life expectancy of a camel is 40 to 50 years. A fully grown adult camel stands 1.85 m at the shoulder and 2.15 m at the hump. Camels can run up to 65 km/h in short bursts and sustain speeds of up to 40 km/h. An estimated half of the worlds camel population are found in Somalia, where the camel is an important part of nomadic Somali life. They provide the Somali people with milk, food and transportation.

Camels do not store water in their humps as is commonly believed; the humps are actually a reservoir of fatty tissue. Their ability to withstand long periods without water is due to a series of physiological adaptations. Their red blood cells have an oval shape, unlike those of other mammals, which are circular. This is to facilitate their flow in a dehydrated state. These cells are also more stable in order to withstand high osmotic variation without rupturing when drinking large amounts of water 100 liters to 150 liters in one drink.

Camels are able to withstand changes in body temperature and water content that would kill most other animals. Their temperature ranges from 34 °C at night up to 41 °C during the day, and only above this threshold will they begin to sweat. The upper body temperature range is often not reached during the day in milder climatic conditions, and therefore, the camel may not sweat at all during the day.

They can withstand at least 20-25% weight loss due to sweating (most mammals can only withstand about 3-4% dehydration before cardiac failure results from the thickened blood. A camel's blood remains hydrated, even though the body fluids are lost, until this 25% limit is reached.