Text|Science Wormhole
Camels are heat-resistant and drought-tolerant, and have the title of "Desert Boat". Many people find that a camel in estrus will spit out a pink "ball of meat" from its mouth, which looks a little strange. What exactly is this "meat ball"?
"Ship of the Desert"
Camels originated from the North American continent and originated in Eurasia. With the evolution, various ancient camels appeared, some with long necks, living in forests, with tree tops Tender leaves feed; some are large, with thick hair, and can live in extremely cold places.
Developed to this day, camels have excellent endurance and adapt to harsh environments such as deserts and Gobi. They have wide hooves and pads on their toes, so they will not sink into the sand when walking in the desert; long and thick eyelashes can block sand and dust to prevent blinding;
can open and close flexibly to prevent Sand and dust enter; a keen sense of smell can catch clues of water and food in the desert.
The nose of the camel can be opened and closed freely
The camel has a super battery life. They store fat in their humps. When they can’t find food in the desert, these fats can be converted into nutrients and metabolized to produce water. It’s okay even if they don’t eat for 4 or 5 days;
In addition, the hump The fat in it can also help the camel regulate its body temperature and achieve the effect of "warm in winter and cool in summer".
The preservation and utilization of moisture by camels is even more amazing. When drinking water, they can drink at a rate of 20 liters per minute.Stored in the bottle-like bubbles in the stomach, as a supply when water is lacking.
At the same time, camels know how to "throttling." In the daytime, they only start to sweat when it exceeds 41°C, and they are not prone to dehydration. Their noses are very special, which can effectively reduce water loss; their feces are dry enough to be used as firewood.
According to the number of humps, camels can be divided into dromedaries and bactrian camels. Both can survive in arid areas, but there are certain differences. Dromedaries run faster and have shorter hairs, which are more in line with the title of "Desert Boat";
Bactrian camels have advantages in strength and endurance. They are more willing to face the dry and hot deserts. To the Gobi with the cold wind. In addition, they can also adapt to environments such as plateaus and meadows.
The number of wild camels is very rare. Nowadays, wild bactrian camels are listed as critically endangered species; dromedaries have no real wild populations, and dromedaries flooding the wild in Australia , Can only be counted as wild individuals.
However, there are a huge number of camels domesticated by humans.
Australian wild camels flooded
If you have observed camels, then you will find that some camels will spit out pink meat balls in their mouths. What is it?
What is the meat ball that came out of the camel's mouth?
Everyone knows that there are 3 compartments in the camel's stomach, so many people think that the so-called meat ball is the camel's stomach, but this is not the case.
The answer is simple, The meat ball that came out of the camel's mouth is their tongue. Cactus is one of the most common plants in the desert. The camel can swallow it fearlessly with its rough and tough lips and oral tissue.
The camel’s tongue is covered with hardened fleshy thorns. When eating, the tongue will roll up the cactus, crush it with the fleshy thorns, and then swallow it in the stomach.
Some people suspect that the camel’s tongue became a "ball" because it was swollen by the thorns of a cactus, but in fact, the camel’s tongue became this shape because of Courtship .
Only male camels will have "meat balls". During the mating season, they will inflate their tongues and expand them to form a small bag.
In the eyes of humans, it is very weird and even a bit disgusting to have a "ball of meat" around the camel's mouth; but in the eyes of a camel, the "ball of meat" tongue is a symbol of charm .
Yes, this tongue can help male camels courtship. During the estrus period, the male camel spit out the inflated tongue from the mouth. The female camel felt that it was "masculine", so she was conquered and sat on the ground to prepare for mating.
Then,The male camel will stand behind the female camel, adjust the posture and sit down, and complete the great harmony of life with the latter. Camels have a unique mating posture. They are the only ungulates that mate in a sitting posture.
Tongue helps male camel courtship
When there are two or more male camels courting, the female camel will make a choice based on their tongues, but the male camel will not wait to be selected. There will be fierce battles to obtain the right to mate with female camels.
The same male camel will mate with dozens of female camels and reproduce offspring. Female bactrian camels give birth to 1 litter every 2 years, basically 1 litter and 1 litter, rarely 2 litters . Bactrian camel cubs are sexually mature at the age of 4-5, and their life span is between 35-40 years.
The life span of a dromedary is as short as 25 years and as long as 50 years. Females mature at 3-4 years old, and males mature at 5-6 years old. They also give birth to one baby camel at a time.
At present, the vast majority of camels in the world are domesticated and belong to human domestic animals. There are only a few wild bactrian camels. The camel has a unique position in human civilization. Even now, it is also a participant in the lives of many people living in desert and arid regions.
In the desert and Gobi scenic spots, camels are used as transportation vehicles; in countries or regions such as Saudi Arabia, high-quality dromedaries may participate in "camel racing" games or beauty contests; in many places, people will also use camels Meat and milk served on the table.
Dubai Camel Race
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