Camel of Bactriane
See also: Bactriane (homonymy)
The camel of Bactriane or domestic camel ( Camelus bactrianus ) is a native artiodactyle Steppe S of the Asia of the east. The camel of Bactriane has two bumps, whereas the Dromadaire has only one of them.
The camel, belongs to the kind Camelus . It is a mammal ruminant with lubricating dorsal bumps of the family of the Camélidés. Its female is called the chamelle .
Population 1,4 million camels of Bactriane is almost entirely domesticated, but in October 2002, the 950 individuals still in a wild state in western north of the China and in Mongolia were placed on the list of the threatened species.
Appearance
The camels of Bactriane measure approximately 2 meters with the bump and weigh more than 725 kg. They are Phytophage S, they eat grass, sheets and seeds, they are capable of ingurgiter 120 liters of water in only once. Their mouth is extremely hard, which enables them to eat the thorny plants of the desert.They are particularly adapted to be protected from the heat of the desert and sand; broad and “upholstered” legs adapted to walk in the desert, a thick skin and lasts on the level of the knees and the chest which protects them from the heat of the desert once lengthened, of naseaux which can open and to be closed again. The ears are furnished with long protective hairs, the eyelids have two lines of lashes which, when the eye is closed, form a hermetic barrier with dust and sand. Their thick and woolly fur protects them from the night cold and the heat of the day.
History
Domestication would be former to 2500 before J. - C. Starting from a first hearth located in Bactriane, the area between the Iran and the current Turkménistan, they would have been then spread elsewhere. They are used as animals of pack to cross the desert. The man uses also their wool, their milk and their meat. Even their excrements are recovered to be used as fuel to the caravaneers.The camel of Bactriane was in the past very widespread, but its population is reduced today to approximately 1,4 million primarily domestic individuals. It seems that there remain approximately 1000 wild camels of Bactriane in the Gobi Desert and of minor amounts in Iran, in Afghanistan, Turkey and Russia. This population is recognized recently like component a species appreciably different from the domestic species of Bactriane: the wild Camel of set Tartarie or Camelus.
The wild species has the characteristic to be able to drink salt water. One cannot know yet if the animal in extract of fresh water.
The camel and the man
Undoubtedly domesticated since 4000 years, the camel of Bactriane would be downward populations marronnes, i.e. returned in a free state after domestication. At the end of the XIXe century, the famous Russian explorer, Nikolaï Prjevalski found true camels wild in the desert of Lobnor. It was then established that they were really wild. In addition to its utility like animal of pack, the camel was always high for its production of wool, milk and meat: it is thought that it is what made it possible the man to survive under the difficult conditions of the desert. In certain areas, its excrements are besides the only source of fuel.
External bonds
- List of discussion and diffusion on the camels and dromedaries
- Site of Cirad on large camélidés the
References
Zh-yue: 雙峰駱駝
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