Elsie Camacho; age 9, of Tuscon, Arizona,
How long can a camel go without water?
Andy tried to track down the rumor of a camel who had gone 34 days without a drink of water; The story may be an exaggeration. For Andy found that the average camel can go without drinking only for about three days. When water is plentiful, the big fellow drinks from five to seven gallons of water a day.
Judging from Andy’s mail, the camel is a very popular animal, even far from his desert home. There he is even more popular, for life in the desert would be impossible without him. Strange to say, the ancestors of the camel were native North Americans. Long, long ago some went south and their children became the llamas of South America. Others crossed a land bridge from Alaska, Their children became the camels of Asia and Africa.
No pack animal can compete with camels in the desert given times he can outdistance the best Arab horse. No horse can travel over the sands at 30 miles an hour day after weary day, The camel is slow but steady. The caravan wends its way from dawn to dark at 2 to 3 miles an hour. Each sturdy animal can carry a pack up to 400 pounds.
The camel is a vegetarian. He feeds on tough, wild grasses, He even stores extra food in case of bad times. Those humps are made of fatty food supplies. Water is stored in one of the three chambers of his stomach. This chamber is lined with small, hollow pockets. After a long, full drink these pockets fill with water and are sealed off by strong stomach muscles, On the hot, dry journey, the thirsty camel merely lets a flask or two of this water empty into his stomach.
The wonderful animal is perfectly built for life in the desert, His wide feet spread out and do not sink into the soft sands. The Bactrian camel of Asia has tough feet and nails to help him over tha stony regions, The African camel has softer feet, better suited to the shifting sands of the Sahara. Camels ears are small and furry, well protected from the blowing dust and blowing dust and sand. The nostrils are lined with fur. Even the eyelashes are built to keep out the sand. Any girl would envy the camel his double row of long thick, silky eyelashes
To his desert friends the camel is full of gifts. His milk and flesh make fine food. His coat makes the softest and warmest of clothes, He is well behaved and a sturdy carrier of burdens.
To his enemies it is a far different story. The camel has a long memory when it comes to carrying a grudge. He will wait a long time to get even with that camel driver who treated him unfairly. One day, his hated enemy will be nearby when Mr. Camel is chewing his cud. The big mouth will be full of a soft green mush. Suddenly there is a slap‑splash. The enemy gets the wet mush right in the face: As a spitter, Mr. Camel has a very good aim indeed.