Maryann Connelly, age 10, of, Merrillville, Ind., for her question:
WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF A CAMEL'S HUMP?
It is true that camels can go without drinking water for many days and even months. When they do drink, the time of the year determines the amount they consume. They need less in winter when the weather is cool and the plants they eat contain more moisture than they do in summer. In summer they can put away about five gallons at a time. The amount they drink depends upon how much body moisture needs replacing. Many people believe that a camel's hump is the place where he stores extra water. This, however, is not true.
A camel's hump, for the most part, is fat. Bands of strong tissue hold large pads of fat together, forming a hump above the backbone. The hump usually weighs about 80 pounds, which is just about one twentieth of the animal's total body weight.
Almost all animals store their fat in a number of different parts of their bodies. The camel puts it all together in a lump.
When food is difficult to find, the fat in a camel's hump provides energy. If food continues to be unavailable for a time, the hump shrinks in size and may even slip from an upright position on the animal's back and hang down on its side. After a time of normal eating and rest, the hump again becomes firm and plump.
A camel can go for many days with little or no water or food. His diet on the desert is usually dates, leaves, seeds, grass and such grains as wheat and oats. He normally eats about eight pounds of food each day.
Like deer and cattle, the camel is a ruminant, meaning that he doesn't chew his food well before swallowing it. His stomach has three sections. Poorly chewed food, called cud, is returned to the mouth from one section of the stomach and is more completely chewed before it goes to other parts of the stomach, where it starts final digestion.
A camel requires only small amounts of water because he retains it in his body for long periods of time. Most animals sweat when it gets hot and evaporation helps to keep their skin cool. A camel, however, doesn't sweat much. His body temperature can change as much as 11 degrees Fahrenheit without problems. In man, as you know, an increase of only two or three degrees usually indicates an illness. A mother camel will carry her young inside her body for about 11 months before birth. The baby camel's eyes are open at birth and his body is covered with a thick, woolly coat. By the time he is only a few hours old, he's able to run. The mother is very protective and will keep her baby close for about four years.
When he's full grown, the baby will stand from six to seven feet tall at the shoulders and weigh between 1,000 and 1,600 pounds.