Dromedary

The dromedary, or “one-humped camel”, lives in Arabia and the Sahara. It differs from the Central Asian camel, which has two humps. Its hump is made up of fat, serving as a nutritional reserve and allowing this animal to withstand the extreme conditions of the desert.

Able to survive several weeks without drinking, the dromedary sweats very little, can transform the fat in its hump into water and can withstand a loss of one third of its body weight. A large dromedary weighs more than 600 kg, while a 15% loss of water would be fatal for most animals, including humans. When thirsty, it can drink up to 200 litres of water in three minutes.

The dromedary is also an indispensable ally for humans in the desert: docile and resilient, it can carry heavy loads across sand and stones, provide milk and meat, and its hair can be woven. It is believed to have been domesticated around 4,000 years ago by the tribes of the Arabian Peninsula, before being introduced to North Africa and as far as the Indian subcontinent.