Camels have long been domesticated and, as livestock, they provide food (camel milk and meat) and textiles (fiber and felt from camel hair). Camels are working animals especially suited to their desert habitat and are a vital means of transport for passengers and cargo.

Camels, often called "ships of the desert," inhabit arid regions of Africa and Asia. There are three species: the Arabian camel (dromedary), with one hump, and the domesticated Bactrian camel and the wild Bactrian camel, both with two humps.

Camels are described as atypical seasonal breeders; they exhibit spermatogenesis throughout the whole year with a reduction in spermatogenesis during the nonbreeding season compared to that in the breeding season (Zayed et al., 1995).

With time, they gave rise to the modern camels. However, a population of Paracamelus remained in North America and evolved into the high arctic camel, which went extinct after the Middle Pleistocene Epoch.

Learn all about the different types of camels, what they eat, where they live, how big they get, how long they live, endangered status, and more.

Camels are camelids, members of the biological family Camelidae, the only living family in the suborder Tylopoda. Camels tend to be large and are strictly herbivorous.

Camels are generally found in areas with limited water and vegetation. Their fat store can be converted to energy when they don’t have access to the resources they need to survive.

In this captivating video, we'll uncover the unique adaptations that make camels perfectly suited for life in harsh desert environments and their vital role in human history and culture.

Discover the fascinating adaptations of camels that help them survive in some of the harshest environments on Earth.

Camels are from the same family as ‘New World’ camelids, such as llama, alpaca, guanaco, and vicuña. Over 3000 years ago, camels were domesticated and, today, they serve as a method of transport in several areas across the globe.