Camels can go for long periods without water and food thanks to their humps, but what exactly do they eat?
There are three species of camels: Camelus dromedarius, Camelus bactrianus, and Camelus ferus. All of them have several adaptations that allow them to survive in desert conditions. And it’s not just their humps!
Firstly, camels have a split upper lip, with each half able to move independently. This allows them to feed on short grasses, which is an important condition in the desert where vegetation grows slowly.
Secondly, the lips of these animals are tough and leathery, yet flexible, enabling them to eat both prickly and salty plants, such as those that grow in salt flats.
Dromedary camels, which have one hump, primarily feed on thorny plants, dry grasses, and salt flat vegetation, but they can eat virtually any available plant in the desert. Bactrian camels (C. bactrianus and C. ferus, that is, the two-humped ones) in Mongolia also feed on the leaves of certain trees.
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