How Are Camels Adapted to Their Habitat?

Camels are adapted to a desert habitat by their feet, hump, fur and eyelashes. For instance, a camel’s large, flat feet spreads out their weight so that they can walk on soft sand.

Another adaptation of the camel is its hump. Although it does not hold water, it does contain large fat stores. During long journey in the desert, this fat breaks down into energy. Eventually once the fat stores run out, the hump flops over. Furthermore, the camel does not sweat when its gets hot because it can tolerate heat up to more than 100 degrees Fahrenheit. This keeps valuable water inside its body. The camel also has an unusually long large intestine, which reabsorbs most of the water it drinks, resulting in limited urination and conservation of water. Other physical adaptations are its thick eyelashes and hairy nostrils, which protect it from sand.

Another adaptation is related to the camel’s cud. When it eats, its food gets partially digested in its stomach, and then it regurgitates the food and chews it again. This enables the camel to live in habitats with sparse vegetation. Furthermore, when the camel senses danger it spits out part of this regurgitated food. The smell serves to warn away predators.