Camel vs. Dromedary - What’s the Difference?
It’s not difficult to tell camels apart from dromedaries. Let us show you how!
Camel vs. Dromedary - What’s the Difference? - Photo: jbutcher (left)/Shutterstock, Ondrej (right)/stock.adobe.com
Confusions between camels and dromedaries happen quite often, usually when it comes to the question: Who has how many humps? To clarify this, one must understand that there isn’t just ‘THE’ camel as a species. The term camel refers to an entire family of animals. This family includes the Bactrian camel, dromedary, llama, alpaca, guanaco, and vicuña. They are all considered camels.
The number of humps does indeed help in distinguishing these animals. By the way: The humps are not water reservoirs, as is often believed. The purpose of the humps is different: They contain the animals' fat reserves.
Of course, there are more differences, such as in size, weight, and habitat. Let’s get started: here are all the essential and unique characteristics of the different camel species!
Oh, and one thing is true for all camels – they can all spit!
Appearance:
- Number of humps
- Fur
- Body Structure
- Size
- Weight
Distribution:
- Continents, countries
- Habitat
Abilites:
- Speed
- Sensitivity to cold and heat
Camel vs. Dromedary - What’s the Difference? - Photo: jbutcher (left)/Shutterstock, Ondrej (right)/stock.adobe.com
- Table of Contents
- 0. Introduction
- 1. Humps, Size, Weight
- 2. Species, Distribution
- 3. Bactrian Camel, Dromedary
- 4. Llama, Alpaca, Guanaco, Vicuña
