Camel Trivia
Did you know that the camel was one of the animals that originated on the North American continent? Along with the horse (that also originated in North America) they migrated to other parts of the globe over 15 thousand years ago. The camel does not trot like a horse but paces, with both legs on each side of the camel moving at the same time in the same direction. This makes for a very ground covering gait that does not jar the rider. The camel can also out run a horse over distance.
The camel has had a very close partnership with humans almost rivaling the use that man has put on the horse. Camels have been used by the US and Australian cavalries for war and exploration into the desert areas of their countries. There have been wild herds of camels in both the USA and Australia at one time, the herds coming from camels released or escaped from their owners.
It is rare that someone has written about the exploits of a camel used in war and I recently came across this book “The Cameliers” a recount of the camel soldiers in the first world war.
You would be lucky to find this book on sale most anywhere, since most books on camels are children’s books or just picture books about camels.
Other interesting facts include the insulating qualities of the camel’s foot. The foot is built in such a way that the hot sandy deserts will not burn or injure the foot. The camel’s hump does not store water but stores a fat reserve, which the camel can draw from for nourishment over a longer period of time than other animals can.
