Camel

CAMEL (Camelus), a ruminant, even-toed mammal, family Camelidae. Camelus bactrianus is the two-humped camel, Camelus dromedarius is the one-humped camel. The foot of the camel ends below as if with a broad pad, divided above into two toes with broad hooves on them (tylopodous). This structure of the legs facilitates movement of camels across desert sand. They tolerate thirst well, as they retain water in the cells of the rumen (the first division of the stomach). The camel's hump contains fat deposits. These features make camels generally very hardy, which is why they have been used since ancient times for caravan movement across barren steppes and deserts. Being an indispensable domestic animal, the camel can nevertheless harm human health. Camels are susceptible to rabies and aphthous fever, which can be transmitted to humans. In rare cases, camels contract glanders. In the lower Volga region and adjacent steppes, camels suffer from plague and are a source of human infection (e.g., when skinning a dead animal). Among animal parasites common to camels and humans, one can note: echinococcus (cystic form in internal organs), cysticercosis (Taenia solium), and various species of nematodes of the genus Trichostrongylus. The scabies mite - Sarcoptes scabiei, var. cameli - can be transmitted to humans. Camels also serve as intermediate hosts for Linguatula serrata. Flukes (Fasciola hepatica) have also been found in them. Of infectious diseases, trypanosomiasis-surra has great economic significance for camels. The family Camelidae, to which camels belong, is the only family among all mammals whose erythrocytes have an oval shape.