View source for Bactrian camel

{{Speciesbox
| name = Bactrian camel
| image = 2011 Trampeltier 1528.JPG
| image_caption = A Bactrian camel in the [[Shanghai Zoo]]
| taxon = Camelus bactrianus
| authority = [[Carl Linnaeus|Linnaeus]], [[10th edition of Systema Naturae|1758]]
| status = DOM
| status_system = 
| status_ref = 
| synonyms = {{collapsible list|Title=List
|''C. bocharius'' <small>[[Friedrich August Rudolph Kolenati|Kolenati]], 1847</small>
|''C. caucasicus'' <small>Kolenati, 1847</small>
|''C. genuinus'' <small>Kolenati, 1847</small>
|''C. orientalis'' <small>J. Fischer, 1829</small>
|''C. tauricus'' <small>J. Fischer, 1829</small>
}}
| synonyms_ref = <ref name=MSW3/>
}}

The '''Bactrian camel''' (''Camelus bactrianus'') is a large, [[even-toed ungulate]] native to the [[steppe]]s of [[Central Asia]]. The Bactrian camel has two humps on its back, in contrast to the single-humped [[Dromedary|dromedary camel]].<ref>The [[mnemonic]] that allows one to remember the correct English word for each is: "Bactrian" begins with "B", and "Dromedary" begins with "D" – and "B" on its side has two humps, whilst "D" on its side has only one hump.</ref> Its population of two million exists mainly in the [[Domestication|domesticated]] form.<ref name=EDGE>{{cite web| url= http://www.edgeofexistence.org/mammals/species_info.php?id=8 |title= Bactrian Camel| website= EdgeofExistence.org| publisher= EDGE| year= 2010}}</ref> Some authorities, notably the [[International Union for Conservation of Nature]] (IUCN), use the binomial name ''Camelus ferus'' for the [[wild Bactrian camel]] and reserve ''Camelus bactrianus'' for the domesticated Bactrian camel.<ref name="iucn">{{IUCN2008|assessor=Hare, J.|year=2008|id=63543|title=Camelus ferus|downloaded=31 January 2008}} Database entry includes justification for why this species is critically endangered</ref> Their name comes from the ancient historical region of [[Bactria]].<ref name="netindustries">{{cite web|url=http://science.jrank.org/pages/1151/Camels-Old-world-camels.html|title=Camels – Old World Camels|publisher=Net Industries|work=Science Encyclopedia|accessdate=29 November 2012}}</ref>

The domesticated Bactrian camel has served as a [[pack animal]] in inner Asia since ancient times. With its tolerance for cold, drought, and high altitudes, it enabled the travel of [[Camel train|caravans]] on the [[Silk Road]].<ref>{{Cite web  | last = Potts  | first = Daniel  | title = Bactrian Camels and Bactrian-Dromedary Hybrids  | work = The Silk Road Foundation Newsletter  | publisher = The Silk Road Foundation  | date = June 2005  | url = http://www.silkroadfoundation.org/newsletter/vol3num1/7_bactrian.php  | accessdate = 13 January 2013}}</ref> A small number of feral Bactrian camels still roam the [[Mangystau Province]] of southwest Kazakhstan and the [[Kashmir Valley]] in India.<ref>{{Cite book|title=A Concise History of Afghanistan in 25 Volumes: Volume 1|last=Alikuzai|first=Hamid Wahed|publisher=Trafford Publishing|year=2013|isbn=1490714472|location=|pages=696–702|via=}}</ref> 

==Taxonomy==
{{cladogram|align=left|title=
|caption=Phylogenetic relationships of the dromedary from combined analysis of all molecular data.<ref name="cui2007" />
|cladogram={{clade | style=font-size:90%;line-height:100%;width:300px;
|1={{clade
    |1={{clade
        |label1=[[Lamini]]
        |1={{clade
            |1=[[Alpaca]]
            |2={{clade
                |1=[[Vicuña]]
                |2={{clade
                    |1=[[Llama]]
                    |2=[[Guanaco]]
                   }}
               }}
            }}
        |label2=[[Camelini]]
        |2={{clade
            |1=[[Dromedary]]
            |2={{clade
                  |1=[[Wild Bactrian camel]]
                  |2='''Bactrian camel'''
                  }}
           }}
    }}
}} }} }}

The Bactrian camel shares the [[genus (biology)|genus]] ''[[Camelus]]'' with the [[dromedary]] (''C. dromedarius'') and the [[wild Bactrian camel]] (''C. ferus''). The Bactrian camel belongs to the family [[Camelidae]].<ref name = MSW3>{{MSW3 Artiodactyla | id = 14200112 | page = 645–6 }}</ref><ref name=colin>{{cite book|last1=Groves|first1=C.|last2=Grubb|first2=P.|authorlink1=Colin Groves|authorlink2=Peter Grubb (zoologist)|title=Ungulate Taxonomy|year=2011|publisher=Johns Hopkins University Press|isbn=978-1-4214-0093-8|page=32}}</ref> The [[ancient Greece|ancient Greek]] philosopher [[Aristotle]] (4th century BC) was the first to [[species description|describe]] the species of ''Camelus''. He named two species in his ''[[History of Animals]]'': the one-humped Arabian camel and the two-humped Bactrian camel.<ref>{{cite book|last1=de Buffon|first1=C.|authorlink=Georges-Louis Leclerc, Comte de Buffon|title=Natural History, General and Particular|date=1791|publisher=Alexander Strahan|page=121|location=London, UK|url=http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/item/77169#page/135/mode/1up}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|last=Smith|first1=W.|last2=Anthon|first2=C.|title=A Dictionary of Greek and Roman Antiquities|year=1870|publisher=[[Harper (publisher)|Harper and Brothers Publishers]]|location=New York, USA|edition=3rd|page=204}}</ref> The Bactrian camel was given its current binomial name ''Camelus bactrianus'' by Swedish zoologist [[Carl Linnaeus]] in his 1758 publication ''[[10th edition of Systema Naturae|Systema Naturae]]''.<ref name=SN>{{cite book|last1=Linnaeus|first1=C.|authorlink=Carl Linnaeus|title=Systema Naturæ Per Regna Tria Naturae|date=1758|publisher=Laurentius Salvius|location=Stockholm, Sweden|page=65|edition=[[10th edition of Systema Naturae|10th]]|url=http://biodiversitylibrary.org/page/726965}}</ref>

In 2007, Peng Cui (of the [[Chinese Academy of Sciences]]) and colleagues carried out a [[phylogenetic]] study of the evolutionary relationships between the two [[Tribe (biology)|tribe]]s of Camelidae: [[Camelini]] - consisting of the three ''Camelus'' species (the study considered the wild Bactrian camel as a [[subspecies]] of the Bactrian camel) - and [[Lamini]] - consisting of the [[alpaca]] (''Vicugna pacos''), the [[guanaco]] (''Lama guanicoe''), the [[llama]] (''L. glama'') and the [[vicuña]] (''V. vicugna''). The study revealed that the two tribes had [[genetic divergence|diverged]] 25 million years ago (early [[Miocene]]), notably earlier than what had been previously estimated from North American fossils. [[Speciation]] began first in Lamini as the alpaca came into existence 10 million years ago (late [[Pleistocene]]). Nearly two million years later, the Bactrian camel and the dromedary emerged as two independent species.<ref name="cui2007">{{cite journal|last1=Cui|first1=P.|last2=Ji|first2=R.|last3=Ding|first3=F.|last4=Qi|first4=D.|last5=Gao|first5=H.|last6=Meng|first6=H.|last7=Yu|first7=J.|last8=Hu|first8=S.|last9=Zhang|first9=H.|title=A complete mitochondrial genome sequence of the wild two-humped camel (''Camelus bactrianus ferus''): an evolutionary history of Camelidae|journal=BioMed Central Genomics|date=2007|volume=8|issue=1|pages=241|doi=10.1186/1471-2164-8-241|url=http://bmcgenomics.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/1471-2164-8-241|pmid=17640355|pmc=1939714}} {{open access}}</ref>

The Bactrian camel and the dromedary often interbreed to produce [[fertility|fertile]] offspring. Where the ranges of the two species overlap, such as in northern Punjab, Persia and Afghanistan, the [[phenotypic]] differences between them tend to decrease as a result of extensive crossbreeding between them. The fertility of their [[Hybrid (biology)|hybrid]] has given rise to speculation that the Bactrian camel and the dromedary should be merged into a single species with two varieties.<ref name="camel">{{cite book|url=http://pdf.usaid.gov/pdf_docs/PNAAP013.pdf|title=The Camel (''Camelus dromedarius''): A Bibliographical Review|last=Mukasa-Mugerwa|first=E.|publisher=[[International Livestock Centre for Africa]]|year=1981|location=Addis Ababa, Ethiopia|pages=1–147}} {{open access}}</ref> However, a 1994 analysis of the [[mitochondria]]l [[cytochrome b]] [[gene]] revealed that the species display 10.3% divergence in their [[DNA sequencing|sequence]]s.<ref name="stanley">{{cite journal|last2=Kadwell|first2=M.|last3=Wheeler|first3=J.C.|date=1994|title=Molecular evolution of the family Camelidae: a mitochondrial DNA study|journal=Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences|volume=256|issue=1345|pages=1–6|doi=10.1098/rspb.1994.0041|last1=Stanley|first1=H.F.}}</ref>

== Differences between ''Camelus ferus'' and ''Camelus bactrianus'' ==
[[File:Bactrian camels - Nubra.jpg|thumb|250px|right|Bactrian camels in [[Nubra Valley]], India]]
The [[wild Bactrian camel]] (''Camulus ferus'') was first described by [[Nikolay Przhevalsky]] in the late 19th century and has now been established as a distinct species from the Bactrian camel (''Camelus bactrianus)''.<ref name= GStatus>{{cite journal| last1= Burger| first1= P.| last2= Silbermayr| first2= K.| last3= Charruau| first3= P.| last4= Lipp| first4= L.| last5= Dulamtseren| first5= E.| last6= Yadmasuren| first6= A.| last7= Walzer| first7= C. |publisher= ''in press''| title= Genetic status of wild camels (''Camelus ferus'') in Mongolia}}</ref><ref name= GDiv2014>{{cite journal| last1= Chuluunbat| first1= B.| last2= Charruau| first2= P.| last3= Silbermayr| first3= K.| last4= Khorloojav| first4= T. | last5= Burger| first5= P. A. |year= 2014| title= Genetic diversity and population structure of Mongolian domestic Bactrian camels (Camelus bactrianus)| journal= Anim Genet| volume= 45| page= 550–558| doi= 10.1111/age.12158}}</ref>
<blockquote>Zoological opinion nowadays tends to favour the idea that ''C. bactrianus'' and ''C. dromedarius'' are descendants of two different subspecies of ''C. ferus'' (Peters and von den Driesch 1997: 652) and there is no evidence to suggest that the original range of ''C. ferus'' included those parts of Central Asia and Iran where some of the earliest Bactrian remains have been found.<ref>Potts (2004), p. 145.</ref></blockquote> In particular, a population of wild Bactrian camel has been discovered to live within a part of the Gashun Gobi region of the [[Gobi Desert]]. This population is distinct from domesticated herds both in [[Genome|genetic makeup]]<ref>{{cite news |title= Wild camels 'genetically unique'|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/earth/hi/earth_news/newsid_8151000/8151804.stm |date= <!-- 11:09 GMT --> 22 July 2009|work= Earth News|publisher= BBC |accessdate=22 July 2009}}</ref> and in behavior.{{Citation needed|date=June 2009}}

As many as three regions in the genetic makeup are distinctly different from Bactrian camels, with up to a 3% difference in the base genetic code. However, with so few wild camels, what the natural genetic diversity within a population would have been is not clear.{{Citation needed|date=June 2009}}

Another difference is the ability of these wild camels to drink saltwater slush, although whether the camel can extract useful water from it is not yet certain. Domesticated camels are unable to drink such salty water.<ref>{{cite web| author = Wild Camel Protection Foundation| title = Wild Camels| accessdate = 7 December 2012| url = http://www.wildcamels.com/bactrian-camels/}}</ref>

==Description==
[[Image:Bactrian camel (Camelus bactrianus).JPG|thumb|left|240px|Detail of feet]]
The Bactrian camel is the largest mammal in its native range and is the largest living camel. Shoulder height is from {{convert|180|to|230|cm|ft|abbr=on}}, head-and-body length is {{convert|225|-|350|cm|ft|abbr=on}}, and the tail length is {{convert|35|-|55|cm|in|abbr=on}}. At the top of the humps, the average height is {{convert|213|cm|ft|abbr=on}}. Body mass can range from {{convert|300|to|1000|kg|lb|abbr=on}}, with males often being much larger and heavier than females.<ref name= EDGE /><ref>{{cite web| url= http://www.ultimateungulate.com/artiodactyla/camelus_bactrianus.html |title= Bactrian Camel| website= UltimateUngulate.com| date= | publisher= | access-date= }}</ref> Its long, wooly coat varies in colour from dark brown to sandy beige. A mane and beard of long hair occurs on the neck and throat, with hairs measuring up to {{convert|25|cm|in|abbr=on}} long. The shaggy winter coat is shed extremely rapidly, with huge sections peeling off at once, appearing as if sloppily shorn. The two humps on the back are composed of fat (not water as is sometimes thought). The face is typical of a camelid, being long and somewhat triangular, with a split upper lip. The long eyelashes, along with the sealable nostrils, help to keep out dust in the frequent sandstorms which occur in their natural range. The two broad toes on each foot have undivided soles and are able to spread widely as an adaptation to walking on sand. The feet are very tough, as befits an animal of extreme environments.

==Natural habitat==
These camels are migratory, and their habitat ranges from rocky mountain massifs to flat arid desert, stony plains, and sand dunes. Conditions are extremely harsh – vegetation is sparse, water sources are limited and temperatures are extreme, ranging from as low as −40&nbsp;°C in winter to 40&nbsp;°C in summer. The camels’ distribution is linked to the availability of water, with large groups congregating near rivers after rain or at the foot of the mountains, where water can be obtained from springs in the summer months, and in the form of snow during the winter.

==Life history==
Bactrian camels are exceptionally adept at withstanding wide variations in temperature, ranging from freezing cold to blistering heat. They have a remarkable ability to go without water for months at a time, but when water is available they may drink up to 57 liters at once. When well fed, the humps are plump and erect, but as resources decline, the humps shrink and lean to the side. When moving faster than a [[Horse gait#walk|walking]] speed, they [[pacing (horse gait)|pace]], by stepping forwards with both legs on the same side (as opposed to [[trot]]ting, using alternate diagonals as done by most other quadrupeds). Speeds of up to {{Convert|65|kph}} have been recorded, but they rarely move this fast.  Bactrian camels are also said to be good swimmers. The sense of sight is well developed and the sense of smell is extremely good. The lifespan of Bactrian camels is estimated at up to 50 years, often 20 to 40 in captivity.

=== Diet ===
Bactrian camels are diurnal, sleeping in the open at night and foraging for food during the day. They are primarily herbivorous. They are able to eat plants that are dry, prickly, salty and/or bitter, and can ingest virtually any kind of vegetation. When other nutrient sources are not available, these camels may feed on carcasses, gnawing on bones, skin, or various different kinds of flesh. In more extreme conditions, they may eat any material they find, which has included rope, sandals, and even tents. Their ability to feed on a wide range of foods allows them to live in areas with sparse vegetation. With tough mouths that can withstand sharp objects such as thorns, the digestion process begins. The first time food is swallowed, it is not fully chewed. The partly masticated food (called cud) goes into the stomach and later is brought back up for further chewing.

Bactrian camels belong to a fairly small group of animals that regularly eat snow to provide their water needs. Any animals living above the snowline are obliged to do this, as snow and ice are the only forms of water during winter, and by doing so, their range is greatly enlarged. The [[latent heat]] of snow and ice is enormous compared with the [[heat capacity]] of water, demanding a large sacrifice in heat energy and forcing animals to eat only small amounts at a time.<ref>{{cite web| url= http://www.omafra.gov.on.ca/english/livestock/beef/facts/09-065.pdf| publisher= Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs | title= Replacing Water with Clean Snow for Ewes and Beef Cows| first1= C.| last1= Wand| first2= C.| last2= Richardson| number= 09-065 AGDEX  424/433| date= November 2009| access-date= February 9, 2017| website= OMAFRA.gov.on.ca| deadurl= yes| archiveurl= http://web.archive.org/web/20150402111550/http://www.omafra.gov.on.ca/english/livestock/beef/facts/09-065.pdf | archivedate= April 2, 2015}}</ref>

=== Reproduction ===
Bactrian camels are [[Induced ovulation (animals)|induced ovulators]]&nbsp;— they [[Ovulation|ovulate]] after insemination of semen into the [[vagina]]; the seminal plasma, not the [[spermatozoa]], induces ovulation. Ovulation occurs in 87% of females after insemination: 66% ovulate within 36 h and the rest by 48 h (the same as natural mating). The least amount of [[semen]] required to elicit ovulation is about 1.0 ml.<ref name="Chen">{{cite journal|last-author-amp=yes|year=1985|title=Semen-induced ovulation in the bactrian camel (Camelus bactrianus)|url=http://www.reproduction-online.org/content/74/2/335.full.pdf |journal=J. Reprod. Fert.|volume=74|issue=2|pages=335–339|doi=10.1530/jrf.0.0740335|author=Chen, B.X.|author2=Yuen, Z.X.|author3=Pan, G.W.}}</ref>

The mating season occurs in the fall. Males during this time are often quite violent and may bite, spit, or attempt to sit on other male camels. The age of [[sexual maturity]] varies, but is usually reached at 3 to 5 years. Gestation lasts around 13 months, with most young being born from March through April. One or occasionally two calves are produced, and the female can give birth to a new calf every other year. Young Bactrian camels are [[precocial]], being able to stand and run shortly after birth, and are fairly large at an average birth weight of {{convert|36|kg|lb|abbr=on}}. They are nursed for about 1.5 years. The young calf stays with its mother for three to five years, until it reaches sexual maturity, and often serves to help raise subsequent generations for those years. Wild camels sometimes breed with domesticated or feral camels, as well.

==History==
[[Image:Bactrian.camel.twice.arp.jpg|thumb|left|Two Bactrian camels]]
The Bactrian camel is thought to have been domesticated (independent of the dromedary) sometime before [[25th century BCE|2500 BCE]],<ref name="Encyclopædia Britannica">[http://www.britannica.com/eb/article-9018795 "camel"], ''Encyclopædia Britannica''. 2007. ''Encyclopædia Britannica'' Online. accessed 11 February 2007.</ref> in Northeast [[Afghanistan]],<ref name="Encyclopædia Britannica" /> or southwestern [[Turkestan]].<ref>[http://www.thehatchreport.com/information/myths-about-camels.html Myths About Camels], ''The Hatch Report.com''.</ref> The dromedary camel is believed to have been domesticated between [[4th millennium BC|4000 BCE]] and [[2nd millennium BC|2000 BCE]]<ref name="Al-Swailem">Al-Swailem, et al. [http://www.world-food.net/scientficjournal/2007/issue1/pdf/agriculture/a4.pdf Classification of Saudi Arabian camel (Camelus dromedarius) subtypes based on RAPD technique.], ''Journal of Food, Agriculture and Environment'', Vol.5 (1) : 143–148. 2007.</ref> in [[Arabia]]. As pack animals, these ungulates are virtually unsurpassed, able to carry {{convert|170|-|250|kg|lb|abbr=on}} at a rate of 47&nbsp;km (30 miles) per day, or 4&nbsp;km/h (2&nbsp;mph) over a period of four days.

Bactrian camels have been the focus of artwork throughout history. For example, western foreigners from the [[Tarim Basin]] and elsewhere were depicted in [[:Image:Westerner on a camel.jpg|numerous ceramic figurines]] of the Chinese [[Tang dynasty]] (618–907).

===Evolutionary history===
As of the 1980s, a complete range of [[fossil]]s suggests the first [[camelid]]s appeared in [[North America]] about 30 million years ago, had relatively small body masses, and were adapted to warm climates.<ref>Ferguson, K. "Agricultural Landscape: Invented Tradition of the Mesa Verde World". Cortez: University of Cortez, in press).</ref>
By the early [[Pleistocene]] (about 2 million years ago), they had already evolved into a form similar to the current Bactrian camel, and many individuals permanently migrated to the opposite end of the [[Bering Strait]] in an abrupt fashion, probably as a response to the advancing [[ice age]]. The remaining related types of American camelids are now only in South America.

===Imported to US===
Bactrian camels were imported to the US several times in the mid- to late 1800s, both by the US military and by merchants and miners, looking for pack animals sturdier and hardier than horses and mules.<ref name= "Zentner experiment">{{cite web| url= http://www.desertusa.com/animals/desert-camel-experiment.html| title= The Desert Camel Experiment| first= Joe| last= Zentner| publisher= DesertUSA.com and Digital West Media, Inc. |access-date= February 9, 2017}}</ref> Although the camels proved worthy of their intended use, the US Camel Cavalry was never considered much of a success.<ref name= "Zentner experiment" /> Having brought two shipments of less than 100 camels to the US, plans were made to import another 1,000, but the [[US Civil War]] distracted such plans.<ref name= "Zentner experiment" /> Most surviving camels of these endeavors, both military and private, were merely turned loose to survive in the wild. As a result, small feral herds of Bactrian camels existed during the late 19th century in the southwest deserts of the [[United States]].<ref name= "Zentner experiment" />

== Documentaries ==
* ''[[The Story of the Weeping Camel]]'' is a [[2003 in film|2003]] [[Mongolia]]n documentary/story about a family of nomadic shepherds trying to get a white calf accepted by his mother, which rejected him after a difficult birth.

==Gallery==
<gallery>

File:Riding Bactrian camel Nubra.jpg|Riding a Bactrian camel in [[Nubra Valley]], [[India]]
File:Temee.jpg|Bactrian camels in [[Mongolia]]
File:Camels in Kosh-Agachsky District.jpg|Bactrian camels in the [[Chuya Steppe]], [[Altai Mountains]], [[Russia]]
</gallery>

==See also==
{{commons category|Camelus bactrianus}}
*[[Bactria]]
*[[Camel]]

==References==
{{reflist|35em}}

==External links==
{{commons|Camelus bactrianus}}
{{wikispecies|Camelus bactrianus}}
*[http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information/Camelus_bactrianus.html Camelus bactrianus], University of Michigan Animal Diversity project
* {{cite web| url= http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2002/11/1126_021205_cameltrek.html | work= National Geographic| title= Wild Bactrian Camels Critically Endangered, Group Says| first= Brian| last= Handwerk| date= December 3, 2002}}
* [http://www.wildcamels.com/ Wild Camel Protection Foundation]
* [https://www.flickr.com/photos/aaron-sneddon/sets/72157620676711291/ Images of Bactrian Camels at the Highland Wildlife Park, Scotland] by Aaron Sneddon 
* {{cite news| url= http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/1156212.stm |title= 'New' camel lives on salty water| date= 6 February 2001| publisher= BBC}}; discovery of camels in the Gashun Gobi region

{{Artiodactyla|T.}}
{{Camelids}}

{{taxonbar}}

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[[Category:Camels]]
[[Category:Megafauna of Eurasia]]
[[Category:Mammals of China]]
[[Category:Desert fauna]]
[[Category:Mammals of India]]
[[Category:Fauna of Tajikistan]]
[[Category:Fauna of Kazakhstan]]
[[Category:Mammals of Pakistan]]
[[Category:Mammals of Mongolia]]
[[Category:Livestock]]
[[Category:EDGE species]]
[[Category:Pack animals]]
[[Category:Bactria]]
[[Category:Animals described in 1758]]

[[simple:Bactrian camel]]