|
|
Animal Info - Wild Bactrian Camel(Other Names: 双峰驼, 双峰骆驼,野骆驼, Bactrian Camel, Camello Bactriano, Chameau de Bactriane,Havtagai, Shuang Feng Luo Tuo, Two-humped Camel, Wildkamel)Camelus bactrianus (Camelus bactrianus ferus)Contents1.Profile (Picture) ProfilePictures:WildBactrian Camel (50 Kb JPEG)(John Hare/IUCN);Domestic Bactrian Camel(59 Kb JPEG)(Wild CamelProt. Found.) The wild Bactrian (two-humped) camel is adapted to arid plains and hills where watersources are few and vegetation is sparse. Shrubs constitute its main source of food. Herdsof these wild camels move widely, their distribution being linked to water. The animalstend to concentrate in and around mountains, because most springs are there and snow onthe slopes may provide the only moisture in winter. Concentrations of up to 100 camelsoccur near the mountains, but most herds contain 2 - 15 members. The small average herdsize in the past 100 years reflects not just the aridity of the environment but also heavyhunting pressure. The range of the wild Bactrian camel in historic times extended from the great bend ofthe Yellow River at 110 deg E westward across the deserts of southernMongolia and northwesternChina to centralKazakhstan.It was already heavily hunted for its meat and hide in the 1800's, and by the 1850's itpersisted only in remote areas of the Gobi and Taklimakan Deserts inMongolia andChina.By the 1920's, its populations had become fragmented, and it is currently restricted tothree small, remnant populations inMongolia andChina. Heavy persecution by hunters and competition with domestic animals for water andpasture were the principal causes of decline up to the 1960's. Hunting has continued tohave a major impact up to the present. Additional threats include settling of oases bypastoralists, prospecting for and extraction of oil and gold, and hybridization withdomestic camel stock. Tidbits*** The wild Bactrian camel is one of theworld'srarest mammals. *** The habitat of wild camels is extremely harsh. A nearly lifeless land, itstemperature may reach 60 - 70 deg C (140 - 160 deg F) in summer and -30 deg C (-22 deg F)in winter. To protect against these extreme conditions, the camel's long,narrow nostrils and dense eyelashes efficiently prevent damage from sandstorms. Theslitlike nostrils can be closed to keep out dust and sand. It sweats and urinates little,thus prolonging resistance to thirst. Under the soles of its feet a horny layer enables itto walk on broken, stony ground and hot, sandy ground with ease. *** Wild and domestic Bactrian camels readily interbreed, but physically they are quitedifferent. The wild camels have a sandy, gray-brown rather than a predominantly dark browncoat; and their body form is small and slender, rather than large and bulky like that ofthe domestic Bactrian camel (The Mongolians call the wild camel "havtagai",which means "flat."). The most important difference, however, is in the humps.The humps of a wild camel are small and pyramid-shaped, with a round base and a pointedend. The humps of a domestic camel are distinctively large and irregular.(Tan 1996,Schaller 1998,Nowak 1999) *** Approximately 2.5 million domestic Bactrian camels occur in Central Asia(Schaller 1998). *** Contrary to popular legend, there is no evidence that camels store water in thestomach (or in the hump). Although they are adapted for conservation of water, they willlose weight and strength if they go for long periods without drinking.(Nowak 1999) Status and TrendsIUCN Status:
Countries Where the Wild Bactrian Camel Is Currently Found:2004: Occurs inChina (Xinjiang) andMongolia.(IUCN2004) Population Estimates:
History of Distribution:The range of the wild Bactrian camel in historic times extended from about the greatbend of the Yellow River at 110 deg E westward across the deserts of southernMongolia and northwesternChina to centralKazakhstan.Heavily hunted for its meat and hide, by the 1850's it had vanished from the western partof its range and persisted only in remote areas of the Gobi and Taklimakan Deserts. WhenPrzewalski discovered it for science in 1877, its distribution was apparently stillcontinuous between the Gobi and Taklimakan Deserts. By the 1920's, its populations hadbecome fragmented, although it could still be encountered anywhere in the Gobi Desert.Between 1940 and 1974, the range of the wild camel inMongoliadid not change significantly, but the southern part of its range, which lies chieflywithinChina, was reduced. The wild camelsubsequently became restricted to relatively small areas of southwesternMongolia and northwesternChina. Currently, wild camels are restricted to threesmall, remnant populations inMongolia andChina: in the Taklimakan Desert, the deserts around LopNur (a lake and marsh that dried up after the waters of the Tarim River were diverted forirrigation), and the area in and around Region A ofMongolia’sGreat Gobi Strict Protected Area. (IUCN 1966,Bannikov 1975,Nowak & Paradiso 1983,Schaller 1998,Reading et al. 1999) DistributionMap #1 (4 Kb GIF)(Huffman 2004) Threats and Reasons for Decline:InMongolia, heavy persecution by hunters andcompetition with domestic animals for water and pasture were the principal causes ofdecline up to the 1960's. Hunting has continued to have a major impact up to the present.Additional threats include settling of oases by pastoralists, prospecting for andextraction of oil and gold, and hybridization with domestic camel stock. (IUCN 1966,Schaller 1998,Hare1998,Nowak 1999) Data on Biology and EcologyWeight:
Habitat:
Age to Maturity:
Gestation Period:
Birth Season:
Birth Rate:
Early Development:
Dispersal:
Maximum Age:
Diet:
Behavior:
Social Organization:
Age and Gender Distribution:
Density and Range:
ReferencesBannikov 1975,Burton & Pearson 1987,Hare 1997,Hare 1998,Huffman 2004,IUCN,IUCN1966,IUCN 1994,IUCN1996,IUCN 2000,IUCN2003a,IUCN2004,Nowak 1999,Nowak& Paradiso 1983,Reading et al. 1999,San Diego Zoo,Schaller 1998,Spec.Cons. Found.,Tan1996,Tsevegmid & Dashdorj 1974,Wild Camel Prot. Found. Home |RarestMammals |Species Index |Species Groups Index |CountryIndex |Links Last modified: March 11, 2006; |
.. |
