Myth 7 of 10
7. Myth: the camel stores water in its hump
The camel's hump is a reserve of fat, not water. What lets the animal withstand thirst so well is a set of adaptations spread throughout its body.
Fat concentrated in one place
The hump can store tens of kilos of fat, which the body uses as an energy reserve when food is scarce. When a camel goes a long time without eating, the hump shrinks and may even flop to one side.
Keeping the fat in one place also helps it cope with heat. If it were spread under the skin, as in other animals, it would act like a blanket and make it harder for the rest of the body to lose heat.
Water stays in the blood and tissues, and the camel loses very little. Its urine is concentrated, its droppings come out dry, and its body temperature can vary by several degrees over the course of the day before it starts to sweat. It can withstand losing a part of its body water that would be serious for most mammals.
When it finds water, the camel makes up for it quickly: it can drink about 100 litres in just over ten minutes. Its oval-shaped red blood cells withstand the rapid influx of so much water and help the blood keep circulating even when it is thicker from dehydration.
Did you know? Camels have a third eyelid, thin and transparent, that protects the eyes from sand without blocking vision, and they can close their nostrils during sandstorms.
