The dromedary or one-humped camel (Camelus dromedarius) is one of two species within the genus Camelus, the other being the Bactrian or two-humped camel (C. bactrianus). Camels and llamas are the two genera comprising the Camelidae family. The Camelidae belong to the ruminant suborder within the placentary subclass of mammalian vertebrates. Among the living artiodactyls the Camelidae family is the only one within the Tylopoda group (see Figure 1).
Figure 1. Representation of the classification of the dromedary and other Camelidae.
Source: Compiled by author, from Cauvet (1925), Leese (1927), Curasson (1947), Ferandez-Baca (1978) and Mason (1979).
Mikesell (1955) indicates that the origin of camels can be traced to the Protylopus, an animal that occupied the North American continent during the Eocene period. That the Camelidae eventually disappeared from the mother continent is part of the enigma surrounding the extinction of North American Pleistocene mammals. However, by this time Camelidae had already migrated across the Bering Straits to Asia during the late Pliocene or early Glacial epochs (Novoa, 1970; Williamson and Payne, 1978; Droandi, 1915). Others migrated to South America and evolved into the wild guanaco, the vicuna and later the domesticated llama and alpaca –– the humpless cameloids of the New World. Fossil evidence indicates that Camelidae were present in China, Siberia, and Russia during the Pliocene and Pleistocene periods. During the latter they were also found in Rumania, Palestine and North Africa. In Africa, the wild camel extended as far west as the Atlantic coast and as far south as northern Tanzania, according to Mason (1979).
Fernandez-Baca (1978) indicates that while both camels and llamas evolved from common North American ancestors over 1 million years ago, no significant karyotypic differences exist between the various species, except for sex differences. Work by Taylor et al (1968) showed that the guanaco, the Bactrian camel and the dromedary each have 74 chromosomes, similar to the number found in the llama, alpaca, guanaco and vicuna by Benirschke (1967). Taylor et al therefore conclude that the evolutionary changes that occurred were due to single gene mutations or minor chromosome rearrangements.
Williamson and Payne (1978) indicate that the earliest Old World camels, which probably reached North Africa, were more closely related to the two-humped camel (Camelus bactrianus). This North African stock, however, became extinct, and the subsequent reintroduction of the camel to the continent involved the dromedary instead.
The modern one-humped camel or dromedary (the latter name derives from the Greek dromados, meaning "running") is generally thought to have evolved from the two-humped Bactrian species. This theory is partly based on embryological evidence showing that during prenatal development the dromedary foetus actually has two humps (Dennler de la Tour, 1971), while a vestigial anterior hump is present in the adult. Williamson and Payne (1978) speculate that the one-humped species probably evolved in one of the hotter and more arid areas of western Asia. Today the two species can and often do interbreed, and on the basis of the fertility of the hybrids some authors have advocated amalgamating them into one species with two varieties. In areas of bordering distribution, such as north Punjab, Persia and Afghanistan, the phenotypic differences between the two types tend to diminish as a result of the crossbreeding between them.
The Bactrian or two-humped camel (C. bactrianus) is generally a long-haired sturdy animal, powerfully built and adapted to rigorous, cold climates. It is capable of marching in snow-covered mountains. The two-humped camel is found in Turkestan and throughout central Asia (War Office, 1908) anal in the extremely cold northern deserts (Fazil, 1977). Leese (1927) suggests that the species developed in the Bactriana part of Afghanistan, whence it spread through Asia, China, Turkestan and Russia. Bulliet (1975) concludes that the first homeland of the Bactrian was the border of Iran (Khorasan) and the USSR (Turkemanistan). Tracing the story of its domestication, he estimated that the date of domestication probably reaches back to before 2,500 B.C. From this early focus of domestication, the Bactrian spread far and wide. It still exists today in central Asia and Mongolia, but has receded from other areas, e.g. the Indus valley.
Bulliet also makes the significant observation that in areas where the Bactrian has disappeared, the dromedary exists in substantial numbers. Similarly, the dromedary is rare in those areas where the Bactrian still exists. He suggests that substitution occurred because the nomads of the Syrian and Arabian deserts valued the one-humped camel both as an animal and also on account of its products. The Bactrian, on the other hand, was raised by Asiatic peoples who already had alternative sources for milk, meat and wool (cattle, sheep and goats). Whenever the two cultures came into contact, the Arabic pattern seemed to predominate, with the result that the one-humped camel gradually replaced the Bactrian, as it did for instance on the famous caravan trade route through central Asia to China, the silk route.
The dromedary is sometimes referred to as the Arabian camel, after the area in which it is thought to have been domesticated and probably most extensively employed. Mason (1979) suggests that the dromedary was domesticated in southern Arabia around 3000 B.C. However, the evidence as to where, when and why these animals were first domesticated remains inconclusive.
Curasson (1947) and Epstein (1971) indicate that the dromedary was introduced into North Africa (Egypt) from southwest Asia (Arabia and Persia). The former indicates that occasional shipments were also made to Spain, Italy, Turkey, France, the Canaries, North America and Australia. The latter country still contains a small feral herd of around 20,000. The present world habitat of the camel is shown in Figure 2. Leese (1927) and Fazil (1977) also mention attempts to introduce camels into various parts of southern Africa. Today camels are still used as mounts by police patrols in the Kalahari desert of Botswana (von Kaufmann, personal communication), as well as by the Game Department in northern Kenya.
Figure 2. Habitat of the camel.
Once in Africa, Mikesell (1955) suggests that the camel spread west and southwards from Egypt, although Bulliet (1975) is of the view that the camels of the Horn of Africa are more likely to have come across the sea from the Arabian Peninsula than spread southwards from Egypt and Sudan.
According to FAO (1979) statistics (see Table 1), there are about 17 million camels in the world, of which 12 million are found in Africa and 4.9 million in Asia. Of this estimated world population, 15.1 million are believed to be one-humped camels and 1.9 two-humped. The world population of camels is not increasing very rapidly, mainly owing to the decrease in numbers in the non-tropical areas (Williamson and Payne, 1978). However, 70% of the world's camels are still found within the tropics and over 90% of the African herd are present in this region. The African population is thought to be increasing slightly, especially within the tropics.
Table 1. Estimated camel populations of Africa and the world, 1978.
Country |
Population (x10)3 |
As % of world population 1/ |
As % of African population 2/ |
Africa | |||
Algeria |
147 |
0.87 |
1.21 |
Chad |
26 |
0.15 |
0.21 |
Djibouti |
405 |
2.38 |
3.32 |
Egypt |
95 |
0.56 |
0.78 |
Ethiopia |
960 |
5.65 |
7.88 |
Kenya |
574 |
3.38 |
4.71 |
Libya |
75 |
0.44 |
0.62 |
Mali |
198 |
1.17 |
1.62 |
Mauritania |
718 |
4.23 |
5.89 |
Morocco |
20 |
0.12 |
0.16 |
Niger |
350 |
2.06 |
2.87 |
Nigeria |
18 |
0.10 |
0.15 |
Senegal |
6 |
0.03 |
0.05 |
Somalia |
5400 |
31.78 |
44.30 |
Sudan |
2904 |
17.09 |
23.82 |
Tunisia |
205 |
1.20 |
1.68 |
Upper Volta |
5 |
0.03 |
0.04 |
West Sahara |
86 |
0.51 |
0.71 |
Other Regions | |||
Afghanistan |
290 |
1.70 |
– |
China |
1040 |
6.50 |
– |
India |
1174 |
6.58 |
– |
Iraq |
232 |
1.37 |
– |
Mongolia |
615 |
3.62 |
– |
Pakistan |
819 |
4.82 |
– |
Saudi Arabia |
108 |
0.64 |
– |
USSR |
230 |
1.35 |
– |
Today the dromedary is found in substantial numbers in the following African countries: Algeria, Chad, Djibouti, Egypt, Ethiopia, Kenya, Libya, Mali, Mauritania, Morocco, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Somalia, Sudan, Tunisia, Upper Volta and West Sahara. It is noteworthy that the five neighbouring countries of Somalia, Ethiopia, Sudan, Kenya and Djibouti together contain 84% of African camels and over half (60.1%) the world's camel population, while Africa as a whole contains 72%. In northern Kenya as in some other areas, however, numbers are declining, since the camel is being replaced by other domestic species.
Leese (1927) classified dromedaries according to their natural breeding areas into (i) hill camels, small compact muscular animals fit for work as baggagers, and (ii) plains camels, larger animals subdivided into riverine and desert types. The riverine camels are heavy baggagers with slow movements, while the desert types are light and typical of most riding animals. He also identifies a third group, intermediate between hill and plains animals.
It has been shown (IAO, n.d.) that dromedaries can also be classified into three groups according to their morphology: (i) the brachymorphic dromedary, a large and heavy animal typified by the Egyptian caravan camels; (ii) the mesomorphic dromedary, a lighter animal illustrated by the Libyan camel and (iii) the dolichomorphic dromedary, to which group belong the lean, swift Mehara animals common among the Saharan peoples. The first two groups comprise what is generally called the ‘beast of burden' camel when a broad classification based on the ability to work is applied.
Cole (1975), writing about the Murrah of Arabia, distinguishes three types: the beast of burden (baggager), the riding and the milking camel. Within each of these broad classes there are numerous breeds and types of dromedary, which have been bred and raised by man to suit local conditions. Man's role in evolving these various types has, however, been secondary to the genetic and environmental pressures on both the dromedary and the Bactrian camel.
The names of the dromedary breeds and types found in Africa often reflect the locality or country where the animals are raised, the people who breed them or simply the animals' colour, rather than any division into work, riding or milking breeds. It is thus possible for the same camel types, with a common ancestry but occupying different geographical areas, to be labelled as two separate types or breeds. A comprehensive and Systematic classification of camel breeds remains to be achieved. For the purposes of the present report, the major African camel types for each country are briefly described below, primarily on the basis of presentations by Mason and Maule (1960), Leese (1927), Gillespie (1962) and Epstein (1971).
Somalia, with over five million camels (FAO, 1979), has the largest herd in the world. Descriptive accounts of the various Somali camels are, however, contradictory, with that of Hartley (personal communication) probably being the most consistent. He indicates several types. The camels of the Esa peoples (the Esa Madobe and Esa Ad), who graze the Zelia plain in the winter and migrate westwards up the Awash in spring, are small active animals; any male of 5 years or more may be employed for light pack work and no special baggagers are raised. The camels of the Hargeisa region are also fairly small; in this region are found the Gadurbusi and Harb Awal camels. The tribal confederation of the Rer Ogaden has large numbers of excellent camels which are fawn and red in colour (some may be almost white). The Dolbahanta camels are raised by the tribe of that name in the Nogal valley and are related to the Ogaden types. The Mudug camels are owned by the Mijerteen, Merehan (Darod) and Habr Jiddan (Hawiye) tribes and tend to be dark in colour, of medium size and renowned equally as pack or milk animals, similarly to those of the Ogaden, where they usually enter to graze. The animals of the Benadir region, with more than 400 mm of rainfall, are very large compared to the more northerly animals of Somalia. In areas between rivers (e.g. the Scebeli and the Juba) large and even outstanding camels are common among the Gel Jaal (Rahanwein) and Garre tribes. These are the results of favourable environment and management.
With almost three million camels, Sudan has the second largest herd in Africa. The numbers decrease from the north towards the south, where more sheep and cattle are raised. Sudanese camels are divided broadly into two categories: pack and riding camels. Pack camels are represented by the Rashaidi, a very good baggage camel, and the Arab camel, a collective name referring to the remaining baggagers of Sudan. Within the Arab classification are found the baggagers of the Kordofan, Darfur and Kababish regions. The Rashaidi (Zebedi) is a short-legged, small, light animal of pinkish-red colour. It is graceful and capable of carrying moderate loads at a quick pace, though probably not as useful as the Kababish baggager. Riding camels of the Sudan are more common in the northeastern part of the country and include two major types, the Anafi and the Bishari pure breeds, as well as a cross between the two (Acland, 1932).
In Ethiopia camel types are commonly referred to by the colour of their coat. Thus the Grain is a tawny coloured baggage camel of the Habab, Ad Shekh, Ad Temeryam, Ad Moalim and Ad Saora tribes. The Cajeh is a reddish animal of the Beni Amer from the Khor Baraka region. It is intermediate between the Bishari of Sudan and the Grain, and is used more as a pack animal. The Danakil is a native of the desert of the same name. Other camel types of mixed breeding (especially Arab blood) are found in small numbers in the country.
The camels of Kenya may broadly be divided into three types according to habitat. The Somali camel is found in the northeastern province and is probably the same as the Benadir type found in Somalia, which also shows some affinity with the Anafi of Sudan. It is suitable only for light work, e.g. water carriage and transportation of camp equipment, but is little used as a riding animal. The Rendille or Gabbra is bred by the Rendille people, who are extensively discussed by Spencer (1973). It is a smaller but more robust animal of the semi-desert areas. The Turkana is a small breed adapted to the bush and stony hill areas west of Lake Turkana (Rudolf). Besides the Somali, Rendille and Gabbra peoples, who raise camels in large numbers, the Turkana, Samburu, Borana and Pokot also keep them to a lesser extent.
While camels are extensively used in the densely settled areas of Egypt, camel raising is not a major occupation in this country. Four camel breeds are found, the Sudani, the Maghrabi, the Fellahi and Mowalled, a cross between the Maghrabi and the Fellahi. The Sudani and Maghrabi are imported into Egypt from neighbouring countries. The Fellahi is a large baggager bred in Upper Egypt but mostly used in the Nile delta region. Coming from areas where feed supplies are more plentiful, the Fellahi is generally not fit for desert work. The Mowalled, on the other hand, is a much more suitable farm and desert animal, probably because of its heterozygous ancestry. There is a wide variation both in colour and conformation within this type.
The camel is a very important domestic animal in Libya, where the broad categories of baggage and riding camels are recognized. Sturdy pack animals are bred in the northeastern region. These fine baggagers are collectively called the Maghrabi (from the Maghreb) and are not a purebred type but rather the result of crosses between Sudanese, Egyptian, Tunisian and Moroccan breeds. Their coats consist of long, soft, reddish-brown hair. The remaining Libyan camels vary in conformation and colour. The camels from the nutritionally poor Fezzan region are small to medium-sized animals with short smooth hair and light colour. By contrast, the camels from Ghadames, an important centre on the caravan route, are short-legged, long-wooled, reddish-brown animals. The Bedouin Urfilla and Oulad Busaif Arabs of western Libya raise much heavier riding camels than those from the Jebel Tarhuna and Charyan areas, which are in turn superior to the riding camels from the Tripoli and Cussabat areas.
As in Libya, camels are a very important species in northwest Africa, where they are extensively used as baggagers even in the rugged mountainous areas. Two broad categories of animals are raised in the Tell region of Tunisia and Algeria, the riverine and desert types (Leese, 1927; Epstein, 1971). Epstein indicates that Tunisian camels closely resemble the Maghrabi and are ranked as the finest camels of the Atlas region. They are generally dark in colour, but a few are white. He observes that although Algerian camels are similar to the Tunisian animals, they are of inferior conformation. However, Moroccan camels have been bred and used for mountainous areas to such an extent that they are unfit for desert work. In the region bordering northern Mauritania, a strong breed suitable for heavy baggage work is raised by the Tajakant, a Bedouin tribe.
Camels in West Africa are classified as plains or mountain types and as pack or riding animals. The variations in nutrition and terrain encountered across the region have resulted in the development of three distinct kinds of camel, the northern Saharan, the Haggar or central Saharan and the southern Saharan. Within these three, various subtypes are identifiable. The Tiberti, for example, is one of the smallest riding camels of Africa, bred by the Ted and Daza tribes. It is well adapted to stony and sandy terrain and has a coat that grows very long in winter. The Manga, bred by the Bideyet tribe, is found north of Lake Chad and is a heavy pack camel more suited to the southern regions and not to the desert proper. The Aur camel is raised by the Tuareg tribes, i.e. the Asben, Kel Owi, Kel Tadele and Kel Ferwan in the Aur region. It is a tall, slender, desert riding camel of great speed. Further south the Aur camel tends to grow bigger and heavier owing to increased feed availability, and consequently becomes more sluggish. The Berabish is found in the region of the Niger River and is also called the River Niger camel. It is better adapted to humid conditions and is thought to be capable of withstanding trypanosomiasis. The Adrar is a dual purpose (pack and riding) breed raised by the Tuareg people. It is greyish with light coloured extremities. The Saharan (or Sahel) camel is bred in the Sudanian and Mauritanian Sahel, extending from Ahaggar in the north to 100 km north of the Niger and Senegal valleys in the south. This breed includes the famous Mehara type of the Sahara, the largest camel breed of West Africa. The fastest Mehara are praised by the Tuareg; generally they are animals of immense perseverance, a quality common to most of the Saharan camels and probably surpassed by no other camel type. The Gandiol of Senegal is of Mauritanian descent. Enjoying good nutritional levels for most of the year, it is usually a heavy baggage camel. A more complete account of the camels of the western Sahara is given by Boue (1948).
Before reviewing the performance of the dromedary the points of the animal's body should be presented (Figure 3). Robertson (1938) cited the common Arab saying that the camel's body is made up of parts taken from other species.
Figure 3 .The points of the camel.
