Buzz
Water is scarce in the desert, and camels have evolved with specialized storage in their backs, leading people to believe these two facts are related. While they are, it may not be in the way you expect.
Food is just as rare as water in the desert. Camels take advantage of food when available, storing extra fat in their humps and relying on it when food is not around. The San Diego Zoo reports that these creatures can survive for months without eating, sometimes losing up to 40% of their body weight during that time.
Though the humps don't store water, they play a role in helping camels conserve moisture in their bodies. As Britannica explains, by concentrating fat in one location instead of spreading it across their bodies like other mammals, camels avoid insulating heat over most of their surface. This helps them maintain a lower body temperature during the day and delays the need to sweat. When nighttime comes and the desert grows cold, the heat stored in the hump is released, keeping the camel warm.
Camels’ approach to hydration isn’t about storing water but maximizing its use. As reported by National Geographic, both Arabian or dromedary camels (with one hump) and Bactrian camels (with two) can drink up to 30 gallons of water in just 13 minutes. This impressive feat is partly due to their elliptical blood cells, which enhance water absorption and blood circulation. Camels also urinate rarely, produce feces so dry they can be burned, and can tolerate body temperatures up to 106°F before needing to sweat to release excess heat—making them well-adapted to conserving water and surviving dehydration.
